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Social Security and working: Believe it or not, the two are more or less completely compatible with each other. You can absolutely get Social Security retirement benefits and work at the same time. However, following are a few things that you do need to know.
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The Pixel 9 family launched a couple of weeks ago with Android 14 on board, and so you may have been wondering what Google’s plans are about releasing Android 15. According to a new rumor today, the company will only roll out Android 15 to its Pixels in October, perhaps around the middle of that month.
That is despite the fact that Google will allegedly release the source code for Android 15 next week. Traditionally, the day of the source code drop was also the day the rollout began for Pixels, but that’s been changing recently, with the Pixel team regularly withholding updates until they’re fully ready.
This gives it more time to finalize marketing for Pixel Drops, test changes, and iron out last-minute bugs. Last year, the Pixel release was delayed too compared to the initial timeline, and it seems like it’s going to happen again, for the same reason.
The same source claims that the Android 15 update for pixels is being withheld to improve its stability. Hopefully there’s enough time between now and mid-October to make that a reality.
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Indiegogo has just introduced a Shipping Guarantee program to assure buyers they’ll get their products. Previously, there was no guarantee that you would receive the product you backed, but things are now changing. The program will be open to companies that have a reliable track record on the crowdfunding platform. Having a history of successful campaigns will help increase the chances of being approved for the program. The program is a step up from the “Trust-Proven” badge from two years ago, which indicates consistent fulfillment, positive backer ratings and proof of exemplary campaign management.
According to Indiegogo’s Shipping Guarantee Program FAQ page, a campaign must be vetted by the platform’s Trust & Safety team to qualify. All products must also be in the “final manufacturing stages.”
The first campaign under this program is the HoverAIR X1 PRO and X1 PRO MAX flying action cameras. As seen on the campaign’s product page, there is a “Shipping Guarantee” badge. Those who back the project will get their money back if the drones don’t ship by October 31, 2024.
Note that backers are required to fill out surveys sent out by campaign owners to qualify for the protection program. So, don’t complain if you simply forgot to fill out your shipping information — you’ll be on your own unless customer service helps you.
I once backed the Status Audio Between Pro earbuds years ago, and while they arrived safely, the many stories of failed campaigns from over the years have kept me (and surely other potential buyers) wary. Since Indiegogo only ensures reliable companies have access to the Shipping Guaranteed program, backers could be more confident if a company misses its shipping goals.
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It feels like every list of the best co-op games to play with a friend always includes the same handful of recommendations, and while the likes of Portal 2 and It Takes Two are great, you can only play them so many times. But there is a more recent game perfect for those in search of a challenging experience to play with a friend—2022’s Escape Academy.
The cooperative escape room simulator from developer Coin Crew Games is a masterclass in co-op design and inventive puzzle solving that feels truly unrivaled. And it’s included in Humble’s current Great Escape Room bundle, so now’s your chance to see for yourself just how amazing Escape Academy is.
From the outset, Escape Academy immerses you in a silly but meticulously realized world. You find yourself attending a special school dedicated to the art of escape, in which your curriculum consists of progressively more complex escape rooms to solve. The titular Escape Academy is filled with an eccentric cast of students and professors to get to know in between the main event of escaping from puzzle rooms, and while a great story might not be the first thing you’d expect to get out of a game like Escape Academy, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Beautiful art and some hilarious writing make learning about every character you interact with a delight, and the over-the-top narrative about a secret organization of escape artists battling it out against their arch rivals, the anti-escapists, always makes for a fun interlude between escape rooms.
The actual escaping, however, is by far the most impressive part of Escape Academy. There have been games that tried to capture the unique challenge of escape rooms before, such as Escape Simulator (also included as part of the bundle), but the simplified mechanics of such games always leave you feeling like something was lost in translation. Escape Academy has none of those pain points thanks to how seamlessly it recreates the same level of nearly unlimited interactivity you experience in a real escape room. As you progress through the school year, you’ll find yourself getting locked in the cafeteria, in a ship model quickly filling with water, and in the school’s greenhouse that is filled with explosives. Every challenge is full of intricate puzzles that will test your real-world ability to solve logic puzzles. But what ties the entire escape room experience together is the importance of communication.
