Using technology to solve problems
A message of resilience in the face of adversity
As the months passed, my AI prompts became enormous. Ten pages became 15, which became 20, yet there was always a disappointing breakdown. The explicitness and length of my prompts had become comfort food, but I was just getting increasingly frustrated. Finally, I realized I was simply patching holes, not addressing the problem.
I decided to focus on what I could do and not leave it to a computer to figure something out. As a result of thinking logically, I’ve tightened my AI workflow to stop “hallucinations.” The model now reads a single CSV that I upload and follows a short rulebook (TXT) that tells it exactly how to clean the data, calculate scores, and format results. If something is missing from the CSV data, or wrong, the system flags it or leaves it blank—it doesn’t guess. That means every number you see comes from my input, not from the internet or the model’s memory. By combining CSV and TXT in the raw data input prompt, the result is cleaner data, consistent scoring, and outputs I can trust.
Problem-solving is a skill we can all learn, but it takes complete focus. Many years ago, I set up an offshore investment firm on Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas. Before we had the internet, we transmitted orders to brokers via telephone. The problem was that the phone calls from the Bahamas to the US or Canada were outrageously costly. My phone bill was at least US$5,000 a month. One day, a Bloomberg terminal salesperson approached me to pitch that service. The cost then was about $1500 a month. When I studied the literature, I realized Bloomberg was a communications system that was wired with at least three circuits, at least one of which was never used. So, I worked with that sales rep to use one of those available circuits to communicate between my terminal and the order desk at a bank in Toronto that also used Bloomberg. The only added cost was a tax to move data across the US-Canada border, which was about $200 a month. Instead of paying over $5000 plus additional hardware and software costs monthly to operate my business, Bloomberg solved my problem for $1700 all-in.
Where there is a will, there is a way. We have to be patient. As I like to say, "Noli te bastardi conterere." It’s a message of resilience in the face of adversity.
Yesterday, I received a royalty payment from Amazon for selling a book, which is a rare occurrence. However, I’ll have to stop that because the book is now out of date. My associate Alexei has been encouraging me to offer my books here on Substack, which requires substantial time to bring them up to date and improve their readability. I figured that ChatGPT-5 would be helpful, so I uploaded the 616 pages of Stock Market Literacy (2023), asking for an assessment of out-of-date info and dead links. A few minutes later, I was provided with a detailed nine-page answer plus the following two-page article to pre-sell it:
STOCK MARKET LITERACY in 616 pages
What’s New in the 2025 Edition of Bill Cara’s popular book
The stock market changes fast. Since the last edition, several vital shifts have taken place. This 2025 update highlights the most important ones for today’s investor:
1. SOFR Replaces LIBOR
LIBOR, once the global benchmark for short-term rates, was discontinued in June 2023.
SOFR (Secured Overnight Financing Rate) is now the key US reference for loans, bonds, and futures.
Anywhere you see “Eurodollars” in older texts, think “SOFR contracts” today.
2. T+1 Settlement
In May 2024, the US, Canadian, and Mexican markets moved from T+2 to T+1 settlement.
Most stock and ETF trades now settle the next business day.
This reduces risk but requires more precise cash planning.
3. Spot Crypto ETFs
January 2024: US regulators approved the first spot Bitcoin ETFs.
July 2025: Spot Ether ETFs launched.
These funds let investors trade crypto exposure in a brokerage account—no wallets required.
They simplify access but still carry high volatility.
4. Single-Stock ETFs Boom
In 2022, only a handful existed.
By 2025, nearly 200 single-stock ETFs are traded on the market.
These are trading tools, not investing tools—they magnify risk and reset daily.
5. 0DTE Options
“Zero-Day-to-Expiry” options now dominate daily index option activity.
They allow cheap, leveraged bets on same-day market moves.
Useful for traders, but very risky—most expire worthless. Beginners should steer clear.
Final Word
When the 2025 edition of Stock Market Literacy is released this month, readers will discover that it continues to focus on the original goal of financial literacy for all readers. The content remains comprehensive, incorporating the latest developments that investors may be aware of from headlines and conversations. In addition, many dead links have been removed or updated.
I’ll add: At $9.99, the price is right. In two weeks, ‘Stock Market Literacy’ will be available here at substack.com and Amazon. By the end of September, all four of my books will be updated and offered for sale. Two of the books will be included free with every Annual Premium Subscription, and all four with the Founders Subscription. All those who purchased earlier versions of these books will receive free copies by submitting a request.
Technology can improve our lives if we are patient enough to resolve the issues we encounter along the way.