A Rich Life

The Old Ideas on Saving & Investing Don't Work -- Here's What Does

“It Reveals Both the Great Power of the New Internet Discussion-Board Communications Medium to Do Good in the World and How the Potential of the New Medium Can Be Thwarted Via Censorship and Self-Censorship.”

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Set forth below is the text of an e-mail that I sent on November 24, 2018, to Lucas Nolan, a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.

My name is Rob Bennett. I would be grateful if you would take a look at the attached article, “Buy-and-Hold Is Dangerous.” It reveals both the great power of the new internet discussion-board communications medium to do good in the world and how the potential of the new medium can be thwarted via censorship and self-censorship.

I have been able to connect with numerous experts in the investing field who have grave doubts about the continued viability of the dominant Buy-and-Hold Model for understanding how stock investing works and I have seen the efforts of these good people to put our economic system on a sounder footing undermined by the insanely abusive tactics of those seeking to protect the discredited model from effective challenge. If we get the word out, the good guys win. But it has been a struggle trying to get the word out.

I am grateful for any help or suggestions that you can offer. Please take good care. And thanks for the valuable work that you do.

Rob

 

” I Have Made a Living As a Journalist My Entire Life and It Is My Belief That This Story Describes the Most Important Public Policy Issue Before Us Today. I Know That Sounds Overstated. But It Is My Sincere Belief and I Am Not By Nature Given to Overstatement.”

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Set forth below is the text of an e-mail that I sent on November 18, 2018, to Brianna Sacks, a journalist at Buzzfeed.com

Brianna:

My name is Rob Bennett. I read your article on the horrors of the California fires. I have attached an article that I wrote on a completely different topic — the dangers of the Buy-and-Hold investment strategy. I have made a living as a journalist my entire life and it is my belief that this story describes the most important public policy issue before us today. I know that sounds overstated. But it is my sincere belief and I am not by nature given to overstatement. Give it three paragraphs and see if it pulls you in.

I wish you the best of luck in all your future life endeavors.

Rob

“I Have a Story to Tell That Is Similar in Important Ways to the Story You Tell in the Article Titled ‘When the Scientific Consensus Is Corrected by a Skeptic.’ Your Story Showed How Hard It Can Be to Correct a Claim That Has Been Shown to Be ‘Science’ in the Eyes of a Majority. The Reality, of Course, Is That True Science Is Always Open to Corrections to Old Ways of Thinking.”

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Set forth below is the text of an e-mail that I sent on November 17, 2018, to the editors at CommentaryMagazine.com after reading an article there titled When the Scientific Consensus Is Corrected By a Skeptic:

Commentary Editors:

My name is Rob Bennett. I have a story to tell that is similar in important ways to the story you tell in the article titled “When the Scientific Consensus Is Corrected by a Skeptic.” Your story showed how hard it can be to correct a claim that has been shown to be “science” in the eyes of a majority. The reality, of course, is that true science is always open to corrections to old ways of thinking.

I have written an article titled “Buy-and-Hold Is Dangerous” that details how discussion of the many far-reaching implications of Robert Shiller’s Nobel-prize-winning research has been suppressed by advocates (both professionals and ordinary people) of the Buy-and-Hold investment strategy. I make the case for why this should be a high-priority public policy concern.

The article as written is probably far too long for publication in your magazine. However, I am reluctant to send you only a portion of the article as it has been my experience that people have a hard time understanding this issue (although the ideas themselves are simple enough) and I tried to address that problem by making the case complete in the article as written. My aim is to get the word out. I would of course be happy to write a shorter article if I was able to get you interested in the story by sending along my full treatment of it.

The article is attached. I wish you the best of luck in all your endeavors.

Rob

“Most People Assume That the Internet Is Open to Honest Posting (At Least Somewhere) on All Issues. I Am Here to Say That It Is Not So.”

