Hello and welcome back to Mortgage Advisor on FIRE. This week, I celebrate a new investing milestone. Also, thoughts on the increasing craziness over in the United States.
Weekly Update
I had a great weekend last week with a nice four-day break from work. On Easter Sunday, Oana and I went for a meal with my Mom and Dad, which is always a special occasion as it’s rare for the four of us to get together. My parents separated when I was young, but they’re on good terms. The company was good, obviously, but the food was a bit disappointing.
On Tuesday, Oana started her new job. On Wednesday, Oana quit her new job.
This job was working for a large legal firm, and there was a little bit of prestige that came with working for that specific company. However, the recruitment process left a lot to be desired, but Oana stuck with it. One major frustration was that they kept claiming to have called her, but the number was invalid. I could call Oana, as could everyone else. It was just this one company that had trouble. So, they ended up having to call me to reach her.
After weeks of back and forth, the phone issue was resolved. Someone at their office had written the number down wrong. The fact that Oana had her phone number correctly stated on her CV and her emails to them didn’t seem to matter. They also got several details wrong concerning the contract and working hours, which took a fair number of emails to resolve.
Red Flags
Despite these red flags popping up all over the place, Oana still wanted to get stuck into the job, that is, until she got there on day one. It turns out the job was nothing like what was advertised. There was a disconnect between the information the training staff had, compared to the information the recruitment people had. It wasn’t even clear if they would grant holidays for things prebooked, with one trainer stating, “We wouldn’t have hired you if we’d known about the holiday.”
It would take too long to list all the other issues that cropped up but suffice it to say, it was a bit of a shit show. I told her she could quit, on the basis that if she stayed for a few weeks and got sick of it, it would look worse than if she walked out on day one. Leaving a job after half a day is unusual, and so explaining it with the reason “it wasn’t as advertised” does make sense.
Cutting Corners
There are three things that businesses seem not to prioritise, and I think it’s damaging to their long-term success. I’m thinking about recruitment, training, and IT. Some of the best recruitment and training I had was with Norwich Union (now Aviva) back in the early 2000s. Rather than training being a series of workbooks, computer modules, and antiquated training systems, there was a lot of person-to-person training. For a good amount of time, you were paired up with a trainer who guided you through the systems, processes, and policies. It was thorough and made you feel like they cared about your development. Funnily enough, compared to many other jobs I’ve had, the bulk of my training group was still there when I left a couple of years later. When I worked at Lloyds, after two years, I was one of only two people left from my training group of ten.
So, it’s now back to the drawing board for Oana.
Walking
We didn’t go for a walk in the Peaks this week. Instead, we had a long walk from Kelham Island out to just beyond Meadowhall, before joining the canal and walking back. In total, we completed almost 19km. It was great being out in the fresh air, and we saw lots of ducks, geese, and other river life. At one point, we saw a dead Canada Goose floating upside down, which was a little upsetting. We see geese every day from our apartment on this river, and the thought occurred that it could have been one of our regular visitors.
As part of the walk, we popped into an open day at an independent Lego retailer’s warehouse. It was a bit disappointing. There were some cool older sets, and a few Bricklink sets (the ones that are developed from fan designs). Overall, though, it was very expensive for some sets that just didn’t grab us.
RFK Jr.
For those who have missed this, RFK Jr. is the current Secretary of Health and Human Services in the US. He’s anti-vax, a conspiracy theorist, and seemingly hateful of autistic people. He has long been a controversial figure in public health due to his persistent promotion of discredited theories linking vaccines to autism. His recent initiatives and statements have intensified concerns among medical experts, disability advocates, and the autistic community.
Vaccine-Autism Claims and Misinformation
Kennedy has repeatedly asserted that childhood vaccines, particularly those containing thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, are responsible for the rise in autism diagnoses. He has cited flawed studies to support this claim, despite overwhelming scientific consensus refuting any link between vaccines and autism. During his confirmation hearings for HHS Secretary, Kennedy declined to unequivocally state that vaccines do not cause autism, instead demanding further data despite extensive existing research.
His organisation, Children’s Health Defence, has been instrumental in spreading vaccine misinformation, contributing to vaccine hesitancy and public health risks.