A great escape room prioritizes communication above all else. With every room set on a timer that forces you to race against the clock, it becomes paramount to divide and conquer with your friends. Escape Academy involves many item-centric puzzles and you can pick up, store, or hand off these items to each other as you run around the sprawling rooms. Many puzzles require giving information to each other while at the opposite ends of the map as well, so you need to stay calm and describe intricate pieces of art or wire layouts to your partner accurately. By forcing cooperation and communication in its puzzles, Escape Academy excellently captures the hectic nature of escape rooms, requiring you to not just think clearly but to do so while overcoming the stress instilled by the clock constantly ticking down. To make everything even better, no puzzle is repeated; every single one of the base game’s twelve escape rooms are bespoke. This means that Escape Academy never gets old and never stops being a challenge for you and a friend to undertake. While you can play the game solo, you really should grab a buddy for the best experience.
If you manage to finish all the game’s puzzles, then try out some more cooperative puzzle solving fun in We Were Here Forever and Escape Simulator, which are two more of the eight total games you can get in the Great Escape Room Bundle for only $10 until August 30.
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Critical thinking is the ongoing application of unbiased analysis in pursuit of objective truth.
Although its name implies criticism, critical thinking is actually closer to ‘truth judgment‘ based on withholding judgments while evaluating existing and emerging data to form more accurate conclusions. Critical thinking is an ongoing process emphasizing the fluid and continued interpretation of information rather than the formation of static beliefs and opinions.
Research about cognitively demanding skills provides formal academic content that we can extend to less formal settings, including K-12 classrooms.
This study, for example, explores the pivotal role of critical thinking in enhancing decision-making across various domains, including health, finance, and interpersonal relationships. The study highlights the significance of rigorous essential assessments of thinking, which can predict successful outcomes in complex scenarios.
Of course, this underscores the importance of integrating critical thinking development and measurement into educational frameworks to foster higher-level cognitive abilities impact real-world problem-solving and decision-making.
Which critical thinking skills are the most important?
Deciding which critical thinking skills are ‘most important’ isn’t simple because prioritizing them in any kind of order is less important than knowing what they are and when and how to use them.
However, to begin a process like that, it can be helpful to identify a small sample of the larger set of thinking processes and skills that constitute the skill of critical thinking.
Let’s take a look at eight of the more important, essential critical thinking skills everyone–students, teachers, and laypersons–should know.
8 Critical Thinking Skills Everyone Should Know
Example: A teacher asks students to break down a story into its basic components: characters, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution. This helps students understand how each part contributes to the overall narrative.
Example: A teacher prompts students to evaluate the effectiveness of two persuasive essays. Students assess which essay presents stronger arguments and why, considering factors like evidence, tone, and logic.
Example: After reading a poem, the teacher asks students to interpret the symbolism of a recurring image, such as a river, discussing what it might represent in the poem’s context.
Example: A teacher asks students to write an essay combining information from multiple sources about the causes of the American Revolution, encouraging them to create a cohesive argument that integrates diverse perspectives.
Example: A teacher presents students with a scenario in a science experiment and asks them to infer what might happen if one variable is changed, based on the data they’ve already gathered.
Formal or informal inquiries to understand
Example: During a history lesson, the teacher encourages students to ask questions about the motivations of historical figures, prompting deeper understanding and critical discussions about historical events.
Recall and interpret experiences or ideas
Example: After completing a group project, a teacher asks students to reflect on what worked well and what could have been improved, helping them gain insights into their collaborative process and learning experience.
Example: A teacher presents students with a scenario where two solutions are proposed to solve a community issue, such as building a new park or a community center. The teacher asks students to use their judgment to determine which solution would best meet the community’s needs, considering cost, accessibility, and potential benefits.
8 Of The Most Important Critical Thinking Skills
Citations
Butler, H. A. (2024). Enhancing critical thinking skills through decision-based learning. J. Intell., 12(2), Article 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence12020016
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This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my disclosure policy.
This Labor Day Menu Plan will make your party planning so easy! End the summer with these amazing recipes. Don’t forget that I included a shopping list which will save you so much time!
