Unlocking Secrets: What Really Happens When You Meet Your Idols—and How It Can Change Your Business Forever

Ever had one of those moments that feels like the universe just winked at you? Last week, while wandering through the wildly beautiful—yet notoriously unpredictable—landscapes of Wales, my girlfriend and I found ourselves caught in a sudden downpour. There we were, huddled under a makeshift tarp, supposed to be for coffee van patrons but apparently installed by the Welsh tourist board as a gentle nod to their infamous weather. It was under this soggy shelter that I met a remarkable couple — sprightly octogenarians who could outpace many half their age, sharing wisdom on life, love, and investing that stuck with me far beyond the storm. Made me wonder: how often do we overlook the quiet financial sagas unfolding right beside us, or underestimate the agility of those who’ve mastered the long game? Stick around, because their story—and the week’s biggest money and investing insights—might just inspire your next move. LEARN MORE

What caught my eye this week.

The serendipity was too perfect. I thought: I’d write about this on Monevator, but who would believe me?

My girlfriend and I were on a visit last week to a picturesque part of Wales. Out of nowhere the blue sky turned into a thunderstorm (because we were in a picturesque part of Wales) and we dashed for cover under a tarpaulin strung up in a car park, allegedly meant for the patrons of a nearby coffee van but surely put there as advanced compensation by the Welsh tourist board.

An older lady appeared out of the storm. All smiles and shaking her head. A few seconds later her even more elderly partner stepped in.

As I often do and she clearly always does, we got chatting.

Golden dears

It turned out that they were in their mid-to-late-80s and had been semi-retired for decades.

They looked fitter than some of my university friends.

“We always walk at least 13km a day!” the lady told me.

“It’s a big world,” her husband added. “You have to get out to see it.”

They’d met and married in Malaysia more than 50 years ago, when she was visiting as an English teacher. Nowadays they spent half the year living in the poshest part of this town, and spent October to March overseas.

“It’s always summer for us!” laughed the man.

He asked me what I did for a living, but then he didn’t particularly listen before he gave me his investing tips. I’ve heard worse.

She said they did part-time work as marriage counsellors for their church. It was important to stay active and engaged when you’re older, she confided.

“I have three pieces of advice!” interrupted the man. “Always forgive the other person. Don’t argue for more than one minute! And never do anything to make your partner unhappy.”

That last one seemed like a reach, I suggested. In my experience it was often out of your hands?

But he was already off telling my girlfriend how he’d got his baseball cap – and most of the rest of his walking clothes – from visits he’d made to his old employer. Waste not want not.

The rain stopped and we shook hands and said our goodbyes. But then it turned out they were actually walking the same way as us.

Faster than us…

Now he was running! The jogging baby steps of an 86-year old, sure, but definitely pulling away.

“He wants to watch the Lionesses,” the lady told me, as she sped into a power walk. Over her shoulder: “Nice to meet you!”

I wished I’d asked them for their sustainable withdrawal rate.

Have a great weekend.

From Monevator

FIRE update: year four – Monevator

The mysterious case of Treasury 2061 – Monevator

From the archive-ator: What’s your financial origin story? – Monevator

News

Rail fares rise by an inflation-busting 5.1% – Guardian

Inheritance tax nets record £6.7bn before Budget raid – City AM

UK house prices rebound as market recovers from June dip – Guardian

…with BoE data pointing to a mini-boom – Yahoo Finance

…and Nationwide says housing is most affordable for a decade – This Is Money

Metlen confirms date for [much needed] £5.5bn London listing – City AM

London commuter towns revealed as Britain’s best places to retire – Standard

City offices ‘regain footing’ as deals tick up and prime rents surge – City AM

A speculative frenzy – Sherwood [with no risk premium on US equities]

Brewdog and its crowdfunders mini-special

‘Equity for punks’ fuelled Brewdog’s rise, and maybe its fall – The Conversation

How private equity swallowed the Brewdog unicorn [Paywall] – FT

Brewdog Britain is dead – The Spectator

Products and services

Cash ISA battle sends Best Buy rates up again – This Is Money

How to pay less for magazines or even get them free – Be Clever With Your Cash

Get up to £1,500 cashback when you transfer your cash and/or investments to Charles Stanley Direct through this link. Terms apply – Charles Stanley

