Quotes of the Day

The original 4% rule (from the 1990s) assumed a 30-year retirement and a balanced portfolio of half stocks and half bonds. The 4% withdrawal rate was based on the portfolio's starting value, and it increased with inflation annually. For example, if you retired with $1 million and inflation was 2% annually, you would be withdrawing $40,000 in year one, $40,800 in year two, $41,616 in year three and so on. Using these assumptions, your chances of ruining out of money before you die were found to be very low. Unfortunately, the expected return on bonds-and probably stocks too-is much lower today than it was when the original research was done. [2021] - Dan Bortolotti

You were told that if your blood pressure is below 140/90, it is normal. Unfortunately, this is not true. It is average--not normal. This number is used because it is the midpoint of adult Americans older than sixty. The risk for stokes and heart attacks starts climbing at 115/70. At a minimum, we should consider blood pressure higher than 125/80 abnormal. [2011] - Joel Fuhrman

Multicancer Early Detection (MCED) assays are constantly getting refined. There are also assays that detect certain proteins or metabolic markers, such as glycosaminoglycans, that indicate a higher likelihood that cancer may be present, as well as blood tests that combine cell-free tumor DNA and proteins in a panel. The test with the most extensive clinical experience to date is known as the GRAIL Galleri. It uses AI to determine whether there is a "cancer signal" and, if present, to help localize its likely organ source. The problem with this test that is marketed for $949 for people aged 50 and older is that the yield is remarkably low. Only 5 per 1,000 people test positive, and, of these, just 2 per 1,000 were actually diagnosed early, in stage 1 or 2, before the cancer spread. The proportion of false negatives among every 1,000 people tested is unknowable. [2025] - Eric Topol

In the United States, mortgage interest is tax deductible (even on your personal-use home). Canadian tax law doesn't allow for this. However, interest paid on money borrowed to invest can be deducted off your tax bill (interest paid on money borrowed for other reasons cannot). You'll never be able to deduct interest on the portion of the mortgage that is used to purchase your principal residence, but you can borrow additional funds against your home for the purpose of investing, thereby creating a tax-deductible interest expense. [2017] - Calum Ross

Scaling into position entails entering initially with a small, fractional trade size, and then adding onto the position as the trend develops further. Scaling out is just the opposite. Once a full position has matured, and there are indications of a possible waning of trend momentum, parts of the position may be closed in succession.  [2009] - James Chen