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Set forth below is the text of an e-mail that I sent on November 15, 2018, to Scott Rasmussen:

Scott:

My name is Rob Bennett. I have checked out your polls from time to time but was surprised (and inspired) to read about your impressive background in today’s Power Line. You are an accomplished guy! Good for you.
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I have been working for years to open up the internet to honest posting about the implications of Robert Shiller’s Nobel-prize-winning research on how stock investing works. Most people assume that the internet is open to honest posting (at least somewhere) on all issues. I am here to say that it is not so. The article that I have attached tells the story. I hope that, if you read a few paragraphs, it will pull you in and you will end up working your way through to the grand conclusion. It’s scary stuff re the short term but also highly encouraging stuff re the long term.
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I wish you the best of luck in all your future life endeavors, in any event.
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Rob

 

“I Want to Share With You My Own Little Story of a Conspiracy Too Big to Have Actually Happened (in My Case, It Really DID Happen — Seriously!)….This Is the Product of 16 Years of Work Effort. You Are Allowed to Laugh — but Only If You Read the Article Straight Through to the Finish First!”

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Set forth below is the text of an e-mail that I sent to Dustin Rowles, publisher of the Pajiba.com site. 

Dustin:

My name is Rob Bennett. After watching Making of a Murderer, Part Two, I read your article complaining that the series was one-sided. I found the case made in the show more convincing than you did but I agree that the show would have been more persuasive if there has been more of an effort made to tell both sides of the story. So I was glad that you made that point.
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I want to share with you my own little story of a conspiracy too big to have actually happened (in my case, it really DID happen — seriously!). I’ve attached an article titled “Buy-and-Hold Is Dangerous.” This is the product of 16 years of work effort. You are allowed to laugh — but only if you read the article straight through to the finish first!
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Please take good care. And please keep shooting down conspiracy theories (at least the ones that really aren’t true crimes).
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Rob

” It’s a Long Article. But There Is a Lot of Blood, Sweat and Tears Backing Up These 11,300 Words, I Can Assure You of That Much.”

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Set forth below is the text of an e-mail that I sent to Aaron Zhu:

Aaron:

My name is Rob Bennett. I read your article on “7 Brutally Honest Reasons Why You Are Still Single.” I have been married for many years, so the article has no direct application to me. But I find the question of how people connect with lifetime partners a fascinating one, so I do read articles on it from time to time. I think that your first reason — introversion — is the one that held me back for a long time and indeed is a reality that holds me back in other areas of life as well. I believe that introversion has some benefits that counter some of the drawbacks. Perhaps I need to think that.
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When I saw that you provided your e-mail, I decided that I would fight my introvert inclinations and send you an article that sums up my efforts to come to a deeper understanding of a very different topic — stock investing. The odds are strong that you will have limited interest. But one never really knows, does one? I’m going to take the chance. Please understand that I get it if you elect to take a pass. If you do jump in to the scary, cold water, all the better!
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It’s a long article. But there is a lot of blood, sweat and tears backing up these 11,300 words, I can assure you of that much.
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Please take good care.

“I Have Spent 16 Years Exploring the Issues Examined. I Know That Sounds Crazy. But I Have Been a Journalist My Entire Adult Life and It Is My Sincere Belief That the Lack of General Awareness of the Dangers of Buy-and-Hold Is the Most Important Public Policy Issue Before Our Country Today.”

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Set forth below is the text of an e-mail that I sent on November 15, 2018, to Chris Buskirk, publisher and editor of the American Greatness site:

Chris:

My name is Rob Bennett. I read your article about tomorrow’s elections in the New York Times and followed the link to the American Greatness site. It’s not a site that I read regularly but I believe that this is perhaps the third time that I have been pulled there. It is my experience that I don’t make an effort to follow a site until I have visited at least three times. So I feel that I am on the borderline of becoming a  regular reader. Not quite there, but almost there.
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I have attached an article of my own that I would like you to consider reading in the event that you have a little time to do so and the topic pulls you in at least a tiny bit. It’s a labor of love for me. I have spent 16 years exploring the issues examined. I know that sounds crazy. But I have been a journalist my entire adult life and it is my sincere belief that the  lack of general awareness of the dangers of Buy-and-Hold is the most important public policy issue before our country today. It is incredibly hard to get people in the investment advice field to help people learn about this story (for reason discussed in the article). But we need to get the word out somehow (in my sincere belief, at any rate).
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I wish you the best of luck in all your endeavors. I hope to see more of your articles appear on my computer screen in coming days.
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Rob
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Chris responded with an e-mail sent a few hours later saying:
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Rob:
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Many thanks. I’ll take a look.
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Best Regards,
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Chris

“I Believe That the New Internet Communications Medium Has the Potential to Change the World in a Very Positive Way. But It Certainly Has Not Yet Lived Up to its Potential. I Pray That as a People We Will Figure Out How to Make More Effective Use of It.”

