Grow Smart Income - week 12, 2024

What happened this week?

Good day valued readers,

We hope this week's carefully curated selection of news finds you well. In this edition, we cover the latest developments across investing, finance, crypto, AI, and other topics to help you stay informed.

As always, our goal is to provide you with a professional, unbiased roundup of noteworthy news to augment your understanding of what's happening in the world. We take pride in hand-selecting articles from trustworthy sources across a diverse range of industries.

Please enjoy this week's newsletter. We're grateful for the opportunity to share these insights with you and look forward to continuing to be a valuable resource.

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Investing and Finance

This week, we examine profound questions around money, success, and the economy through diverse lenses. Investing veterans share 20 years of hard-won money management lessons, while the "enough" income for true happiness is pondered. Apparent contradictions arise, like the "Rich Dad Poor Dad" author claiming billionaire debt status and MrBeast's reinvestment ethos despite $700 million revenues. Corporate dynamics see the Broadcom CEO acknowledging "unease" over VMware, Nvidia surging pre-"AI Woodstock," and Super Micro stumbling after its S&P 500 inclusion.

Personal finance takes complex turns too - from Americans brazenly working multiple remote jobs to the death of EV euphoria forcing automakers to scale back plans. Central bank moves also loom large, as the Bank of Japan ends negative rates while the Fed's inability to fix housing woes underscores persisting economic turmoil. Amidst relentless change, constants reemerge - overwork's impact on health, the merits of compounding, celebrities' wealth spectacles. Now let's dive deeper into the timeless truths and dizzying contradictions defining the modern experience of money in a volatile world.

  1. 20 Lessons From 20 Years of Managing Money - Read more

  2. Nvidia, Super Micro Score Price-Target Hikes Ahead Of 'AI Woodstock' - Read more

  3. EV euphoria is dead. Automakers are scaling back or delaying their electric vehicle plans - Read more

  4. Robert Kiyosaki, 'Rich Dad Poor Dad' Author, Says, 'I Am a Billionaire in Debt' - Read more

  5. MrBeast brings in $700 million a year but says he’s not rich: ‘I’ve reinvested everything to the point of stupidity’ - Read more

  6. How Much Money Is 'Enough' to Make You Happy - Read more

  7. And One More Thing About Nvidia - Read more

  8. After 114 days of change, Broadcom CEO acknowledges VMware-related “unease” - Read more

  9. Dwayne Johnson's Net Worth - Read more

  10. 3 Americans share how they got away with secretly working multiple remote jobs - Read more

  11. Another shockingly good jobs report shows America's economy is booming - Read more

  12. Super Micro Stock Slides After It Joins S&P 500 - Read more

  13. Bank of Japan ends era of negative interest rates - Read more

  14. The Fed won't fix the housing market: Morning Brief - Read more

“The best way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

Walt Disney

Crypto News

This week, crypto markets saw wild volatility as the SEC's website went down preceding a Bitcoin price crash, intensifying pressure from Senators to halt further crypto ETF approvals. However, projections emerged that Ether-based ETFs could ultimately outpace Bitcoin counterparts in scope, with VanEck eyeing an 85% chance of spot Ether funds launching in May. Fidelity added staking to bolster its Ether ETF bid as assets under management in global crypto investment products crossed $100 billion for the first time. Major network developments also unfolded, with Solana's market cap surpassing Binance Coin as it targets becoming a $1 trillion "retail chain of choice," turbocharged by the meme coin mania driving demand and fees to new highs.

Meanwhile, El Salvador's government transferred $400 million of Bitcoin reserves to a new "cold wallet," doubling down on its bullish crypto bet alongside Elon Musk teasing Tesla could soon accept Dogecoin payments. In a regulatory move, Binance tasked prime brokers to identify and root out US investors on its platform amidst America's opaque jurisdictional stance. As institutional adoption accelerates but price swings persist, separating hype from fundamental value drivers remains crucial for the maturing crypto asset class.