Aren’t holidays fun? Any excuse to whip up delicious recipes and I am in! This creamy ranch dip is our absolute favorite for any occasion!!
Send summer out with a bang with this yummy Labor Day menu plan. School has already started so spending time party planning is just not in the cards for me which is why this menu plan is perfect.
I’ve included a few options for entrees, sides and desserts. Cook them all to feed a crowd or pick one of each if it’s a smaller gathering! And if you are like me and want a meal plan every week, check out my weekly meal plans here.
Each recipe on this Labor meal plan is meant to feed about 6-8 adults so if you are making all of them, this amount of food should easily be able to feed about 15+ people. More if its a combination of adults and kids!
Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken Skewers marinate in the very best homemade Hawaiian teriyaki sauce! Loaded with peppers, fresh pineapple and red onions, these make an incredible and vibrant meal!
Slow Cooker Sweet Carolina Pulled Pork Sliders are crazy tender, juicy and messy, the way a slider should be! The pork slow cooks all day in an amazing spice rub and sweet vinegar and will be a huge hit!
BLT Tortellini Pasta Salad is your favorite sandwich turned into a delicious, refreshing salad you can share with others. This salad is so easy to make and perfect for serving at any gathering. With loads of bacon, crisp Romaine lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and cheese-filled tortellini, it’s sure to be a hit!
Loaded Creamy Ranch Dip is packed with so many delicious flavors you won’t be able to get enough of it! Perfect for the pool or potlucks!
This No Bake S’mores Pie is the easiest summer dessert! A graham cracker crust is loaded with chocolate filling and topped with marshmallow cream!
This 5-ingredient peach dump cake is a super easy dessert that is full of warm, cinnamony goodness. Top it off with a scoop of ice cream for a peachy, indulgent dessert the whole family will love.
Adding in extra sides is a great way to feed a crowd. Add a little variety to your holiday menu plan with some of my favorites!
This menu for Labor Day can feed a lot! If you have leftovers, make sure to store them properly in an airtight container in your fridge and they should last you a couple of days!
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In modern times, we’ve largely forgotten many traditional remedies. We know the health benefits of essential oils, but other ancient remedies are less well-known and may seem odd. Bentonite clay is one of these natural remedies that isn’t as widely known but is extremely effective.
Mother Nature offers natural therapy all around us. Animals instinctively eat dirt and clay to remove poisons from their systems or during times of illness or distress. Taking a cue from nature, bentonite clay might be a good option for detoxing.
In the past decade, bentonite (and other healing clays) has become increasingly popular. It has so many detoxification benefits, both internally and externally. Because of its healing properties, bentonite is worth adding to your natural medicine cabinet.
Bentonite clay consists of aged volcanic ash. The name comes from the largest known deposit of bentonite clay located in Fort Benton, Wyoming. It’s also known as “Montmorillonite clay” after the Montmorillon region of France, where it was first discovered.
It’s an odorless grayish-cream color with an almost soft, very fine consistency. Unlike other clays, it doesn’t stain and is easy to work with in beauty and natural remedy recipes.
Healing clays like bentonite have a high concentration of minerals. These include silica, calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron, and potassium. They adsorb and remove toxins, heavy metals, and impurities, making bentonite an excellent natural remedy.
Although 70% of the world’s bentonite comes from Wyoming, it’s also found in Montana, California, Arizona, and Colorado. It’s also found internationally in Italy, Germany, Greece, Japan, and other countries.
Yes, bentonite is considered safe for human use. But make sure you buy a reputable food-grade brand. This is especially true if you plan to use it internally. Some supplement brands have heavy metals in them and have been banned by the FDA. I like this brand.
The benefits of bentonite are numerous. It offers amazing health benefits from digestive issues to detoxification and skin irritations. But it also provides many benefits to your wellness routine. From cleansing skin to helping with breakouts, it’s a great tool to include in your skincare recipes.
Bentonite’s benefits include:
In his book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, Dr. Weston A. Price reported several native cultures ate clay regularly. Often, they carried balls of dried clay in their bags. When they ate, they dissolved a small amount of clay in water to prevent poisoning from any possible toxins.