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Set forth below is the text of an e-mail that I sent on November 14, 2018, to Fred Bauer:

Fred:

My name is Rob Bennett. I read your article at National Review titled Social Media Have Been Captured by Elitists, Demagogues and Mobs. The topic is dear to my heart. I believe that the new internet communications medium has the potential to change the world in a very positive way. But it certainly has not yet lived up to its potential. I pray that as a people we will figure out how to make more effective use of it.
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I want to share with you the story that I have been working on for 16 years. This story is very much the product of the new communications medium. It shows both the very best of it and the very worst of it. It’s an amazing story.
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My best and warmest wishes to you.
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Rob

 

 

“The Topic Is a Bit Far Afield From the Sorts of Things You Usually Write. But It Is My View That This Issue Affects Everyone Alive Today and Should Be of Interest to People of All Political Persuasions. I Know That That Sounds Biased (This Is My Baby) But I Really Do Believe It.”

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Set forth below is the text of an e-mail that I sent to Pema Levy, a reporter at MotherJones.com who wrote an article titled Rachel Mitchell’s Former Colleague Slams Her Kavanaugh Memo As “Absolutely Disengenious.”

Pema:

My name is Rob Bennett. I happened to come across an article of yours (“Rachell Mitchell’s Former Colleague Slams Her Kavenuagh Memo as “Absolutely Disengenious”). I read the article because it addresses the point from the Kavenaugh hearings that I found most compelling — that Ford said at one time that the attacks happened when she was in her late teens, which is a lot different from age 15 and which would have put her in college at the time. I cannot say that I am entirely convinced by your take. I agree that someone might not possess good recall of the date or perhaps even the year of an attack years later. But it seems to me that the difference between being 15 and being 18 when attacked sexually is so big that it would be remembered with some clarity. However, I was glad to see that someone made the case for the other side as it always helps to hear takes from both sides to work things out in one’s mind. Thanks for taking up that issue.
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I am a journalist too and I wanted to share with you an article that I have written called “Buy-and-Hold Is Dangerous.” The topic is a bit far afield from the sorts of things you usually write. But it is my view that this issue affects everyone alive today and should be of interest to people of all political persuasions. I know that that sounds biased (this is my baby) but I really do believe it. Anyway, I fully understand if you choose not to add one more (long!) item to your reading list. But if by some chance it pulls you in, that would be super groovy.
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My best wishes to you. Keep up the good fight!
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Rob

“I Have Devoted Lots of Energies to Getting People Who Work in the Investing Realm Interested in This Story Without a Lot of Luck (the Attached Article Explains Why). So I Am Currently Sending the Article to People Who Might Not Be Obvious Candidates But Who At Least Might Be Less Poisoned By the Bias That Blocks the Obvious Candidates From Appreciating the Importance of the Story.”

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Set forth below is the text of the e-mail that I sent to Michael Flaherty when I sent him a copy of my article “Buy-and-Hold Is Dangerous”:

Michael:

My name is Rob Bennett. I read your article on “Fake News Turns 80” at the National Review site this morning. I knew about the War of the Worlds incident and even that it was hyped a bit but I was not aware that the motive for the hype was that newspapers felt threatened by the growing popularity of radio. Thanks for adding that information bit to my understanding of how the world around me operates.
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I have no reason to believe that you have a particular interest in the dangers of the Buy-and-Hold investment strategy, the news theme that has been the focus of my work efforts for the past 16 years. But “fake news” is a big part of the story and, since you have addressed that one from one angle, you never know. I have devoted lots of energies to getting people who work in the investing realm interested in this story without a lot of luck (the attached article explains why). So I am currently sending the article to people who might not be obvious candidates but who at least might be less poisoned by the bias that blocks the obvious candidates from appreciating the importance of the story.
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If it pulls you in, super. Please let me know if you have any questions or thoughts as to how I might proceed to get more people to pay attention. If not, I of course get it. We all have big piles of purportedly essential reading material on our nightstand.
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Please take good care.
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Rob