Happy Festivus !!! I hope you have your poles ready. I am going to air my grievances as my list of 10 things I Won’t Miss About 2024.
Every year since 2002, except for 2021, I have closed out the year with my satirical look at the world through the eyes of a professional investor/writer poking fun at what has transpired in our society during the year about to end. In 2024 we started out with the Kansas City Chiefs winning their second consecutive Super Bowl here is Las Vegas and the team’s third in the last five years. Then we endured what was the longest and most excruciating election season, culminating with Donald Trump becoming the second Grover Cleveland and the Republicans winning both Houses of Congress. It was also the year of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which you better become accustomed to. We owned Nvidia (NVDA) and Broadcom (AVGO) long before they became household names.
For LakeView Asset Management, we followed up a banner 2023, from an investment performance perspective, with another spectacular year in 2024 (feel free to contact Carly or myself for more investment and performance information). We rolled out insurance in 2024 with financial planning to follow in 2025. As always, we welcome referrals from your family, friends, and co-workers.
I hope and pray that 2025 will be a year of health, happiness, and prosperity for our family, friends, clientele, and readers. As always, I will dig down deep to find ten more annoyances in 2024. So, without further ado, here is my list of 10 Things I Won’t Miss About 2024 (and never want to see or hear about ever again), in no specific order:
- LUME (AND OTHER) ALL BODY DEODORANTS FOR WOMEN – I won’t argue with the concept or its potential benefits, but must I really watch and listen to these commercials on repeat? Would this product best be marketed in a more direct to consumer method as Avon now does.
- NEW BORING NFL KICK-OFF RULES – I have watched plenty of professional football in my lifetime, my first memories of which were Super Bowl III with my cousin Alan. We have season tickets to the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants (this was not exactly the season to admit to both). Yes, the NFL has tinkered with rules along the way. However the new Dynamic kick-off rules are on the one-hand boring while on the other-hand confusing. In addition, On-Side kick-offs must be declared prior to such an attempt. Here is what I suggest on regular kick-offs:
- The team kicking the ball does so from the 25-yard line.
- Only seven players (including the kicker) are on the field for both teams.
- If the kicker puts the ball through the uprights on the kick-off, they get another point.
- SIGNATURE DRINKS – I have gone to my fair share of weddings in my life. Over the last few years, so-called “Signature Drinks” are increasingly being featured at the open bars. They are some concoctions of sweet alcohol and other ingredients. Now understand that few if any people over the age of thirty would drink that mess and most of the heavy hitters (i.e. people who give the biggest gifts) want one of a few things: single malt scotch, top shelf vodka or real champagne (not those champagne alternatives). My suggestion is having one big punch bowl of signature drinks so that real booze can be ordered and served faster. At my son and daughter’s weddings I walked up to the bartender, gave them a $100 bill and asked for single malt to be poured for me and my closest friends. That helped solve the problem. Just a hint for fathers-of-the-brides to be.
- $6.2 MILLION BANANA DUCT-TAPED TO A WALL – Someone actually bought at auction, a banana duct-taped to a wall for $6.2 million. Talk about inflation! I am willing to sell you one for 50% off, just $3.1 million. I take cold hard cash not Bitcoin. You can even choose your color of duct tape.
- SYNTHETIC DIAMONDS – There is a new virus in the jewelry industry, namely “lab-grown diamonds.” These are created in machines which attempt to replicate the process that real diamonds are created by. While lab-grown diamonds are less expensive, they don’t hold their value over time. Natural diamonds do increase in value over time. Furthermore, if I gave my wife a lab-grown diamond she would shove it down my throat.
- QUIET CARS – I get some people perceive the value of an electric vehicle (EV) to be worth the price. On the other hand, they make no noise (or an odd noise, some would argue). So, if you are walking in the street (see #4 above) and you can’t hear a car coming, it is dangerous. We are trained to hear the noise of an old-fashioned engine. EV manufacturers should be mandated to replicate the noise of an old-fashioned car.
