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Investment Research Since 1978

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Economic Slow Down, Where to Park Your Money

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There’s no doubt the economy is slowing down. Diesel prices are half of what they were from last year’s record. The question is will the Fed have the conviction to keep rates at a reasonable level. Savers have been penalized for a generation and deserve a return on their money. My favored Fidelity Treasury Money Markets, yielding about 4.5% today, is a great place to park it. From the WSJ: A nationwide freight slowdown has helped cut U.S. diesel prices by half from last year’s record, raising concerns that parts of the world’s largest economy have begun to slow. Wholesale diesel recently … [Read more...]

Know Thyself Highly Successful, Fairly Wealthy People

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If you’ve followed my number one habit of highly successful people, saving money, then chances are you’re fairly wealthy. You put time on your side, and you compounded money. Explaining how you did it is hard. You just did. You put water in your Cheerios. You saved ‘til it hurt. Now you’ve got a pile of money, and the stakes are high. You don’t have the time you did when you were younger. You can’t do it all over again. When we look back in time, we tend to put today’s self into that younger person. Our mind plays tricks on us. That person, with all of today’s wisdom, didn’t exist. We tend … [Read more...]

Fixed Income: Adults Don’t Belong in the Kiddie Pool

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If you’re fairly wealthy, then chances are you have a pile of money you can’t afford to lose. If you’re familiar with Richard C. Young’s Intelligence Report, you know the road to riches is to keep what you make—to focus on the return of assets. You’re familiar with the yeoman’s work Dick Young provided you with each month, including his recommended stocks on his Monster Master List, select preferred stocks, and zero-coupon bond recommendations, to name a few. Today we’re seeing opportunities in fixed income not seen in a generation. For how long this opportunity lasts is anyone’s guess. … [Read more...]

Friends, A Curated Monster Master List for You

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Friends, how are we different? I’ll tell you. When you open a brokerage account at Fidelity, the world is your oyster. The account is in your name. When you add our discretionary authority to your account, you’re invested in individual stocks, among other areas. It’s like owning a perpetually curated Monster Master List from Richard C. Young’s Intelligence Report. You also might be invested in a ladder of individual bonds with set maturities. It’s a private spa, if you will. Not a mutual fund or ETF. Not a public pool full of spitters and splashers flailing around, buying and selling, like … [Read more...]

Only You Can Make This Happen: “That Was Fun”

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Happy Friday. Your Survival Guy was talking with a client yesterday. He was at the helm of his sailboat. They were making their way home for the summer. I could tell it was bittersweet. They were already missing the new friends they had made over the winter. Having recently completed the crossing back to Florida, they were looking forward to some of their favorite stops along the way. It was a calm morning. It reminded me of the hours my family spent sailing Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound in the summer, rafting up with family friends. That was fun. One of the great parts about sailing … [Read more...]

Your Survival Guy at Fidelity and Your RMD Compliance

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Staying on top of your IRA RMD can be a hassle, especially with the IRS changing the start dates. The new one is age 73. As I wrote back on December 19, 2022, when I worked at Fidelity Investments in the mid-90s, I was at FIRSCO. What the heck is FIRSCO? Glad you asked. Because to enter the realm of Fidelity as an employee is to enter a world of acronyms you never knew existed. FIRSCO stands for Fidelity Investments Retirement Services Company. Imagine Fidelity as the military, and FIRSCO as a branch within it, and you get the idea. I was on a special team within FIRSCO, the Withdrawal … [Read more...]

You’re Ready to “Make It a Good Month”

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You miss Richard C. Young’s Intelligence Report, especially the Monster Master List and the monthly introductions you couldn’t wait to read. I know this because you tell me. Here’s the intro from Dick’s last letter: My Last Issue Last Call! After nearly four decades of meeting monthly publishing deadlines, it’s time for me to shift gears. I am stepping away from writing IR to spend full time researching global investing strategies, compounding, and dividend-paying stocks on behalf of our management clients at Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd. Eagle Financial Publications will become the … [Read more...]

Fidelity Foul Ball: Annuities Don’t Belong in a 401(k)

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Your Survival Guy’s a big fan of Fidelity Investments, as you know from here, here, and here just to point out a few reasons why. But Fidelity is also a 401(k) powerhouse. I know this because Your Survival Guy worked in Fidelity’s 401(k) division in the mid-90s. So I’m not thrilled to write this, but it’s a big-time foul ball. Your Survival Guy’s not a fan of annuities, especially in a 401(k) or IRA. It’s a tax-deferred vehicle already. It doesn’t belong in a tax-deferred account. The minute you can get out of your 401(k) and self-direct, do it. This is yet another product to charge higher … [Read more...]

I Meant to Tell You My Recent “Survival Guy” Story

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You know from here, here, here, and here that bad stuff happens. More times than I care to admit, I'm involved. Dear reader, is there anything more enjoyable? I get it. But once the feeling of "thankful it wasn't me" passes, it gets darn serious. "What," you may ask yourself, "if that happens to me?" The other weekend Your Survival Guy arrived at his cabin in New Hampshire with no heat. Hours earlier, glancing at my phone to check the indoor temp I turned up on the app (life's a little too easy at times), I realized it hadn't budged and was falling. Sure enough, the furnace was out. Good … [Read more...]

“I’m Having Major Surgery Tomorrow,” He Said

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Life comes at you fast. One minute you’re living your retirement life. The next, you need major surgery. “I’m having major surgery tomorrow,” a client said to me yesterday. “Take care of things for me,” he said. “I will,” I said. We’ve been working together for over 20 years. He’s been trusting Richard C. Young for many more. He’s financially fit because he invested in himself at an early age and was smart with his savings. He realized a long time ago that saving money and investing are two different things. He needed help with the second one. I know his family because he tells me about … [Read more...]