Will the Fed tighten at its next meeting? Listen, I’m Your Survival Guy, not some gambling website. We’ll see what happens, but I’m not betting the ranch on Charlie Brown threading the needle and kicking the field goal. What I do know is the Fed’s talking its book, and the market bid rates higher. What could possibly go wrong? READ: The Dangers of a Federal Reserve Digital Currency When there’s chaos in the markets, you need to be ready to strike as opportunities present themselves to you. When stocks and bonds were tumbling, bond yields all of a sudden looked more attractive. And that’s why … [Read more...]
Who Votes on Biden’s Inflation? We Do
You know inflation when you see it. You see it at the gas pump and the grocery store. You see it on the college tuition bill. You see it on vacation—if you can get there. Joe Biden can talk until he's blue in the face about inflation. He can talk about meeting Fed Chairman Powell. But talk is cheap. Actually, talk is anything but cheap. Talk is expensive. Because the closer team Biden gets to the midterms, the more the inflation tsunami builds, washing over the electorate, encouraging a wave of record voter turnout. In my conversations with you, you're telling me about lifelong Democrats in … [Read more...]
Some Lessons You Just Can’t Get from a Textbook
Is office work dead? For those who just graduated from high school or college, some of the best work experiences you can get are from being in the office, or restaurant—face to face with your coworkers and customers. You get lessons you can’t learn from a textbook. What I learned at Fidelity Investments in Boston, MA was how the back office worked. That’s an essential understanding for me today as we use Fidelity as our custodian for clients. But what I also learned was how to live on my own, get to work on time, see how a large team works (not always together), get my car fixed, … [Read more...]
Your Survival Guy: “Life on Main Street Hasn’t Been This Hard in a While”
Are you up to speed with Your Survival Guy? Do you check in daily at www.yoursurvivalguy.com? I’m E.J. Smith, Your Survival Guy. I created www.yoursurvivalguy.com to give Main Street Americans a boots-on-the-ground look at how to protect their most valued assets from natural and manmade disasters. My focus at www.yoursurvivalguy.com is: Retirement investing and planning Fixed income/bond strategies Your Survival Guy’s Super States Living a Liberty Retirement Constitutional Carry States and Freedom Generational wealth strategies for families Disaster prep and … [Read more...]
If You Have a Plan, I Believe You’ll Get to Where You Want to Go
When Your Survival Guy was 12-years old, my family traveled across the country in a 21-foot Winnebago Brave. Winnebago was on to something with the name because we saw the country all right, including the major national and state parks. But we also saw a lot of gas stations and even a few friends for an unexpected, extended stay in Cincinnati, OH. But that’s what’s great about RVing. You remember stuff you never planned on seeing. When we were “stuck” in Cincinnati, we went on a riverboat, played Wiffle ball, went to the club pool, and to the Kings Island amusement park where we rode “The … [Read more...]
Nowadays, Everyone Is Getting Some Dividend Religion
Do you have dividend religion? Do you need some? Stock trends come and go, but dividends meet the test of time. Put father time on your side and put the miracle of compound interest to work for you. Karen Langley and Gunjan Banerji report in The Wall Street Journal on the market’s big boost for dividend stocks, writing: Cash is king right now. The latest evidence: the market’s embrace of dividend-paying stocks over another longtime favorite, firms that do buybacks. Investors are rushing to companies promising regular payouts to shareholders, a sign of Wall Street’s hunger for cash in … [Read more...]
How to Avoid the Restrictions of a Target Date Fund
Your Survival Guy’s never been a big fan of target date funds, where you rely on fund managers to adjust your allocation like a robot based on when you plan to retire. But, unfortunately, these target date funds litter many of America’s 401(k)s (and other defined contribution plans). Many investors just can’t get away from them. Want another option? “Sorry,” they say. Plans that depend on target date funds are like going to Kentucky Fried Chicken and asking for filet mignon. It’s not going to happen. Sure, you can manipulate the allocation by being clever with the target dates. Your … [Read more...]
Watch Out for Your Worst Enemy
Looking to get away? As Your Survival Guy, I want you to try to be invisible while traveling abroad. Don’t be the one creating a scene in customs. As Covid rears its ugly head, make sure you’re up to speed on the requirements to enter a country and to return to the U.S. They’re not the same if, for example, you’re going to France and back. Cash is king. Make sure you have travel cash on hand. Don’t rely purely on traveler’s checks. Have a mix of small and large bills and know the exchange rate before and during your trip. Make sure you pack some patience. Missed trips because of Covid … [Read more...]
Job Market Survival Advice for Graduates and for Those YOU Love
Your life is a work in progress. You spend it gathering different skills like a Swiss Army knife. When I was at Babson College, one of the courses we all took was Operations Management. In it, we studied the manufacturing process of how stuff’s made. We looked at raw materials, for example, and the factory floor. It was like Breaking Bad but legal. At the time, a tectonic shift was underway. Globalization was picking up steam. Our manufacturing base was being offshored to China. (Turns out, that wasn’t the best practice in terms of U.S. survival. Now look at where we are with our supply … [Read more...]
BUY THE DIPS? Can You Catch a Ginsu Knife?
You may be wondering, “Buy the dips?” Well, are you good with knives? Because trying to catch a bottom can be painful. And yet, that’s what seems to be happening. Ginsu investors flailing at falling knives with cuts and scrapes like Allstate’s creepy “Mayhem” guy. Bad stuff happens. Deal with it. Markets can be brutal for a long, long time. I’ve yet to speak with anyone who likes losing money. And yet investors make bets they can’t afford to live with on a regular basis. All of a sudden, they realize it was wrong. And I’m not talking about wrong for a few months. I’m talking years or a … [Read more...]
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