TThe Christmas holidays seem to fly by even faster than usual this year. Maybe it’s the cliché that time goes by faster and faster as you get older? Or maybe there’s just too much going on these days to ever slow down.
Forty years ago I was leafing through our copy of the Radio times with a pencil, circling with patient delight the TV shows and movies I can’t miss but have to wait for. Of course, nostalgia plays a big role – I’m sure I’d be frustrated within hours if I were teleported back to 1985 and had to wait for the library to open to do even the most trivial fact-check – but if anything, the enforced boredom of yesteryear seemed to bend spacetime a bit, like an athlete forced to take the slower route on the slower outdoor track.
It’s impossible for an info junkie like me to be bored in today’s always-on era, and that seems like a good thing. But it’s also hard to turn off. And I’m far from the worst I know.
At least I sleep with my iPhone in another room and I have it permanently on silent mode. I don’t conduct WhatsApp chat conferences under the covers. I am well adjusted!
Small link list
One benefit of sneaking away from family and friends to unfold my laptop is that I have some links for you. So if you’re tired of Christmas jingles, pistachios, panettones and your in-laws, then the next 30 minutes of investing in nerd-outery is for you.
We will be back on Saturday January 3. Until then, I wish you a nice weekend and a happy new year. May your index funds be tracked with minimal error, may your letters from HMRC contain only positive surprises, and may all unwise gamblers return just enough to be fun – but not enough to encourage you to see unfounded cases. omens of skill.
From Monevator
From the Archiver: How to Be a 5:2 Investor – Monevator
News
Government waters down inheritance tax plans for farms BBC
Date of UK spring budget revealed: March 3 – Air
Shopping on Boxing Day falls flat – BBC
ONS confirms UK economic slowdown in third quarter – Yahoo Finance
Cultural works that will become public domain in 2026 include Betty Boo and Nancy Drew – NPR
The British are less well off than in 2019 Air
Products and services
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Research into 95% mortgages – This is money
Are you making optimal use of your banking benefits? – Which one
Get up to £3,000 cashback when you open or switch an Interactive Investor SIPP. Terms and fees apply, affiliate link. – Interactive investor
Safest Ways to Shop the Sale – Which one
Why is it so expensive to renew a short lease on an apartment? – This is money
Get up to £1,500 cashback when you transfer your money and/or investments to Charles Stanley Direct via this affiliate link. Terms and conditions apply – Charles Stanley
TV Streaming at Tipping Point as Viewers Opt for Ads – Guardian
American Express Platinum Review – Be smart with your money
Dream homes for sale, in photos – Guardian
Commentary and opinion
Which genius from history would have been the best investor? – FT
The risk you don’t think about – Of Dollars and Dates
How rational is the UK’s weakness for premium bonds? [Paywall] – The Economist
The Search for the Simple Life – Morgan Housel via Collaboration Fund
Six things landlords need to know for 2026 and beyond – Which one
Nine Proven Ways to Increase Your Happiness in Retirement – The Pension Manifesto
Evidence-based gift giving – Klement about investing
Returns don’t lie. People do [On IRRs in private equity] – Robert’s Substack
Mini-special on US technology valuations
One reason to be bearish on tech stocks… – Morning star
…but beware of Maslow’s Hammer – Chart Kid Matt
Naughty angle: active antics
Five investment themes from Warren Buffett’s early letters – Morning star
The search for market wisdom – Viaduct shares
The 30-year government bond is the surprise asset of the year – Reuters
Investors warn of ‘rot in private equity’ as funds conclude circular deals – NOW [h/t Abnormal Returns]
Kindle Book Bargains
Chokepoints: How Economic Warfare is Changing the World by Edward Fishman – £1.99 on Kindle
The five types of wealth by Sahil Bloom – £0.99 on Kindle
Stopping: The Power of Knowing When to Walk by Annie Duke – £0.99 on Kindle
The end of reality by Jonathan Taplin – £0.99 on Kindle
Or buy one of the best investment classics of all time: Monevator shop
Environmental factors
Met Office: 2025 will be Britain’s hottest year on record – Air
US pauses offshore wind projects due to safety concerns BBC
Robotoverlord collection
Thoughts on AI Progress – Dwarkesh Patel
Are doctors replaceable? – Eon
The AI bubble is now all over, baby blue – Gary Marcus
How AI is taking us back to the Dark Ages – Guardian
Not at the dining table
MAGA’s Masculine Policies Have Undermined Manufacturing Employment – Paul Krugman
Trump unveils ‘golden fleet’ battleships named after himself BBC
The United States of Shame – Roger Lowenstein
Inside the Trump pardon machine on an industrial scale [Paywall] – FT
Out of our league
Major incident reported over giant hole in Shropshire Canal – BBC
What Happened When a Writer Started Speaking Welsh – The Yale Review
On foot – The sun
The Return of the Madman – The honest broker
Beating Loneliness by Bridging the Generation Gap – BBC
The obligation to beauty – Palladium Magazine
Has Las Vegas become too greedy? – Silver Bulletin
And finally…
“I like the concept of mental liquidity. It’s the ability to quickly let go of previous beliefs and strategies when the world changes, you change, or when you encounter new information.”
–Morgan Housel, The art of spending money
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#Weekend #reading #busy #midwinter #Monevator