Should you consider a product transfer for your next mortgage? – Which

Ofgem mulls different energy charges for varying household wealth – Guardian

Get up to £2,000 when you switch to an Interactive Investor SIPP. Terms and fees apply. – Interactive Investor

Pet insurance prices drop. You can pay even less with these tips – Which

The Junior ISA strategy that’s helped some accounts reach £200,000 – Which

Get up to £100 as a welcome bonus when you open a new account with InvestEngine via our link. (Minimum deposit of £100, T&Cs apply. Capital at risk) – InvestEngine

The cheapest ways to watch the Premier League – Be Clever With Your Cash

“We take everything a financial adviser does and automate it” – FT Adviser

Homes for sale in seaside hotspots, in pictures – Guardian

Comment and opinion

One-year state pension delay could cost early-50s over £16,000 – IFA Mag

Index investing is easier on your nerves – Humble Dollar

“Why I’m not paying into a pension” – BBC

Many Britons say they can’t afford to have kids – Independent

Don’t let comfort creep you out – A Teachable Moment

Could time off when young compensate us for retiring later? – The Conversation

“I earn £100,000 a year but I don’t feel rich in London” – This Is Money

The best leading indicator of wealth – Of Dollars and Data

Can we build it? No we can’t – Propegator

Uncommon common sense investing perspectives – Allan Roth

Today’s active managers are more skilled but they still lag… – Larry Swedroe

…and there are risks to passive dominance… [Research] – Alpha Architect

AI capital spend versus tech workers mini-special

Honey, AI capital spending keeps eating…everything – Paul Kedrosky

These charts on the spending boom have something for everyone – Sherwood

What happens if we spend $3tn on data centres that nobody needs? – FT

The have lots and have nots – Spyglass

The Satya of Satya’s layoff memo – Om Malik

Naughty corner: Active antics

Lessons from investing before the Internet – The Onveston Letter

Where do fund managers lose performance? – Klement on Investing

The case for low-volatility equities – CFA Institute

Bitcoin treasury companies: lessons from the 1929 crash – Be Water

Kindle book bargains

What They Don’t Teach You About Money by Claer Barrett – £0.99 on Kindle

Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin – £0.99 on Kindle

50 Economics Ideas by Edmund Conway – £0.99 on Kindle

Mastering the Business Cycle by Howard Marks – £0.99 on Kindle

Environmental factors

Househunters can now search for a home with an EV charger – This Is Money

Sheffield company launches eco-bricks that absorb carbon – BBC

Call to make wet wipe producers pay for UK’s polluted waterways – Guardian

UK’s rarest breeding birds raise chicks for first time in six years – Channel 4

Is indoor salmon farming the future of aquaculture? – Eating Well

Invasive seaweed ‘overwhelming’ Spanish beaches – Guardian

Robot overlord roundup

AI is about to make the public Internet useless – Philip Rosedale

Anything you say to ChatGPT can be used in court, warns Sam Altman – PC Mag

Reddit is even more influential than you think – Finfluential

Not at the dinner table

I coulda made a better deal – Paul Krugman

The great crime paradox [Paywall] – FT

Xi Jinping is the main thing holding China back – Noahpinion

Trump’s tariff disaster [Podcast] – David Frum of The Atlantic

The cost of financing U.S. government debt – Econofact

“We voted for retribution” – The Atlantic [h/t Abnormal Returns]

Off our beat

“I’ve stopped life-saving medication” says man after fight for NHS care – BBC

What ever happened to all the serial killers? – Derek Thompson

How diet can delay chronic illness in old age – Independent

The Red Queen fallacy – The Garden of Forking Paths

Neanderthals weren’t ‘hypercarnivores’. They feasted on maggots – Guardian

This is why we can’t have nice things: ‘dine and dash’ edition – BBC

How bread versus rice moulded history – Uncharted Territories

A nostalgic diesel train ride through Portugal – BBC

And finally…

“Advice is one thing that as freely given away, but watch that you only take what is worth having.”
– George Clason, The Richest Man in Bablyon

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