  1. Senators pressure SEC’s Gensler not to approve any more crypto ETFs - Read more

  2. SEC website taken offline, precedes bitcoin price crash - Read more

  3. Ether ETFs Could Be Bigger Than Bitcoin ETFs, Says VanEck - Read more

  4. El Salvador moves $400 million worth of bitcoin holdings to new 'cold wallet,' president says - Read more

  5. Dogecoin Pumps As Elon Musk Says Tesla ‘Should Enable’ Purchases With Meme Coin - Read more

  6. Global crypto investment products cross $100 billion in AUM for the first time - Read more

  7. SOL Crosses $200 as Meme Coin Frenzy Bumps Demand for Solana Network - Read more

  8. Spot Ether ETFs Have 85% Chance of Being Approved in May - Read more

  9. Solana Targets $1 Trillion Cap as The Retail Chain of Choice - Read more

  10. Solana (SOL) Flips Binance Coin (BNB), Is Ethereum Next? - Read more

  11. Fidelity Adds Staking to Ether ETF Application, Sending LIDO Up 9% - Read more

  12. Binance Tasks Prime Brokers With Checks to Root Out US Investors - Read more

“There are no limits to what you can accomplish, except the limits you place on your own thinking.”

Brian Tracy

Artificial Intelligence

This week, the AI revolution accelerated across industries, as Democrats cited automation in proposing a 32-hour workweek and Mercedes plans to integrate AI into assembly lines. OpenAI announced its hyped multimodal model Sora will launch in 2024 capable of generating nude content, though its CTO couldn't explain the training data origins. Governance battles intensified, with Google hesitant to release certain "too dangerous" AI technologies and YouTube mandating AI content labeling. However, breakthroughs persisted - DeepMind claims solving a stubborn math puzzle, while a music startup unveiled a "ChatGPT for tunes."

Major investments flowed, from Apple reportedly acquiring DarwinAI to Nvidia unveiling powerful new AI chips as Jensen Huang declared "we need bigger GPUs." Tech giants like Oracle and Apple also debuted GenAI features across cloud apps and iPhones respectively. Nations adopted divergent stances, as Singapore embraced AI solutions but Japan's top recruiter warned against over-reliance amidst worker shortages. Underlining disruption risks, Morgan Stanley named an AI head while Bill Maher cautioned AI threatens even influencers' jobs. As Musk predicted superhuman AI capabilities soon, society grappled with profound impacts across work, creativity and daily life.

  1. Democrats cite AI gains and automation in Senate bill calling for 32-hour workweek - Read more

  2. OpenAI Says Sora Will Launch in 2024 and Nude Videos Aren’t Off the Table - Read more

  3. Oracle Adds New GenAI Features to Cloud Applications and Expands Microsoft Partnership - Read more

  4. Apple Reportedly Buys DarwinAI in iPhone Maker's Push Into AI Race - Read more

  5. ‘Parkour’ robot dog can leap, jump, and crawl its way through complex obstacle courses - Read more

  6. Morgan Stanley names a head of artificial intelligence as Wall Street leans into AI - Read more

  7. In Cringe Video, OpenAI CTO Says She Doesn’t Know Where Sora’s Training Data Came From - Read more

  8. Apple’s New AI Move Just Changed The Game For All iPhone Users - Read more

  9. Bill Maher Says Artificial Intelligence Should Be a Bigger Concern Than TikTok - Read more

  10. Mercedes-Benz to Put AI in Its Assembly Line Robots - Read more

  11. OpenAI CTO Says It's Releasing Sora This Year - Read more

  12. Elon Musk Foresees AI Surpassing Human Intelligence By Next Year, Entire Humanity By 2029 - Read more

  13. Singapore embraces AI to solve everyday problems - Read more

  14. Trust in AI to fix Japan’s worker shortage, says top recruiter - Read more

  15. DeepMind Says Its AI Solved a Math Problem That Humans Were Stumped By - Read more

  16. Too dangerous': Why even Google was afraid to release this technology - Read more

  17. AI Is Coming for the Influencers - Read more

  18. A ChatGPT for Music Is Here. Inside Suno, the Startup Changing Everything - Read more

  19. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announces new AI chips: ‘We need bigger GPUs’ - Read more

  20. Jeju introduces virtual news presenter - Read more

  21. Apple is reportedly exploring a partnership with Google for Gemini-powered feature on iPhones - Read more

  22. Hey YouTube creators, it’s time to start labeling AI-generated content in your videos - Read more

“If you can change your mind, you can change your life.”