Bentonite clay is unique because it produces an “electrical charge” when hydrated. When wet, its electrical components change, creating a negative charge that bonds to a positive charge in many toxins.
When it comes in contact with a toxin, chemical, or heavy metal, the clay absorbs the toxin and releases its minerals for the body to use. Bentonite also helps get oxygen to cells as it pulls excess hydrogen and allows the cells to replace it with oxygen instead.
Bentonite clay is an excellent option for natural detoxification because it binds to toxins and draws them out.
Because bentonite can bind to toxins and remove them from our systems, it can remove heavy metals. This includes metals like lead, copper, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic. It’s also been found to remove T-2 toxicosis (a toxic mycotoxin), aflatoxins (a cancer-causing chemical), toxic pesticides, and toxins in food. This article summarizes the studies done on the many detoxification abilities of bentonite.
In addition, it can help remove toxins like MRSA and other bacteria. A study from Arizona State University showed that bentonite clay was highly effective at killing MRSA, Salmonella, E. coli, and others. What’s promising is that depending on how the clay kills the infection, it may not be possible for the MRSA or other bacteria to develop a resistance to it as it does with antibiotics.
Bentonite is a staple in my natural medicine chest. I’ve used it internally and externally on myself and my kids for various issues. It’s inexpensive and can be used for so many home remedies.
Because of its detoxifying properties, it’s a common ingredient in detoxifying and cleansing products. When used internally, it has an alkalizing effect on the body, and it can help balance gut bacteria.
Because it’s highly adsorbent and can remove toxins, bentonite is a great option for caring for skin issues. You can use it on insect bites or stings, cuts, itching, burns, or blemishes. I make a paste of bentonite and water, leave it on until it dries, and wash it off. It’s especially calming for itching from eczema, psoriasis, chickenpox, etc. For those with acne, it helps with excess sebum for clearer skin.
For more severe skin issues, I create a poultice. I put a thick layer of clay on the skin and apply wet gauze or a cloth over it. I wrap the area and leave it on, changing it every 2 hours. I’ve even used it for allergic reactions to poison ivy.
When transitioning to natural deodorant, it’s helpful to detox your armpits. You can read more about why here. I use a mixture of bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar for this detox. I’ve also used it to detox my hair!
If your baby has a diaper rash, bentonite clay makes a soothing baby powder. You can also make it into a clay “mask” to help speed recovery in this area.
When I had mastitis, I created a poultice or mask of bentonite clay and water and applied it to the skin. externally to the area. I repeated as needed every hour until the infection was gone. I also took it internally during the infection.
Bentonite is a very common clay used in DIY beauty and skin care products. Its ability to bind with and remove impurities makes it an excellent ingredient in cleansers, face masks, mud masks, soaps, and detox baths. It also helps remove dead skin cells, clear clogged pores, and deep clean pores.
For smooth and healthy skin, I make a bentonite clay mask by mixing a paste of bentonite and water. I leave it on for 20 minutes and wash it off with warm water. I do this once or twice a week. Bentonite clay powder mixed with apple cider vinegar also makes an excellent balancing face mask.
For cleansing, I add clay to my homemade soap to give it a silky feel. I also make this facial cleansing bar. Bentonite clay soap is great for oily skin types and pimples.
When I take a detox bath, I often add 1/4 cup of bentonite clay to the water. This creates a relaxing bath that softens the skin. If I don’t have time for a full bath, I’ll take a detox foot bath instead.
Because of its excellent ability to bind to heavy metals and toxins and provide minerals, I use bentonite clay in my remineralizing tooth powder recipe. It can also be used alone for brushing. It’s tasteless and relatively textureless.
No time to make your own? We also use this clay-based toothpaste when we travel. The kids love the taste, and I love that we’re keeping up with our oral health routine away from home!
In addition, I mix bentonite with water for an alkalizing and toxin-removing mouth rinse. I mix 1/2 teaspoon of clay in 1/4 cup water in a small jar with a plastic lid and shake well. Then, I rinse with the water for 1-2 minutes and repeat until I’ve used it all.
