SHOWCASE MAGAZINE | 2018
FINANCIAL MATTERS
market moves.
Doesn’t Matter: How rigged you think the CPI infla-
tion calculation is.
Does Matter: Your personal spending inflation.
Doesn’t Matter: The next release of the minutes
from the latest Fed meeting.
Does Matter: How much money you save.
Doesn’t Matter: Having the highest IQ in the room.
Does Matter: Developing your emotional intelli-
gence.
Doesn’t Matter: Arguing with people on Twitter
about their stock picks.
Does Matter: Keeping the negativity in your life to a
minimum.
Doesn’t Matter: What your brother-in-law says he
made on a penny stock.
Does Matter: The fact that 8 out of 10 small busi-
nesses fail within the first year.
Doesn’t Matter: How many jet skis and snow mo-
biles your neighbor owns.
Does Matter: Your net worth.
Doesn’t Matter: The next 3-5% move in the stock
market.
Does Matter: Increasing the amount you save each
year by 3-5%.
Doesn’t Matter: The daily value of your portfolio.
Does Matter: The value of your portfolio when you
retire.
Doesn’t Matter: Making occasional mistakes with
your finances.
Does Matter: Continuing to make the same mistakes
over and over again.
Doesn’t Matter: Spending money on things that
make you happy (meaning it’s OK to do this).
Does Matter: Cutting back everywhere else.
Doesn’t Matter: Losing money in your portfolio occa-
sionally.
Does Matter: Running out of money before you need
it by not taking any risk.
Doesn’t Matter: Buying stocks at the absolute top or
bottom of the market.
Does Matter: Dollar cost averaging over multiple
“If I were an executive coach, I would try to focus
each individual on the facets they can control. Em-
phasizing what’s in your control allows you to adopt
an attitude of equanimity toward luck. You’ve done
all that you can, and from there you have to live with
the results—good or bad.” – Michael Mauboussin
Wading through the overwhelming noise can be a
chore when dealing with your finances and invest-
ments. Here’s my list to help you decide what really
matters and what you can do without when making
financial decisions.
Doesn’t Matter: Your theories on tax policy.
Does Matter: Taking advantage of tax sheltered re-
tirement accounts.
Doesn’t Matter: Developing tactics for every short-
term market move or geopolitical risk.
Does Matter: Crafting long-term principles that can
guide your actions through multiple scenarios.
Doesn’t Matter: Your political views.
Does Matter: Creating a comprehensive financial
plan.
Doesn’t Matter: How cheap your trading commis-
sions are.
Does Matter: Keeping your overall investment costs
in check.
Doesn’t Matter: The inevitable market correction.
Does Matter: How you react when stocks fall.
Doesn’t Matter: What happened in the market yes-
terday.
Does Matter: An understanding of your time horizon.
Doesn’t Matter: Trying to time the market.
Does Matter: Your behavior so you don’t buy high
and sell low.
Doesn’t Matter: The value of the U.S. Dollar.
Does Matter: Improving your career prospects to
earn more of those dollars.
Doesn’t Matter: Your thoughts on where interest
rates are heading this year.
Does Matter: Your tolerance for risk in your portfolio.
Doesn’t Matter: Trying to explain why the market
rose or fell on any given day.
Does Matter: Ignoring the endless noise about daily
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