William James

Top Article Picks this week

This week, we explore profound perspectives on navigating existence, appreciating life's richness, and finding balance amidst consumerism and busyness. Spiritual leaders like Buddhist monks engage neuroscientists on the nature of consciousness, while cosmic wonders like a rare 1970s planetary alignment spark awe. Psychologists examine why free time eludes us despite economic growth, counseling embracing uncertainty and trusting life's unfolding beauty. Meanwhile, unsolved mysteries from the frontiers of science humble us before the universe's vastness.

Poignant advice emerges on maintaining meaningful friendships, handling rudeness with grace, and controlling our digital impulses. Economic paradoxes reveal recessions can feel "silent" even amidst apparent abundance. At a practical level, tips arise for impactful presentations and curbing overspending amid consumerist pressures. Yet more broadly, we're challenged to question assumptions - you don't need everything you want, youthful ambition often distorts wisdom's true value. As our disposable age grapples with disconnection, perhaps reconnecting with life's inherent richness, rather than material accumulation, offers deeper fulfillment. Now let's further examine these insights illuminating the human pursuit of flourishing.

Today’s featured article is No.6 below. The article is an excerpt from the book "Beyond the Self: Conversations between Buddhism and Neuroscience" by Matthieu Ricard and Wolf Singer. It presents a conversation between the Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard and the neuroscientist Wolf Singer on the concept of the unconscious mind. Ricard explains the Buddhist perspective that the deepest aspect of consciousness is pure awareness, rather than the unconscious. Singer argues that much of our knowledge, heuristics, and processing happens in the unconscious mind, inaccessible to conscious awareness. He highlights the limited capacity of conscious processing and the role of attention in determining what enters consciousness.

Ricard suggests that by resting in present awareness, one can dissolve afflictive emotions as they arise without needing to analyze the unconscious. Singer questions whether meditation can truly resolve deep-seated unconscious conflicts. Ricard describes an experiment demonstrating how a calm, non-adversarial attitude can defuse conflicts. He explains that true meditation addresses the root causes of afflictive emotions through specific antidotes. One antidote is cultivating the opposite mental state, like benevolence against malevolence. Another key antidote is not identifying with the emotion, but being aware of it while retaining inner freedom. With practice, this allows afflictive emotions to dissolve without suppressing or indulging them. Read more below.

  1. How Embracing Uncertainty Can Improve Your Life (Reading time: 8 min) - Read it here

  2. The Beauty of Absent Friends (Reading time: 6 min) - Read it here

  3. You don’t need everything you want (Reading time: 8 min) - Read it here

  4. How to think before you speak, online and off (Reading time: 10 min) - Read it here

  5. A Silent Recession: Why You Might Feel Bad Despite A Good Economy (Reading time: 11 min) - Read it here

  6. A Buddhist Monk and a Neuroscientist in Conversation (Reading time: 16 min) - Read it here

  7. Why Is Free Time Still So Elusive? (Reading time: 5 min) - Read it here

  8. 71-year-old shares the 22 ‘most useful’ life lessons for young people - ‘how much to tip’ and handling ‘rude people’ (Reading time: 4 min) - Read it here

  9. 46 Years Ago, a Rare Alignment of Our Planets Allowed For An Iconic Space Mission (Reading time: 5 min) - Read it here

  10. 17 astounding scientific mysteries that researchers can’t yet solve (Reading time: 16 min) - Read it here

  11. How to Rehearse for an Important Presentation (Reading time: 6 min) - Read it here

  12. Why We’re Spending So Much Money (Reading time: 10 min) - Read it here

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“Reading is to the mind, as exercise is to the body.”

Brian Tracy

Book of the week

The Millionaire Next Door shatters the popular myth that most wealthy Americans live lavish, ostentatious lifestyles. Based on decades of research by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko, this book reveals that most millionaires are remarkably frugal and unassuming in their spending habits. They drive used cars, live in modest homes, wear inexpensive watches, and avoid conspicuous consumption. The key to their wealth is living below their means, investing consistently over decades, and letting compound interest work its magic.

Many high-income professionals like doctors and lawyers struggle to accumulate wealth due to excessive spending on luxury goods and services to maintain social status. In contrast, the self-made millionaires profiled tend to be entrepreneurial types who own businesses or work in fields like welding or trucking. An eye-opening read, The Millionaire Next Door proves you don't have to earn a massive income to become wealthy - you just need discipline to spend less than you make and invest the difference wisely over time. This classic offers invaluable lessons for anyone seeking financial independence.

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”

Zig Ziglar

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