Bentonite is great for digestive issues, including IBS symptoms, nausea, constipation, and acid reflux. During early pregnancy, I took 1/2 tsp of bentonite clay dissolved in water to ward off morning sickness. It helped me feel better. My midwife gave me the okay but check with your healthcare provider before using during pregnancy.
For internal cleansing, I drink 1/2 to 1 teaspoon most days in a cup of water. It helps draw out the toxins from the body. I’ve noticed it improves my digestion and gives me more energy. I’ve also noticed my nails and hair grow more quickly. Make sure any clay taken internally is labeled safe for internal use. This is the one we use.
Though I haven’t tried it personally, I’ve read about bentonite and other healing clays being used internally to help reduce radiation exposure, in alternative cancer treatments, and in MRSA infections. It’s also said to help in parasite removal, though I haven’t tried this either.
If your pet is vomiting or showing signs of illness, give them bentonite. Add it to their water or mix it with water and give it orally with a dropper. I’ve seen several cases where this helped pets recover quickly from what would have otherwise been serious illnesses.
As with any natural remedy, there are some precautions you’ll want to follow when using bentonite clay.
Metal reduces its effectiveness. So, don’t let it come into contact with anything metal. This includes bowls or mixing utensils. I mix mine by shaking it in a glass jar with a plastic lid or using a plastic whisk.
If taking it internally, don’t take it within an hour of eating for best results. In addition, don’t take it within 2 hours of medications or supplements, as it might reduce their effectiveness.
As mentioned earlier, you want to buy bentonite from a reliable, quality source. This is because there are concerns that it can contain lead. Bentonite is a naturally occurring substance from the earth and contains various trace elements, as with anything that comes from the earth (including vegetables!). You can read my full thoughts on that here.
Even though there are trace amounts of unabsorbable lead in bentonite, you want to buy brands that don’t contain high levels of lead. Several brands were banned by the FDA for this reason. For example, a 2016 FDA study warned consumers not to buy a brand called “Best Bentonite Clay” out of Guthrie, Oklahoma, due to high lead levels.
Of course, I always recommend doing your own research, especially on controversial topics like lead exposure. Based on my findings, I feel perfectly comfortable using it externally and internally for my family. However, if you have any medical conditions, always check with your doctor before using it.
The benefits of this healing clay are far-reaching and pretty amazing. From skincare to digestive issues and detox, the list is long for what it can help with. And because it’s inexpensive, I highly recommend adding this ancient natural remedy to your wellness routine and natural medicine cabinet.
This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Mariza Snyder, a functional practitioner. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.
Have you ever used bentonite clay or other healing clays? What did you use it for? Did it work? Share below!
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For several years now, our passive real estate investment club has met monthly to discuss and vet hands-off investments. Every month, we go in on a new passive investment together so we can each invest small amounts without becoming a landlord.
While we historically focused on syndications, we’ve increasingly focused on private partnerships. We go in on deals together with smaller investment companies that don’t raise capital from the public.
These companies don’t have podcasts or YouTube channels. They aren’t out there trying to build a brand for themselves or sell courses or become “gurus.” They just focus on earning consistently high returns on real estate investments. Plus, private partnerships allow non-accredited investors since they aren’t securities.
Here’s what our Co-Investing Club looks for when we explore private partnerships to invest passively in real estate deals.
Ultimately, we want high returns with low risk: what fancy finance types call “asymmetric returns.”
On the return side, that typically means we look for 10% to 12% or higher for secured debt investments, and 15% or higher for equity investments. Because otherwise, what would be the point? If I wanted to earn 7% to 10% on equities, I’d just put all my money in the stock market. If I wanted 4% to 7% on debt investments, I’d invest in bonds.
I invest in real estate for high returns, stable income, tax benefits, diversification, and—here’s the kicker—low risk.
Anyone who’s invested in real estate long enough knows that you can earn asymmetric returns. An investor’s first real estate deal comes with enormous risk. But their 100th deal? If they’ve done that many, they’ve already learned all the expensive lessons. They know how to minimize risk while maximizing returns.
Plenty of passive real estate investments target high returns. Some of those come with equally high risk, while others come with relatively low risk.