- LUIGI MANGIONI – Let’s set this issue straight – Mangione is a stone-cold-blooded killer who planned his crime well in advance. He is a murderer who should be electrocuted. However, my first issue is that he is referred to as “the Ivy League Killer.” While the Ivy League schools have done much on their own to tarnish their reputations in the last two years, those schools had nothing to do with the killing of the CEO of United Healthcare (UNH). Second, this deviant murderer is now revered as a folk hero by other wack-jobs on social media. This is just one of the many reasons why in my opinion, social media is a curse on society. Lastly, he disgraces the name of the great jazz musician Chuck Mangione.
- BOISE STATE FOOTBALL FIELD – Yes, another gripe about football, but this one is aimed at college football. Have you ever looked at the Boise State football field? Its blue. Don’t get me wrong. Blue is my favorite color. I have shirts and pants with “Boise State Blue” in them. However, football was intended to be played on natural grass. Then stadiums, both football and college, turned to synthetic turf, but made them green, to at least look real. Then Boise State decided that football turf should be selected from a color chart at Home Depot (HD). Increasingly football players prefer to play on grass fields, which is why indoor stadiums in Glendale, Arizona and here in Las Vegas are natural turf. Those turfs are gown outdoors and then through an engineering miracle are rolled into the stadium for the game. I am not finished with my rant. The nickname for Boise State is the Broncos. Have you ever seen a blue bronco, other than one made by Ford (F)?
- POP-UP VIDEO GAME ADS – I absolutely hate those pop-up ads which try to have me buy a video game on my mobile device when I am in the middle reading an article. Not to mention, I was happier with my older Apple (AAPL) iPhone than the new iPhone 16 version.
- TIPPING SUGGESTIONS – Tipping began as a discretionary payment for extraordinary service provided by someone to a consumer, mostly in restaurants. Then it became a norm to tip, usually 15-18% (15% was easier for the quantitively challenged diner before everyone had a calculator on their cell phone). Then the last few years, tipping inflation took hold, such that the tipping rate was pushed toward a 20% floor (again easier to those not mathematically inclined). Now tipping suggestions are everywhere; on the restaurant check; on the credit card payment tablet. Some vendors even add them in without your prior consent or have a suggested amount up to 30%. President Trump promised to end taxes on tips. So, we ought to go back to the old ways of tipping 15-18% and do not be afraid to not tip that much for lousy service. Don’t get me wrong, when I am at a restaurant being served, a nice tip is earned. However, an overpriced $8 Starbucks (SBUX) drink tells me the employees are being taken care of and a “tip” is priced in. Starbucks offers a competitive wage and employees receive hefty benefits, asking for a 30% tip is unreasonable.
I hope you enjoyed this year’s 10 Things and thank you for reading My Gut Feeling and Carly’s My Two Cents throughout the year.Please forward this year’s “10 Things” to friends and family and invite them to sign up for My Gut Feeling and My Two Cents. LakeView Asset Management is always available to help you with your investment needs, so don’t be shy to reach out to us. We are always available by phone or text at 702-749-9343 or email scott@lakeviewasset.com or carly@lakeviewasset.com.
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Disclosure: At the time of this commentary Scott Rothbort, his family and/or clients of LakeView Asset Management, LLCwere long AAPL, AVGO, HD & NVDA, although positions may change at any time. The mention of a stock is not a recommendation and may not be a suitable investment for your individual situation.
Scott Rothbort is the President & Founder of LakeView Asset Management, LLC, (LVAM) an investment advisor representative, specializing in high-net-worth private wealth management. LVAM is a separate entity of Osaic Advisory Services, LLC, a registered investment advisor.
For more information on investing with LakeView Asset Management, LLC call us at 702-749-9343 or request more information by clicking on the contact button on the top right-hand corner of the website or by emailing Scott at scott@lakeviewasset.com or Carly at carly@lakeviewasset.com. LakeView Management, LLC is a Nevada LLC, with its principal office located in Henderson, NV and branch office located in Millburn, NJ
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