The battle between Disney and Netflix for subscribers is fierce, and for the first time, Disney has pulled ahead. Christopher Grimes reports for the Financial Times: Walt Disney defied concerns about a slowdown in the streaming industry by adding a robust 14.4mn subscribers to its Disney Plus service in the latest quarter, pushing its total number of paying streaming customers to 221mn — slightly ahead of Netflix. But Disney reduced its long-term guidance for its total number of Disney Plus subscribers due to its recent loss of rights to stream Indian Premier League cricket matches. … [Read more...]
Archives for August 2022
PRIMARY RESULTS: Pro-Trump Candidates Clean Up
When blue states and cities continue to run massive pension deficits—and do nothing to ease the pressure of meeting over aggressive return expectations—you can see the destruction of reverse compounding. And no one wants to do anything about it. Your Retirement Life: Let the Slow and Steady Be Your Way of LIFE When the average loss is 8%, it’s bad. And that’s not including private equity numbers, which lag by a quarter and aren’t included in this latest fiscal year. There is no way out of this without either a) higher taxes or b) fewer services. Biden Wants to Make the IRS Great … [Read more...]
Prices for Electric Vehicles Going UP
Back in June, Tesla announced it was raising its prices. Select Model 3, S, Y, and X vehicles were affected by the bump. The recent price increase followed another major round of increases in March and was blamed on inflation and transportation costs. Now, Ford has announced an increase in prices for its new F-150 Lightning truck. The Lightning is Ford's electric truck and its base model will have a new starting price of $46,974, around $7,000 higher than before the announcement. Nora Eckert reports for The Wall Street Journal: The Dearborn, Mich., auto maker said Tuesday that it plans to … [Read more...]
Europeans Closing Businesses Early to Save on Energy
In the face of high prices and low supply, European businesses and homeowners are cutting their use of electricity. Some businesses are opting to close early in order to save power. Richa Naidu reports in Reuters: As energy bills mount and the threat of rationing increases, some European retailers are turning off lights and considering shorter opening hours this winter. Energy bosses and government officials have urged people and businesses to reduce power use and put in place contingency plans so they are less reliant on gas imports if there are shortages linked to the war in … [Read more...]
Your Retirement Life: Let the Slow and Steady Be Your Way of LIFE
OK, let’s get right into this. I’m not a huge fan of goals when it comes to money. I don’t like the pressure a goal can have on investors trying to reach a certain “number.” “Well, if we can make it to $2 million, we’ll be all set. That’s our goal,” says a 55-year-old with less than a million in savings. That type of goal, in his most important earnings years—the last ten before retirement—is a loaded gun. The pressure to push, push, push and reach, reach, reach for the “goal” borders on reckless. It’s why Your Survival Guy eschews financial engines where you plug in your financial … [Read more...]
Resilient Nordic Market Spawns Fast Growing Offshoot
The Nordic markets have been resilient compared to those of the rest of Europe over the last few years, and in Sweden, the junior market, Nasdaq's First North Growth Market, is becoming the continent's hottest. Ian Johnston writes for the Financial Times: Sweden’s junior market became Europe’s hottest market to raise funds for growth companies in the first half of the year as retail investors took advantage of favourable tax policies to snap up the index’s tech and healthcare stocks. Companies on Nasdaq’s First North Growth Market, based in Stockholm, have raised £1.6bn to date this year, … [Read more...]
If the Phone Doesn’t Ring…It’s Me
Years ago, Your Survival Guy was at a cocktail party in Newport. (Yes, it happens. I don’t live in a cave.) This was at a time when markets were in freefall. A fellow guest asked me about the markets and how busy I must be talking with clients. My response, like it always is, was “My phone doesn’t ring,” Time and again, investors are surprised when markets fall. My phone doesn’t ring because I’m already in touch with my clients on a regular basis. And because you know me from Your Survival Guy, you know that I work to help you keep what you make. I don’t need to sell you on how to become … [Read more...]
SHOCK: Home Prices FALL in San Francisco as Market Dries Up
San Francisco was the only major U.S. city in June to see its home prices fall. Crime, cost of living, and the crypto crash are all pulling down demand for housing in the city. Bloomberg's John Gittelsohn reports: A palatial five-bedroom home built in 1932 with stained-glass windows, hand-carved doors and jaw-dropping hillside views of downtown San Francisco hit the market in April for $9.5 million. In June, the owners dropped the price to $7 million. It went up for auction last week with an opening bid of $4.5 million. No offers emerged. That kind of pullback is a stark turn for a … [Read more...]
Federal Reserve Governor Signals MORE Big Rate Hikes
Federal Reserve Board Governor Michelle Bowman signaled that she supports continued .75 percentage point rate hikes until inflation is reduced. CNBC's Jeff Cox reports: Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman said Saturday she supports the central bank’s recent big interest rate increases and thinks they are likely to continue until inflation is subdued. The Fed, at its last two policy meetings, raised benchmark borrowing rates by 0.75 percentage point, the largest increase since 1994. Those moves were aimed at subduing inflation running at its highest level in more than 40 years. In … [Read more...]
DESANTIS RESISTS: Suspends Soros-Funded Destruction of America
Your Survival Guy' sees in The Wall Street Journal that dogs are now convincing their owners to fly private. Who knew dogs could talk? The ease of moving pets via chartered flights is yet another catalyst moving air travel away from commercial—as if it were on purpose. How hard will it be for the green mafia to ground the private jets once commercial air is in ruins? Don't worry, Taylor Swift will be fine. The woke won't ground her personal air force because she leases them out to friends. Swell. Field of Dreams: You Too Can Live Like a Billionaire Oh, the woke. Living their "best … [Read more...]