Life comes at you fast. One minute you’re drinking your morning coffee, and the next, you’re in the emergency room after a major medical event. That was the basis of my conversation with a client yesterday, as he told me this weekend was a special birthday for him. He turned 51. This birthday was different than the others. Last year they were worried sick on his 50th, as he was just diagnosed with cancer. Every birthday after that will be different. I asked him how his wife Melissa was doing. “She was my rock,” he said. A few years ago, he and Melissa visited me in Newport, and they both … [Read more...]

How did you feel about your investments while talkin’ turkey this Thanksgiving? Did the story about the cryptocurrency millionaires get under your skin? Did the 900-point drop in the Dow on Black Friday cause indigestion? Because these are the times to understand why you’re reacting the way you are to the events of the day. In a time when people discuss their money with the same breeziness they do the weather, it’s important to remember just how much is at stake. Don’t forget how brutal markets can be, even for investors who are “in the know.” Action Line: A trusted advisor will help … [Read more...]

When I was a kid, I grew up on a dead-end lane, Baker Lane, but it wasn’t as bad as it sounds. The street hockey games were epic. I remember playing with the bigger kids when they’d have games at one end of the Lane or with my friends at the other end in front of my house. It’d get heated at times, especially when the bigger kids would get into wrestling fights after a play rolling around in a neighbor’s front yard. A little scary to see when you’re little. Why am I writing this to you? Well, I read an article yesterday about how millennials are taking the task of investing into their own … [Read more...]

“How’s it going?” I ask. “Good,” he replies. “I don’t know anything.” And with that, I know he’s good because he’s been telling me that for twenty years now. Now, I can assure you when he says he “don’t know anything,” he knows quite a bit. Because you see, he quit a lucrative job in his 30s to go to medical school simply to try his hand at being a doctor. He, we’ll call him Doc now, is still working part-time as a doctor in his 70s. When telling me the story, his brother-in-law, also a client, tells me Doc’s the smartest guy he’s ever met. Another client, the brother-in-law’s best … [Read more...]

Are you falling for the oldest trick in the book? Here’s how it reads. Managers today draw you in with low-cost index funds and past performance—not necessarily in that order. Then, once you’re in the door, they sell you on other stuff, like toxic variable annuities, until you’re blue in the face. It’s hard not to fall for the sales pitch. I get it. Here’s what happens. It’s Sunday morning. You don’t have a care in the world. Frank Sinatra is playing in the background. Life is good. Then you peel open the quarterly funds report in the Journal and look at the performance like a box score … [Read more...]

You know that when it comes to making money, my number one investment is YOU. You’re the one who’s saving money, doing less with more, and taking care of your family. You’re the one doing what it takes. But somewhere along the line, your success makes doing what you do just a little bit more difficult. Sure, you know how to make money. But now what? What you need to figure out is how to keep it, and get a little growth to keep pace with inflation. I know. Easier said than done. In my conversations with you, you’re telling me about the business environment in your neck of the woods. … [Read more...]

Your retirement life is sacred ground. You know my favorite advice, to your dismay, is to work as long as you can and put off retirement. That doesn’t mean you need to give up your dreams. You just need to be creative. Can you do remote work? Wherever you choose to go, familiarize yourself with my Super States, rent for a year to make sure it’s a good fit, and downsize. Don’t worry the kids will visit. Bankrate.com just came out with its annual ranking of the best places to retire, and you won't be surprised by the top three. According to Bankrate.com, the best three states for retirement … [Read more...]

In my conversations with you, you're telling me you liked Your Survival Guy Presents to Prestigious Med School. I turned it into a Special Report: How To Invest After Graduating College so you can give it to someone you care about who's just starting out with their career. If you haven't read the piece, you can read it here: Excerpts from my Wednesday presentation to recent grads and associates of an esteemed NYC med school. I love hearing from you. This week I'm choosing two emails to share with you because of their unique perspectives: One from a doctor client remembering when he first … [Read more...]

I hope you’re getting outside and enjoying some beautiful weather this spring. Here in New England it feels like a switch was flipped Sunday when temps jumped into the mid-80s and higher—too hot to walk the dog—but lately its been cool nights, warm days, and blue skies. Perfect for getting outside or launching your boat for the season. Will you be teaching a grandchild how to do something this summer? I hope you’re thinking about your investments and your life—where you are on your journey. We’re all in this together. Do you remember when you first started out as an investor? There’s … [Read more...]