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PaperclipPerfector  18hr ago (text post)   799 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for May 1, 2026

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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I've recently been getting into fixed-income investing as a way to learn by doing. I'm investing a little bit of money each month (that I can afford to lose). If my after tax yield is a full 1% higher than I could get from my HYSA over a six month time period, with no principal loss of >5% over any thirty day window, I'll say that I have a layman's grasp on the topic. If not, I'll have to figure out what I did wrong.

So far I've been floored by the complexity of fixed income vs equities. I honestly don't know how people who do it professionally manage.

Does anybody else have an unconventional pastime right now?

Oh you’re into credit markets! I’ve studied this stuff pretty extensively and know a couple of people in high finance (one in particular who works the sell side in DCM and has gotten rich via distressed debt investing); and have a few very distant relatives in IB. The industry has changed quite a bit since the early days of the Internet. Derivatives trading in the classical sense is going the way of the dinosaur. People tell me if you’re looking to really “get into it,” beyond the horizon of an ordinary retail investor, what you really want is a job in “structuring.”

Fixed income (i.e. bonds, credits) are several orders of magnitude larger than equities markets. I’m not exactly going to pitch myself as a person chalk full of solid advice on complex investment strategies (disclaimer: I’m not a financial advisor or professional analyst), but I invest myself, and follow that side of the industry pretty closely. I’ve also been studying the equities of energy markets both international and domestic for the last few years, due to climate change trends and have discovered some pretty interesting things.

I can recommend plenty of resources your way, if you’re into that (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9).

Thanks!

People tell me if you’re looking to really “get into it,” beyond the horizon of an ordinary retail investor, what you really want is a job in “structuring.”

Just make sure you're not committing the federal financial crime named "structuring" too. :)

This is structuring meaning making a virtual non deposit taking bank. Where the financing for the virtual bank can have significantly higher credit score than the loans the bank holds as assets.

I've also been investing! I have a blend between individual stock picks, index funds and fixed income. I was originally investing in individual CDs, which are about the same as a HYSA, but I've since diversified to some high-yield bonds and ETFs. Happy to chat more if you want!

The last couple years I’ve delved more into emerging markets to see what the next hot areas are going to be. Malaysia has recently caught my focus for its developing importance as a digital services hub in that particular region. Kuala Lumpur has also become an attractive destination for some people seeking greater financial freedom and investment opportunities.

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