Increasingly, we obsess over downside risk: protecting against losses.
Rock star investor Warren Buffett famously said, “Rule No. 1 is never lose money. Rule No. 2 is never forget Rule No. 1.” The longer I invest passively in real estate, the more I appreciate just how right he is.
When you invest in enough deals (and this is why our Co-Investing Club invests every month), returns on real estate investments follow a bell curve. Some investments will underperform, some will overperform, and most will fall somewhere in the middle of the curve.
Picture the bottom far-left corner of that bell curve—deals that underperform so badly they lose money. That’s what we aim to eliminate with our risk analysis.
If a deal underperforms and I earn 5% instead of 15%, I’d shrug my shoulders and say, “I’ll make it up on the next one.” If I were to invest in a deal and lose 100% of my capital? Let’s just say I wouldn’t be so philosophical about it.
In real estate investing, downside risk is everything. You have endless investment opportunities that target 15% or higher returns. The trick is spotting the ones with extremely low downside risk.
That raises the critical question: How do you identify low-risk real estate investments?
When we look at deals, we try to look at risk from as many angles as possible. These are the main ones we look at first.
Every investor who’s done enough deals has lost money occasionally. We love to talk with investors about the deals that have gone sideways on them. What went wrong? How did you handle it? Did your partners or financial investors lose money?
The better answers focus on the lessons the investor learned—and how they then took a loss personally in order to make their investors or partners whole.
Trustworthiness is actually the hardest thing to measure about a partner or sponsor. There’s no formula, no numbers you can run. You simply have to talk to the person again and again and again until you feel 100% confident in them. And if you don’t feel that total confidence, pass on their investments until you do (or just move on).
The bottom line: It doesn’t matter how skilled or experienced an investor is if they take all your money and run off to the Caymans.
If someone says, “I’ve never lost money on a deal,” I immediately want to know how many deals they’ve done. It probably isn’t enough to make me confident in their experience.
Consider a case study of an investor we’ve partnered with on a few investments. He’s not a sponsor or public figure, he’s a private citizen, so I’ll call him Casey.
Casey flips 60 to 90 houses a year—some standard fast flips, some longer-term flips with lease-buyback deals. Additionally, the company keeps some long-term rental properties. Casey runs a team of 10 people, with some in-person and some virtual assistants.
With roughly 300 properties in the rearview mirror, suffice it to say that Casey knows what he’s doing. As his volume has grown, he’s expanded beyond his home city, but only within a few hours of it. He doesn’t hop all over the U.S. looking for the latest hot housing market. He sticks with what he knows and only expands cautiously.
Leverage adds risk. Hard stop.
Yes, I understand that leverage can increase your return on capital. We don’t avoid leverage—but we do want to keep it modest and manageable.
Casey’s company owns around 110 properties worth around $15.1 million. Those properties are collectively leveraged at 62.2%.
At one point, our Co-Investing Club signed a private note with Casey at 10% interest. He provided us with three protections, starting with a lien in first position against one of his free-and-clear properties. That lien was under 50% of the property value (under 50% LTV).
We don’t always get a personal guarantee from the principal. But it sure does make me feel better about the risk when we do.
The other two protections Casey gave us on that note was a personal guarantee and a corporate guarantee from his company that owns all the properties. If he defaulted, we could not only pursue all of those 110 properties and their millions in equity, but also his personal assets.
As you can probably guess, Casey has paid our monthly interest payments like clockwork.
I particularly love investments with no property management required at all. For example, the latest investment we made with Casey was a partnership for several flips. These are classic short-term flips, where Casey’s team simply renovates and sells the properties within a few months—no tenants, no leases, no rent default risk.
Likewise, we’re investing with a land flipper who buys large lots for 25 to 40 cents on the dollar, then subdivides and sells the smaller lots for a hefty premium. He further protects against downside risk by getting approval to subdivide before he buys.
That said, we do often invest in properties that require management. When we do, we look at how many properties the sponsor or partner has worked with together with the property manager before. We like to see partnerships going back years for many different properties.
I love the partnership with the land flipper because there’s no construction risk at all.
