In March, President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to identify the threats posed by an electromagnetic pulse (EMP)—believed to be potentially dangerous to critical infrastructure like the electric grid (understatement to be kind)—and find ways to guard against them. As you have read right here we’ve been sounding the alarm for years. […]
Paris Update: Notre-Dame, Protests and Your Survival Guy
Having just returned home from another incredible trip to Paris, I want to share some quick highlights from “Your Survival Guy’s” perspective. If you want to experience one of the handful of Palace Hotels in Paris, then you want to go to our favorite home away from home: Le Bristol. If you’ve watched Woody Allen’s […]
How Many “Retirees” Will Keep Working?: Today’s Elderly Twice as Likely to Work than in 1985
Americans aren’t saving enough. That’s not all their fault. The Fed has kept interest rates low, depriving savers of decent rates of return on their savings. And a decade of misguided monetary policy hasn’t managed to get wages growing very much. So many Americans who would prefer to retire, cannot. They are being forced to […]
The 2017 Tax Reform Worked, and is Still Working for Americans
Despite a near blackout in the media of good news regarding the 2017 tax reform, the law lowered taxes for the majority of taxpayers, and will do so for years. The New York Post editorial board examined why so many Americans believe the tax cut didn’t work for them, writing: Why are so many people […]
Jesus: His Life
I’ve been watching Jesus: His Life on the History Channel.
Happy Easter: Meet the Man behind the Sweet, Parisian, Macaron
Standing on the steps of the Madeleine church in the 8th arrondissement, looking down Rue Royale, you can see the Place de la Concorde. Where Rue Royale meets Rue du Faubourg Saint Honore, across the street from Gucci, you’ll see the mint green awnings of maison Ladurée, home to the macaron (pronounced mah-kuh-ron)—meringue like cookies, the […]
Preparing Yourself for the Next Disaster: Let There Be Water
In thinking about water storage for you and your family, I’ve been fascinated by how Israel solved their water problem. In his book, Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution for a Water-Starved World, Seth M. Siegel tells how Israel, which is 60% desert became a water superpower. One point that stood out to me was […]
GNMA Update and My April Rage Gauge
If you didn’t lose your patience and held your bonds over the last year, then you know it was a perfect example for why you own them. Case in point, Vanguard GNMA ended the last 52-weeks up 4.46% and its recent 30-day SEC yield was 3.06%. The catalyst for much of the recent gains? The […]
New Jersey Opens a New Front in the Fiduciary Fight
Over the last few years the battle over the fiduciary duty of financial advisors has been fought at the federal level, but now New Jersey, a state that is home to many financial firms, is opening a new front in the war. New Jersey’s governor wants to force financial firms registered in New Jersey to […]
How Are You Protecting Your Identity?
The number of Americans impacted by identity theft annually grew 33% from 12.6 million in 2012 to 16.7 million 2017. Lifelock reports that data breaches are having the greatest impact on victims: Nearly 60 million Americans have been affected by identity theft, according to a 2018 online survey by The Harris Poll. That same survey […]
Happy Tax Freedom Day!
It’s April 16th, and yesterday Americans’ income taxes were due to the IRS. Coincidentally, today is Tax Freedom Day, and until today, the average American has been working to pay off his taxes for 2019. According to the Tax Foundation, “Tax Freedom Day® is the day when the nation as a whole has earned enough […]