I had thought of doing a year in review table that looked at the returns from various assets but I have always found this sort of thing to be bullshit and the preserve of financial journalists. There is stuff all value in telling people what you can see in your rear view mirror.
The major problem with these sorts of tables is that they dont actually tell you anything about the trajectory of price over the period being invested. The fact that gold went from nudging $1600 to struggling to stay above $1200 is mildly interesting. But it doesnt tell me whether this move took a year or three months and even that information is not that enlightening.
What I think is more important is a list of the things learnt during the year and what of those things in particular will help with your trading development.
I learnt that Italian cars are rubbish and that I perhaps should not discount the possibility of once again trading domestic options. I had for a long time avoided them despite some early success. Once you have dealt with efficient and effective online platforms and markets with extraordinary depth then local markets look a bit ordinary.
However, this is probably a bit myopic and something I intend to review in the new year.
I think that the one thing that I learnt financially from this year is that I actually am the best person to advise me on my finances. This seems pretty obvious but everyday I see my professional colleagues as well as friends asking their “Financial Adviser” (AKA ex-Insurance Salesman) to “manage” their nest eggs. When I ask why they retort “Well they are in the business of managing money”. The illusion is complete…