Morning Download 

Personal finance + economics + markets

Good morning investors! It is time to start looking at your portfolio as things are changing. This might not turn out to be a very good quarter and now that big companies are expected to announce earnings, we suggest that you play it safe and stay away from names you do not trust.

Fun fact: Don't let the name S&P 500 fool you, the index tracks more than 500 stocks. It has 505 stocks in it instead of 500 because it includes multiple classes of shares of some of its constituent companies. For example, Alphabet Class C (GOOG) and Alphabet Class A (GOOGL) stock are both included in the S&P 500 index.

Today we cover:

• Tesla is having a tough time. 🚘

• Americans don’t hate strikes. ✋ 

• Being a patient investor. 📦

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📊 Economy and News 

Americans support strikes

Strikes are a hot topic these days. Almost all countries from the US to the UK to Australia have seen major strikes in the last few months and things aren’t looking to improve anytime soon with the U.S. healthcare industry now expected to suffer.

The US has been a leading name when it comes to strikes. There have been over 30 big and small strikes in the country so far, including major strikes like the United Auto Workers strike and the Writers Guild of America strike.

Workers aren’t afraid of going on a strike if it results in better contracts. And surprisingly, the public supports these strikes but with a rule: these strikes shouldn’t impact them.

What numbers say: About 43% of Americans want unions to gain more power, up from a record low of 25% in a 2009 survey following the Great Recession.

Given how unions have proven to be successful in recent times, more and more people now are in favor of them. The same poll found that 61% of Americans believe unions help the US economy.

Global hits:

• Head of OPEC warns of a ‘dangerous’ lack of investment in oil.

• Demand for diamonds falls as people choose to spend more lavishly on food and travel.

• China wants more oil and copper.

📈 Stocks

S&P 500 4,288 (+0.01%)
DJIA 33,433 (-0.22%)
NASDAQ 13,307 (+0.67%)
VIX 17.61 (+0.51%)
* Prices as of Oct 4th, 10:20 PM UTC

Problem for Tesla?

Tesla just reported third-quarter vehicle production and deliveries but the numbers are not very impressive.

The company reported 435,000 deliveries in the period, down 7% from the 466,000 deliveries in the second quarter. This is also lower than the estimated figure of 461,000.

Not all is lost: Tesla said it expects to hit its target of full-year sales of 1.8 million vehicles this year. However, there are some hiccups.

The company will have a difficult time meeting this target as it will have to boost sales by about 9% in the last quarter to meet its goal, which doesn’t seem very easy.

But more trouble: In addition to sales, production also fell due to plant shutdowns. In fact, the company delivered more vehicles than it produced.

The stock remained highly volatile during the day opening in red at $244.81 and briefly turning green hitting $254.28 momentarily.

Also check: The benchmark for small cap stocks — the Russell 2000 — turned negative for the year.

🔐 Crypto

Bitcoin $27,582, (-1.4%)
Ethereum $1,667 (-3.5%)
Total market cap $1.13 (-1.5%)
* Prices as of Oct 3rd, 2:44 AM UTC

Coinbase to enter Singapore

Coinbase has landed full operating license in Singapore.

With the Major Payment Institution (MPI) license from The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) under its belt, the company will be able to offer services to both institutions and individuals in the country.

The company showed interest in Singapore last year when it received the In-Principle Approval (IPA).

Coinbase looks at Singapore as a major market due to high interest in crypto there. It had already unveiled user-centric services in the country, with features like FAST bank transfers, PayNow, and integration with Singapore's trusted digital identity, SingPass.

💵 Personal Finance

Patience is an investing virtue

Investors who are patient and not emotional have the best returns. However, it’s not easy being patient, which is why so many people trade. It’s exciting but 95% of day traders lose money.

Sound investing is as exciting as watching paint dry, so here are 2 tips for how to be a more patient investor:

• Focus on the long term. The stock market is volatile in the short term, but it has historically trended upwards over the long term. If you focus on the long term, you're less likely to be discouraged by short-term fluctuations.

• Don't check your investments too often. It's tempting to check your investments every day, but this can lead to anxiety and impulsive decision-making. Instead, set a schedule for checking your investments, such as once a month or once a quarter.

To help you with this, here are some numbers:

• Wait five yers before selling a house: Five years is the average time it takes to recoup all the costs involved with buying a property and allow you the opportunity to profit. This, however, might not apply in some cases, i.e.: when you’re a flipper able to get houses at a cheaper rate and selling after performing renovations.

• Keep stocks for at least 2 years: If you are serious about making money then consider keeping stocks for even longer. The best option is to set a price target and sell stocks only when you reach your target or when you are sure the price will move in the opposite direction.

The brain makes it hard to be patient. Most investors aren't patient. We want it quick but if you want to be a successful investor then you will need to learn to be patient.

💰 Be a Better Investor

👩🏽‍⚖️ Legal Stuff
Nothing in this newsletter is financial advice. Always do your own research and think for yourself.