The Vanguard Wellesley (VWINX) and Wellington (VWELX) funds are both balanced mutual funds managed by the Wellington Management company. Wellington and Wellesley both invest in dividend-paying stocks as well as bonds, but there are some crucial differences. We will explain the similarities and differences between Vanguard Wellesley and Wellington to help you decide which fund, if either, works best for you. Richard C. Young an Authority on Vanguard Wellesley & Wellington Young Research has followed both Wellesley and Wellington for over four decades. We aren’t aware of any … [Read more...]
Your Retirement Life: Meet Larry the Car Wash Guy
This is one of my favorite stories about a guy following his passion and making a career out of it. If you haven’t checked out his videos on how to wash a car, then you’re in for a treat. Enjoy! CNBC tells the story of Larry Kosilla, a Wall Street trader who decided to give up the fast lane to instead pursue his dream of being around expensive cars all the time. Marguerite Ward reports: “You can’t fake enthusiasm,” Kosilla tells CNBC. “There’s not enough money in the world to fake enthusiasm.” He created a website Ammo NYC to sell detailing products online in 2011. From there, he … [Read more...]
You’re Worried About Money, Not Just Losing It
I had a conversation with a prospective client yesterday telling me he wants preservation of principal with growth. And on top of that, he told me what stocks he wanted to own. (You know the names, I won’t bore you.) “Because I don’t like to lose money,” he said. In my over 25-years working in the investment business, I have yet to meet someone who “likes” losing money. It’s not a “well he can afford to lose some money” thing either. Losing money is losing money. No one likes to be a loser. Period. On a separate note, I had a real nice conversation with another prospective client earlier … [Read more...]
America’s Growth Corridors as Written in 2013 by Joel Kotkin
In 2013, in contrast to the majority of the establishment media, Joel Kotkin wrote that America's future economic growth would be driven by what he called "four growth corridors," including "the Great Plains, the Intermountain West, the Third Coast (spanning the Gulf states from Texas to Florida), and the Southeastern industrial belt." Kotkin told readers of The Wall Street Journal that these growth corridors tended to be "generally less dense, more affordable, and markedly more conservative and pro-business." He continued: Overall, these corridors account for 45% of the nation's land … [Read more...]
You’re Witnessing Reckless Spending and the Destruction Of…
You’re living in a crazy world where a lot of the frustration you and I feel is absolutely avoidable. Where’s leadership’s common sense? They’re making calls that impact your life in a way that seems separate from theirs. Why, for example, is the nation’s Capitol building surrounded by a moat-like steel fence and armored guards? From whom are they protecting themselves? You’re witnessing reckless spending and the destruction of the dollar. Is there any wonder today’s headlines read like an inflationary who’s who? “Lumber Prices Notch Records on Remodeling Boom, Stock Futures Gain, Natural Gas … [Read more...]
Fidelity #1: GameStop and NEVER Selling You Out
As you know, Robinhood offers online traders an easy way to invest in stocks like GameStop. But did you know it makes it’s money from PFOP or payment for order flow? What PFOP means is that Robinhood sells its own customer trading data to outsiders—those more than willing to pay for it. Why you might ask? Follow the money. A hedge fund might want to know what the order flow looks like on a specific stock and bet for or against it. It’s like sitting at the poker table and they see everyone’s hand. It’s basically a legal way (I guess) to show them the money. Don’t let that be you. It’s … [Read more...]
Warning! Your Survival Guy’s on a Boil Water Advisory
Aren’t you glad you’re not me? Your Survival Guy’s in a boil water advisory. It’s not great. I’ll let you decide how a boil water advisory might run through your family. I’ll just say I live with teenagers and leave it at that. But there’s a silver lining here (and later on in this piece) so stick around and read on. Yesterday, while Your Survival Guy (YSG) was on the phone (I forget if it was with you) I got a text from home “no water pressure.” Now this isn’t something YSG can solve from his desk. But, rest assured, the despair felt by the rest of my family was going to be felt by me come … [Read more...]
Do You Know Fidelity’s Best Kept Secret Weapon?
When you think about low cost index funds, do you think of Fidelity Investments? You should. Located blocks from Fidelity’s headquarters is Fidelity run Geode where “a team of quants toil in relative anonymity,” writes Justin Baer for the WSJ. “They’re also a key weapon in the investment firm’s fight to take on all rivals, from Vanguard Group to Robinhood Markets Inc.” “It’s one of the best-kept secrets in asset management,” said Ben Johnson, director of global exchange-traded fund research at Morningstar.” Baer continues: Index investors like Geode are charged with keeping pace with … [Read more...]
What You’re Telling Me on Any Given Day
You’re telling me about the snow in your neck of the woods while on your afternoon walk. You’re telling me about how you’re setting up to sell your business. And you’re telling me how you’ve read Richard C. Young’s Intelligence Report for years, and you’re ready to become a client. After one of my conversations with you, you emailed me and said, "It just came to me that during our conversation we did not speak a word about our investments. Nothing about stocks or fixed income. That tells me something.“ Once you get your financial situation on terra firma, it opens the world up in a way … [Read more...]
A Tax Saving, Money Making, Idea for Your Grandchildren
You know that getting saving for your grandchild is the best thing you can do as a grandparent. You've read my recommendations on Roth IRAs and UGMAs for your grandkids. Christmas is a great time to save for your grandkids, but any time will do when you're funding a tax-free savings plan for your grandchild. In Kiplinger, Mary Kane lays out the basics of seeding a Roth IRA for a grandchild, writing (abridged): Contributions to Roth IRAs give grandchildren "a huge head start," says Jennifer Failla, a certified financial planner with Strada Wealth Management, in Austin, Tex. Grandchildren … [Read more...]