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OK, midyear report cards are in, and if youโ€™ve been with me, then youโ€™re smiling. But I have to ask, how much of this feels real to you? Yes, itโ€™s nice to see stocks are up, but arenโ€™t you more interested in knowing youโ€™re going to keep what youโ€™ve made?

What you want to concern yourself with moving forward are real returns or, in other words, how much youโ€™re really gaining if inflation eats your savings like a Gypsy moth. What good do higher prices for stocks do if they get cut down by over a third like weโ€™ve already seen three times this century?

Your Survival Guyโ€™s battle plan for you remains the same as it always will: invest in yourself firstโ€”invest in yourself to make moneyโ€”and invest what you save with the mindset of keeping it. Period. You know my number one recommendation is to invest in yourself.

And how do you invest in yourself? Well, youโ€™re telling me in my conversations with you that youโ€™re listening to me and deciding to work a little longer, or youโ€™re making double-sure youโ€™re ready to retire. And thatโ€™s music to my ears.

Keep doing what youโ€™re doing. I believe in you. Investing success is not hard to enjoy, itโ€™s just hard to do. You can do it.

Action Line: In times like these, think about every step you take because Iโ€™ll be watching you.

Originally posted on Your Survival Guy.