But with Casey, for example, there is rehab risk. So when renovation or construction is involved, we ask the same question: How many properties have you worked on with this contractor team?
“None” is a terrible answer. “Three dozen” is a much better one. And Casey’s been working with his team for years, flipping hundreds of houses.
Tenant-friendly states and cities keep passing more aggressive laws regulating residential rentals. And that risk has started spreading to the federal level, with presidential candidates talking about nationwide rent stabilization laws.
These risks apply to residential rental properties—and nothing else. It doesn’t apply to flipping houses, short-term vacation rentals, storage facilities, retail, industrial, or anything else. It certainly doesn’t apply to raw land, which is one reason I’m so stoked to partner with that land investor.
The greatest risk to partnering with a small real estate investing company is that something happens to the key principal.
If Casey gets hit by a bus tomorrow, it would take a while for his estate and company to sort out the wreckage. I’m confident we’d get our money back, but it would still be a mess.
A 150-employee real estate syndication firm doesn’t come with that same risk. If one of the managing partners kicks the bucket, enough other people stand poised to take over.
How do you protect against key principal risk? You ask about the contingency plan if something happens to them. Who takes over? Are they qualified to do so? Do the assets go straight to probate for your estate, or do they go directly to a partner for disposition or continued management?
The risk of a healthy 40-year-old man like Casey croaking tomorrow is slim. I’m willing to accept that risk. But that doesn’t mean you should ignore it entirely.
Some months, our Co-Investing Club vets and invests in real estate syndications. Those have mostly gone well for us, giving us the benefits of ownership (passive income, appreciation, tax advantages) without the headaches of becoming a landlord. But increasingly, I find the risks lower with private partnerships, and the returns just as strong.
Every day, we learn about new passive real estate investments. We look at them through the lens of the risks above, and many more besides. But as I get closer to financial independence, I increasingly fixate on downside risk—without sacrificing returns.
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Note By BiggerPockets: These are opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BiggerPockets.
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CHICAGO (RNS) — On Friday (Aug. 23), the day after the Democratic National Convention ended and delegates and politicians, journalists, technicians and stagehands all caught their flights home from Chicago, residents of “Little Palestine,” in the suburb of Bridgeview, just outside the city line, tried to move on from a week in the spotlight.
The quiet neighborhood, home to one of the United States’ largest Palestinian diasporic communities, is full of multi-generational families of Arab ancestry. Many Little Palestinians organized and attended the protests and sit-ins held in the convention’s precincts uptown, urging Vice President Kamala Harris to support a cease-fire and arms embargo in the Israel-Hamas war.
But toward the end of her acceptance speech Thursday night (Aug. 22), Harris emphatically stated: “I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself, and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself because the people of Israel must never again face the horror of what a terrorist organization called Hamas caused on October 7th.”
While she added that she and President Biden are “working to end this war” in hopes that “the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self determination,” she made clear her concern was the security of Israel.
Mariam Kudaimi, a Syrian-American Muslim and a Little Palestine native, was disappointed. “I don’t think anyone was surprised,” she said. “I think we all expected it. Anything that she said that’s pro Palestinian or in support of a cease-fire was a side note or afterthought. Those things matter, right?”
Mosque Foundation in Bridgeview Ill. Bridgeview is known as Little Palestine. (Photo by Khateeb88/Wikimedia/Creative Commons)
Many in Little Palestine have friends or family in Gaza, where the death toll recently surpassed 40,000 people. They see casting a vote in this election as a matter of survival for their loved ones.
Kudaimi, who teaches English at an Islamic private school called the Universal School, in the heart of Little Palestine, said she sees how her middle schoolers are affected by the violence. With Gaza’s rising death toll, Kudaimi feels it is impossible for politics to stay out of her classroom, especially because her students are all Muslim. “It’s so hard to be positive, and it’s really hard when your student loses generations of family and you have nothing to say to help her, when another student is losing a friend every single day,” she said.
The curriculum she has designed for them, she said, is oriented around social justice and intersectional critical thinking skills. “The really awesome thing here is, when I teach the Holocaust, the second we’re done reading Anne Frank, we’re talking about 1948 and then we’re reading about Palestine.”
