As the market fell by 900 points midday yesterday, here’s what you and I were talking about: You called to let me know your son and daughter-in-law are interested in becoming clients, and to expect a call. That call came within the hour. We’re setting up the accounts. You were working on new account paperwork, but you had a question about the transfer process and were emailing me a quick question, then it was off to golf. You emailed me income projections on a spreadsheet for us to review in our next call. You are sending me an account statement to transfer your 403b, and then … [Read more...]
Trump’s Momentum and the Liars Protecting Hunter Biden
It’s all about momentum for President Trump as he covers the country in Air Force One with one rally after another, while former VP Joe Biden is trying to remember where he stands on fracking. I’m sure he’s mumbling another F-word under his mask. You can’t play defense and win the presidency. Hope is not a strategy. As Trump is showing us, you need to make your case directly to the people. And the people are watching. Take last night, for example. You could see the emotion on Amy Coney Barrett’s face as she was being sworn in by Justice Clarence Thomas in the Rose Garden. It was an … [Read more...]
How to Treat Your Money (Hint: Not Like this Guy)
You and I know retirement income is hard to come by today—it’s what the weather is. You and I also know we can’t do much about the weather. But we can invest in all types of weather. One of your key components to successful investing in any weather is harnessing the power of time or, in other words, compounding. The only way to do that successfully is to treat your money with the respect it deserves. You need to protect it. You never want to lose it. You never want your money saying, “I get no respect!” like Rodney Dangerfield. You must respect your money and understand how hard it is to … [Read more...]
Your Survival Guy’s Saturday Lunch Surprise You Won’t Believe
Your Survival Guy is on the ground on the rough and tumble streets of Newport, RI, for you—risking it all. Take Saturday, for example. Enjoying an after-lunch stroll, I was taken aback, drawn like a dog to a whistle by honking cars and loud music on America’s Cup Ave. “What’s this commotion?” Your Survival Guy asked. Self responded, “This my friend is a Trump car parade in Newport, RI.” Indeed it was. Just an hour earlier, Your Survival Guy was lunching at the Clarke Cooke House, enjoying an afternoon with Becky and a life long friend visiting us from Naples, FL. Your Survival Guy’s … [Read more...]
Jimmy Buffett’s: A Pirate Looks at 40
UPDATE 10.26.2020: RIP Jerry Jeff Walker, Mr. Bojangles, who helped a young Jimmy Buffett follow his dreams. Originally posted on April 26, 2019. Make sure you have a chance to appreciate where you’re going and where you’ve been. Jimmy Buffett put on a pop-up show Monday in Austin, TX in preparation for his summer tour “I Don’t Know”. A client of mine is driving up to Nashville, TN for tonight’s sold-out show at the Ascend Amphitheatre. Here’s a great video of Buffett and Jerry Jeff Walker. Walker (Mr. Bojangles) was the person who gave Buffett refuge in Coconut Grove, FL after he … [Read more...]
Final Debate Review: Your Daughter’s Struggle is NOT Amusing
Last night’s OUTSTANDING debate performance by President Donald J. Trump spoke to suburban moms nervous that their daughters and their daughter’s-daughters might end up living in a van down by the river. “The Big Man,” Basement Biden, looked like a short-circuiting animatronic at Disney’s Hall of Presidents. Moms across America are worried. President Trump understands this. He understands kids need to be in school, and he understands America needs to be open for business. Basement Joe waves a mask in surrender to teachers unions that close schools—like this week in Boston—looking like he’s … [Read more...]
Why Vanguard is Too Big: Part X: A Lesson from My Father About Paying Too Much
Your Survival Guy learned how to be a successful real estate investor from my dad. He taught me that price always matters, but he also understood the magic of time. If you need to pay a higher price to be in the game, you get in the game, especially when you’re young. When Becky and I were buying our first home, my dad couldn’t believe how much we were paying. But he also realized that when you’re young, you have a better chance of surviving if you happen to pay too much. You have time on your side—and a job—and nothing focuses the mind like a mortgage. But what if you don’t have time? Price … [Read more...]
#1 Reason Why Your Survival Guy Owns an AR-10
Your Survival Guy filled out paperwork last night for an ArmaLite AR-10. For those of you wondering why, I did it for three reasons. For one, I have a friend who owns a ranch in Texas—an expanse as far as the eye can see. He owns an AR-10. Your Survival guy was intrigued. Second, I see it as a complement to my AR-15. The caliber ammo for an AR-10 is .308. An AR-15 .223. Unless you’ve been living in Joe Biden’s basement the last few months, you know ammo is as rare as hens’ teeth—and expensive. A little diversification never hurt no one. Your Survival Guy also hung around the gun club last … [Read more...]
How to Hire Investment Counsel: This is the Way
Real quick. You’re interested in hiring a financial advisor—one who’s held to a fiduciary standard by law, not some silly suitability one. You know you need help, but you just can’t make it happen because there’s resistance: No time, no real interest in digging into it, or you don’t know enough to explain to a loved one why you need it. “We’re fine, aren’t we?” She might ask. OK, here are summaries of two calls I had yesterday with prospective clients that will help you gain some perspective. The first one was with a prospective client whom was referred to me by a client I’ve been … [Read more...]
Trump’s Great White Wall: Part III
“I never liked Reagan much,” Papaw later told me. 'But I hated that son of a bitch Mondale.'” And that was the one and only time Papaw voted for a Republican explains J.D. Vance in his #1 New York Times bestseller Hillbilly Elegy. Why did Vance’s grandfather vote for Reagan? Because Reagan connected with the “workingman” much in the way Donald Trump has connected with the “Forgotten Man.” And how about the attacks on Trump or Reagan for that matter? Does, or will, the Great White Wall ever disappear and go quietly into the night? Hardly. The Great White Wall that supported Trump is America. … [Read more...]