Bienvenido AmigosWelcome back to Two-Cent— where it's my job to uncover the tools that help us improve our lives. This week we're talkin jobs, Uncle Sammy-boy, and lucy in the sky with diamonds 💎 |
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| Can psychedelics cure PTSD & depression? The research is compelling. |
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| 💸 Donor-advised Mutual Funds |
| What if instead of paying taxes, you paid your future non-profit? |
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| 📑 Using A 10-K To Get A Job |
| Learn what a 10-K is, how to use it, and why it's so valuable in an interview. |
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PsychedelicsPsychedelics are quickly becoming more than just an exploratory journey for college kids.
The research center is testing psychedelics as therapy for opioid addiction, Alzheimer's disease, PTSD, chronic Lyme disease, anorexia, and alcohol use in people with major depression.
Before we dive into the research, let's do a quick rundown of some common psychedelics:
1. MDMA— (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine), traditionally known for being a "club drug".
2. Psilocybin— found in magic mushrooms & "truffles". Legal in the Netherlands.
3. LSD— (Lysergic acid diethylamide), known as "acid". Made in a lab by Albert Hofmann in 1938.
In the 1950s, the CIA thought the drug might be useful for mind control. They tested it on people without them knowing in a program called MKUltra.
4. DMT— (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine), Commonly found in Ayahuasca Root, historically used in spiritual ceremonies by the indigenous people of South America.
Medicinal Potential
Psychedelic research has had more traction than ever before, some of the most concrete results thus far have come from MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in PTSD patients.
MDMA is currently in stage 3 clinical trials because of how effective it was in treating (and curing) PTSD in stage 2.
DMT is also showing a lot of promise in treating depression, PTSD, and anxiety in veterans.
Last month SAGE Journal published research that found a "very large reduction in suicidal ideation, PTSD symptoms, depression, and anxiety." in US Special Operations Veterans with PTSD.
In addition to that 84% of the patients ranked it as one of the top 5 most meaningful experiences of their life. ( Sage Research)
While it's still early and there's a lot of research to be done, many of these mental diseases that have seemingly been deemed untreatable are seeing some serious progress with psychedelics.
I'm excited to see what the future research will look like. |
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Donor-advised Mutual FundsI've spent a PHAT chunk of time figuring out how to not pay taxes and optimize investments.
So far one of the most crafty vehicles I've found is a donor-advised mutual fund.
How they work
- Funds are offered by brokerage firms
- Money is held in a mutual fund of your choosing and grows tax free
- Maximum annual contribution and tax deduction of 60% of your AGI per year
- You take the charitable tax deduction in the year you give to the donor advised fund
- Unlimited amount of time to decide which charity the proceeds go towards (hint: it can be yours)
How I'm using them
Something I'm really passionate about is education reform. Many of the ways we are currently learning are not effective and very outdated.
In the future I'd love to start a non-profit school for innovative learning.
Right now I use Fidelity Charitable and just toss as much money as I can into their S&P 500 fund. The goal is to pull the money out later in life via a non-profit that I start.
After speaking with the advisors over at Fidelity Charitable, the donor-advised mutual fund can all be funneled back into your own non-profit in the future.
Here's what has to be done in order for you to do so: - Need to have more people on the board than just me
- The other people on the board should be unrelated to me
- I can't personally benefit from funds
- My contribution can't be the majority funding source
- Non-profit needs to be qualified under IRS section 501(c)(3), 509(a)(1), (2), or (3)
- Needs to be publicly funded (at least 33% of the total funding comes from public sources)
In summation: With a donor advised mutual fund I can fund my future non-profit, deduct up to 60% of my AGI in taxes every year, amplify my investment with 8-10% tax-free appreciation compounded over time, and get all the money I contribute back out later in life to start my non-profit.
That's the goal at least.
Would LOVE (I repeat, LOVE) if anyone knows of some other tax strategies they've used.
Ping me back if you got some good ones.
I love getting crafty with Mista Sammyboy.
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How To Get A Job With A 10-KIn college I had an economics teacher who taught me how to read a 10-K and how useful it can be.
This only works for public companies because private ones don't disclose their 10-K, but maybe they will if you ask 🤷♂️
Here's everything I know (Thanks Mr. McCloskey!).
What is a 10-K?
The 10-K is a financial report filed annually by public companies to report their performance.
It's more conversational, available to the public and gives the whole picture of the company.
You can find it by googling "company X 10-K" and it will likely be in the investor reports.
Why is it valuable to you?
The 10-K contains Risk Factors (Item 1A), and Management's Discussion & Analysis (Item 7).
Risk Factors will tell you pain points recognized by the company and Management's Discussion will tell you what they're planning in the future.
You'll use these sections to sell yourself directly as a solution.
What to look forR&D— What are they working on for the future and why?
Risk Factors— What poses threats to their business? Is it international production? Cyber Security? Direct to consumer competition?
Where are they expanding? Has the dollars spent in Ireland doubled because of the new plant they opened up?
What acquisitions are they making? Any new projects they're starting?
Examples1. If they recognized the potential for AI to automate their supply chain in the management discussion... is there a 6 week AI bootcamp you can take to understand how something like that would be implemented?
2. If they are doubling down on "new moms" as a customer segment for one of their products... do you have experience babysitting for new moms and can help craft a marketing campaign that will resonate with them?
3. If they just opened a new plant in Latin America to cut operating costs... could you relocate/learn Spanish to help them with the transition?
Sell yourself as a solutionMatch these areas with your background, experience, and skills.
Are there skills that they're looking for that you could get?
When you drop the line of...
"I was reading your 10-K and saw that you guys are doubling down on project X, I believe my experience with Y would make me a good fit to help us reach goal Z"
...you're going to blow them away. |
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Salutations Thank you all for another great week, I hope this one delivered the goods for y'all.
My site is currently under construction, but I recently built out a page to make sharing Two-Cent with your friends easier.
You can only share it with 1 friend at a time right now, so choose wisely.
Ten una buena noche!
Rick |
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