She hopes these skills translate into a new generation of Little Palestinians who are passionate about civic engagement in Chicago and beyond.
As a teacher, Kudaimi also leans into Islamic teachings to help her students cope with their grief. “I always describe the Prophet (Muhammad) as an activist. I think that’s a more nuanced way to look at it.”
Her teaching reflects her experience growing up as a Muslim in the post-9/11 era. “I remember that the (Universal) School was shut down for two weeks,” she said. “Our current generation does not have that frame of reference. They don’t understand the deeply rooted history of this, how it connects to anti-Blackness, sexism and all the other -isms that exist within the American context. So I love bringing that into my teaching.”
Protesters rally at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Union Park during the Democratic National Convention, Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Chicago. (RNS photo/Reina Coulibaly)
On Wednesday afternoon, her school offered all students the option to leave school early so they could attend the rally organized by the Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine in Union Park, a short walk from the United Center.
Palestinian flags flapped in the wind, and people of all ages rallied around a podium, where a young woman clad in a keffiyeh led chants like “Say it loud and say it clear, DNC ain’t welcome here!” and “Over 40,000 dead, DNC your hands are red!”
Volunteers passed out water bottles, recruiting others to hold up banners targeting Democratic Party figureheads.
At the fringe of the crowd, parents with strollers and children sat in the grass with toys and snacks to keep their children distracted while they chanted from where they sat, surrounded by signs with slogans like “Genocide Joe’s Legacy: The Butcher of Gaza!” and “End U.S. Aid to Israel!” Many attendees knew one another and exchanged hugs.
Along the northern edge of Union Park and on nearby streets, about a dozen yellow school buses idled, dispatched from 10 different Chicagoland mosques.
Buses from Chicago-area mosques idle near Union Park, Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Chicago. (RNS photo/Reina Coulibaly)
“Each mosque had a bus, and we all came,” said Tasneem Musleh, a teenager from Little Palestine who knelt next to her mother, Nida Musleh. The two were there with six other family members and a homemade sign with a verse from the Qur’an: “It is not the eyes that are blind, but the hearts.”
Beside them were two of Musleh’s cousins, a little boy and a girl, who said they had arrived in the U.S. from Gaza, having recently been evacuated for medical care. Both looked to be under 7 years old.
Nodding toward the children, the younger Musleh said, “She got treated in Egypt, but just came here for a bit of checkups and stuff. The little boy’s getting, like, fake legs for his feet … he lost his elbow, and he lost his left foot.” Next to us, this cousin laid on his back, playfully balancing a sign that said “Free Palestine” in the air and looking toward his aunt.
“Living with them has really been a wakeup call, because here in America, we watch everything that happens overseas on TV,” said Tasneem. “Them coming really hit me that it’s something that’s really happening to people, like little children.”
The bus that Tasneem Musleh took with her classmates came from the Mosque Foundation, the largest mosque in Little Palestine, which also functions as a community center, according to the Mosque Foundation’s vice president, Oussama Jammal, who said he had helped organize Wednesday’s rally.
Demonstrators pray after a march outside the Democratic National Convention, Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
“It is a community center, because of that we are concerned, and we are interested in engaging in political affairs because they impact our services, impact our faith practices.”
Jammal said the protests and rallies are an important way for Little Palestinians to make known Muslim Americans’ power as voters and their desire for an arms embargo on U.S. weapons sales to Israel and a cease-fire.
“The rally is simply a message to the Democrats, to the delegates, to the candidates and to the current president and to the nation that we always pride ourselves as American, that we stand for freedom, we stand for justice, we stand for equality, and that we are honest brokers of peace around the world.”
The Mosque Foundation was established in 1954 and claims to be “one of the busiest mosques in America, serving a community of more than 500,000 Muslims.” Within a three-block radius of its building stand four different Islamic schools for students in grades pre-K through 12.
Five times a day, the Islamic call to prayer plays on the foundation’s outdoor public address system, and every afternoon, carpool lines circle the block. The nearby gas station flies Palestinian flags.
“No one should take us for granted,” said Jammal.
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