Wanderblog

  • Investing Notes – Episode 6: DFUS (Dimensional U.S. Equity Market ETF)

    Allocation: 6% First Purchased: August 12, 2025 Thesis: This is a play on diversification as well but from a more efficient factor based point of view. Dimensional charges slightly higher fees (.09% vs .03% for VTI) due to their systematic and quantitative active management style but I believe in the long run this will prove…

    Ben Hammond

  • Egypt

    Day 1 – Great Pyramids of Giza/Cairo.  The pyramids lived up to the hype as the only remaining standing monument of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.  Truly amazing how immense they were/are. The fact that they (or the aliens) were able to construct something like this 5,000 years ago is astonishing.  Bummer that…

    Ben Hammond

  • Oman

    Day 1 – The Grand Mosque and Royal Palace.  The mosque was beautiful but after having seen the one in Abu Dhabi I have to say it paled in comparison. The highlight was seeing one of the Sultan’s royal yachts. According to my research is the second most expensive yacht in the world, valued around…

    Ben Hammond

  • Abu Dhabi/Jordan

    Prologue – This tour was supposed to be of Socotra, an island owned by Yemen but located off the shore of Somalia.  Unfortunately Yemen decided to start a civil war with one side backed by Saudi Arabia and the other by the UAE… This led to the trip being canceled by the tour operators because…

    Ben Hammond

  • Investing Notes – Episode 5: Ethereum

    Allocation: 7% First Purchased: July 24, 2016 Thesis: This investment is largely building on my belief that blockchain technology and smart contracts are what the future will be built on.  Ethereum was the first major blockchain to implement smart contracts which are enforced private contracts on the blockchain.  I think of Ethereum as a way…

    Ben Hammond

  • Investing Notes – Episode 4: Avantis International Small Cap Value (AVDV)

    Allocation: 10% First Purchased: June 10, 2024 Thesis: Since business school I have been a proponent of quantitative factor investing.  Thanks in large part to people like Patrick O’Shaughnessy and Ben Felix.  The problem is I have always struggled to find a solution where the benefits are outweighed by the fees.  I do believe in…

    Ben Hammond

  • Investing Notes – Episode 3: Vanguard Total World Stock Index Fund (VT)

    Allocation: 10% First purchased: ~ July, 2015 Thesis: “Diversification is the only free lunch in economics.” – Milton Friedman If you know me you know I love free lunch/food.  The way I see it you cannot get more free lunch in the form of diversification than owning the entire world’s stock market in a low…

    Ben Hammond

  • Investing Notes – Episode 2: Cash

    Allocation: 15% Thesis: As someone who is currently unemployed/retired having a hefty emergency fund is key.  It is crucial even for fully employed people as well but extra important for those who do not have regular income coming in.  I do not believe you can time the market but I am influenced by the fact…

    Ben Hammond

  • Investing Notes – financial meditations of a homeless, unemployed/retired, millennial investor

    Preface: My goal for my portfolio is to achieve the highest long term risk adjusted returns possible.  This should go without saying but there it is anyways.  I have always been inspired by the Nasim Taleb quote “Don’t tell me what you think, tell me what’s in your portfolio.”  So I am meeting him half…

    Ben Hammond

  • Kilimanjaro

    Prologue: I did not initially want to go on this trip. I proposed going sailing around the Mediterranean or doing a safari but my friend in South Africa (Roz) had her heart set on summitting Kilimanjaro.  So much for the easy life.  Day 1: Airport ➡️ Stella Maris Executive Lodge Arriving from Ethiopia turned out…

    Ben Hammond
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