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The week's question
In December 2024, in the thread "Re: BRK: Why Not XOM?", BreckHutHigh asked the members: "What about the long road trips with kids?" This week it is put to everyone again. The button below opens the small thread re-asking it - read what others have said so far, then give your own answer as an ordinary reply.
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Stocks A to Z / Stocks B / Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)
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Author: DTB   😊 😞
Number: of 21944 
Subject: Re: Getting complicated
Date: 08/14/25 1:48 PM
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I think the quote is probably referring to people who are writing puts without the cash backing, then thinking of the premiums as income. In effect, using an infinite amount of leverage. In my analogy it's like taking a perfectly innocent hammer and throwing it up in the air above your head with your eyes closed.


The analogy would be a good one, if most people writing puts were NOT using leverage and had 100% of the necessary funds to cover the potential losses. Hammers are usually used for sensible things like hitting nails - puts, I'm not so sure. The use that the quote is referring to ("make a few bucks that you get to keep if you’re right, but you lose your home if you’re wrong") is clearly what most investors should not be doing, so it's more like saying throwing hammers up into the air, with one's eyes closed, is a good way to eventually come to grief...


DTB
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This community has written 21,448 posts about Berkshire Hathaway. The article-length ones it recommended most:
BRK: Why Not XOM? · 62 recs · 2024
Second quarter comments · 60 recs · 2023
Berkshire's Profit Contributors · 57 recs · 2023
Summary of 2Q 2026 · 54 recs · 2026
3Q Summary · 53 recs · 2024
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