National Autism Registry Proposal
Kennedy has proposed the creation of a national autism registry, aiming to collect extensive data on individuals diagnosed with autism. This initiative has sparked significant backlash over concerns regarding ethics, privacy, and potential misuse of data. Critics argue that such a registry could lead to discrimination and stigmatisation of autistic individuals.
Controversial Statements and Public Reaction
In public remarks, Kennedy has made sweeping generalisations about autistic individuals, claiming they are incapable of holding jobs, paying taxes, or engaging in social relationships. These statements have been widely condemned as offensive and inaccurate. Prominent figures from the autistic community, including cast members of Netflix’s “Love on the Spectrum,” have publicly refuted Kennedy’s claims by sharing their personal achievements and advocating for a more inclusive understanding of autism.
Policy Implications and Advocacy Response
Kennedy’s approach to autism has raised alarms among advocacy groups. The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) has criticised his nomination and subsequent confirmation as HHS Secretary, citing his history of spreading misinformation and proposing harmful policies. ASAN emphasises that Kennedy’s actions could undermine decades of progress in autism research and disability rights.
Furthermore, Kennedy’s appointment of individuals with controversial backgrounds to lead vaccine-related research initiatives has been met with scepticism, raising concerns about the direction and integrity of autism research under his leadership.
The Endgame
As an autistic person, I’m nervous about visiting the US again. This insanity seems to know no end. I’ve heard people ask why it’s a big deal to have a registry of autistic people. Let’s think about this from another perspective for a moment, and think about what autism is in the broadest of terms:
- It’s innate.
- It’s part of one’s identity.
- It’s not an illness.
- It’s something that misguided people have tried to “cure” or “treat”.
- It’s not a choice.
Can you think of what else fits those points? How about homosexuality? If you find the idea of an autism registry acceptable, how about a homosexuality registry?
Most people, or at least I hope most people, would agree that it’s completely unacceptable to have a list of people linked just because they are autistic or homosexual. The question that needs asking, and answering, is why such a directory is thought to be necessary. I came across an interesting theory on this, which is summed up in four bullet points:
- Claim that vaccines cause autism.
- Campaign against vaccines and continue sowing seeds of doubt about their safety, to try and lower rates of vaccinations.
- Create an autism directory, which will create a stigma and/or anxiety about being on the list, meaning fewer people seeking an official diagnosis.
- When diagnosis rates drop, point to the drop in vaccination rates and argue it is proof that vaccines cause autism.
A scary sort of sense…
I’m a little annoyed I didn’t come up with this myself, but as I look at that list of points, it makes a scary kind of sense.
The US is a basket case right now, and they’re seemingly looking at The Handmaid’s Tale as a how-to guide rather than a cautionary note.
If you look back through history, when groups of people are “othered”, discriminated against, categorised, and ridiculed, the next step is usually extermination. I’m not being alarmist; history has shown time and time again that this happens. Look at the Jewish people in Europe, or the Nazi’s and eugenics, or the Rwandan genocide. Throughout history, humans have “othered” those who are different and tried to exterminate them.
Do I think that autistic people are about to be rounded up and sent to labour camps? No, not right away. Then again, I didn’t think the US would start taking people off the streets and sending them to El Salvador, but here we are.
Trump
Just when you think you can’t find anyone more stupid, Trump appears.
A couple of days back, he was ranting about the disgraceful trade deals that had been signed with various countries, stating that he blamed the President at the time for signing those deals. You already know where this is going, don’t you?
Yes, it was Trump who signed those deals.
“Vladimir, STOP”
A recent CNN article states that Trump claimed that he’d stop the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office at least 50 times. We are now just over 100 days into his second term, and as far as I’m aware, the war is still ongoing.
So, you would think that some diplomatic efforts would be made to stop the fighting, but Trump, simpleton that he is, decided to go on social media and, amongst other things, post the message, “Vladimir, STOP”
I’m not saying that the guy is stupid, I’m just saying that he could walk into any room and the average IQ of those in the room would drop. If intelligence were a currency, he would be in lifelong debt. I guess what I’m trying to say is that his brain has fewer folds than the towels in our wardrobe.
What I’m Doing
Listening: Hope Street by Mike Gayle
Watching: YouTube channels; In Deep Geek, Side Projects, Mega Projects.
The Gap and the Gain: A Motivational Hit That Overlooks Reality
I recently finished this book, and despite wanting to like it, the whole book just made me uncomfortable, even though the core message has some value. Here’s my more detailed breakdown.
The Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy is one of those personal development books that sounds immediately appealing: focus on how far you’ve come, not how far you still have to go. It’s about measuring backwards and seeing your progress rather than obsessing over the ideal future you haven’t yet reached.
There’s a lot to like in the idea. For people stuck in self-criticism or perfectionism, it offers a healthier lens. It encourages gratitude, resilience, and momentum. But the book also has a glaring, uncomfortable flaw: it almost completely ignores the role of luck, chance, and structural injustice in people’s lives. This is something I’ve discussed before when I looked at Survivorship Bias.
The underlying message, that you can always find a “gain” no matter your situation, is, at best, tone-deaf, and at worst, borderline gaslighting. It assumes that every person’s situation is the natural result of their mindset, decisions, or “thinking patterns,” when in reality, life throws curveballs that no amount of positive reframing can erase.
Imagine saying to someone who just lost a loved one, or who is trapped in systemic poverty, “Yes, but focus on the gains!” It’s not just naïve; it’s cruel.
Of course, Sullivan and Hardy would probably argue that the practice of “finding the gain” isn’t about ignoring pain. But the book glosses over this too lightly, never properly wrestling with the truth that some setbacks aren’t learning opportunities; they’re tragedies.
The world isn’t fair. And while resilience and perspective are powerful, they shouldn’t be demanded from people like some moral obligation.
The Gap and the Gain offers useful tools for self-reflection, especially for those who are already reasonably safe, secure, and privileged. But for those going through unimaginable hardship, its message risks sounding hollow, or worse, blaming. Sometimes, the real “gain” is simply surviving at all and that deserves more respect than the book allows.
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Financial Update
Assets
Premium Bonds: £30,500.00.
Stocks and Shares ISA: £100,359.95.
Fuck It Fund: £0.00.
Pensions: £87,996.60.
Residential Property Value: £239,368.00.
Total Assets: £458,224.55.
Debts
Residential Mortgage: £183,840.69.
Total Debts: £183,840.69.
Total Wealth: £274,383.86.
For the first time, my ISA has gone above £100k. Moving from five digits to six is a nice feeling, and it’s crazy to think how far I’ve come since I got serious about FI in 2019. I read something a while back where someone referred to the “Holy Trinity” of £100k in their ISA, their pension, and property equity. I’ve now hit the ISA goal, and I’m not that far off on the pension. A good couple of months and my pension could easily shoot above £100k, as it was only a few weeks ago my pension was just over £95k. Getting to £100k in property equity will take a bit longer. I have £55,527.31 in property equity at the moment, and with only clearing a few hundred off the debt each month, it will take a few increases in the valuation to do the heavy lifting.
Assuming Pebble Brain doesn’t drop another clanger in the Oval Office, my ISA should finish the calendar year on approximately £110k. I’ve still got a further £6k of my allowance left for this year, and assuming 6% growth, £110k is pretty achievable.
Projections
Looking a little further ahead, it’s not going to be that long until my ISA balance is greater than my mortgage balance. Although it would be tempting to just pay the mortgage off, I think we’ll hang fire until we have enough to clear the debt and still have a good amount left over.
Mortgage
When I left Lloyds, I was able to keep my mortgage interest rates for up to one year, at which point I’d need to switch to something from the public range. Well, it’s almost five months down the line, and I’ve not seen anything that looks good enough to warrant switching.
We’re in an awkward situation where we can’t move to another lender because our building needs a new fire safety report, with our previous one being ripped up alongside many others up and down the country, as questions were raised over its authenticity. Until this is resolved, we will be stuck with our current lender.
The plan for now is to get a new deal as soon as we spot one with Lloyds that we’re happy with. We will then hammer the balance down a little to reduce our LTV, before switching to interest-only. Then, we’ll put more money into investments whilst inflation reduces the debt, and once we have enough in our accounts to pay the mortgage off and still have funds left, we will pull that trigger.
That’s all for this week. Thanks, as always, for reading. I hope you have a great week ahead.
DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions in this blog are my own, and do not represent the views or opinions of my former, current, or future employers, nor should they be considered advice.
If you want personalised financial advice, seek an appropriate professional. If you are in financial difficulty, seek advice via the resources below:
Biolink
You can now find all my social media pages by checking out my Biolink:
bio.link/davidscothern.