The U.S. Army has been frantically searching for an Active Protection System (APS) to protect its armored vehicles against a proliferation of Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) and Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs). Recent events have shown just how vulnerable the American military’s vehicles are to RPGs and ATGMs. The U.S. Army has found itself left behind as many nations have already deployed APSs on their armored vehicles, most notably Russia and China. In a press release yesterday, the U.S. Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) awarded Lockheed … [Read more...]
RAGE Gauge: March Full of Risk
Perhaps the second best gun salesman behind Obama is former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. While Mr. Stevens is calling for the repeal of the Second Amendment, real Americans are trying to figure out how to protect their family and their constitutional rights. Don’t delay in making sure your family and your portfolio are secure. My March Rage Gauge indicator continues to signal that risk is a four letter word that many are failing to pay attention to. … [Read more...]
Join Me and Escape to Margaritaville🌴
Escape to New York City It sure is nice to change your latitude every now and then—New York City in this case—where, if you live in New England, you don’t have to go too far to change your attitude, or have it changed for you. Such was the case this weekend which included an exciting industry conference, a somber visit to the 9/11 Memorial, and as the name to Jimmy Buffett’s musical implies, an Escape to Margaritaville. Let’s Talk about that Attitude When I was a kid my dad was a real estate broker. I remember him saying how important a positive attitude was for his business. “You … [Read more...]
Don’t Get Caught in the Dark: America’s Electric Grid is Vulnerable
Originally posted May 3, 2017. You never know who you’re going to meet. Last week I had a great conversation with a business owner originally from Vermont who’s primary job is to make sure the area around power lines is clear of overgrowth and trees. He reminded me that it doesn’t take much to create a huge problem with the grid. In 2013 at TIME, Bryan Walsh asked if after 10 years, America was any less vulnerable to the type of blackout experienced by the Northeast in 2003. The same question should be posed today. It wasn’t the tree’s fault — or least, not just the tree’s fault. Nearly 10 … [Read more...]
Ignore Bonds (at Your Peril) and Be Average, Like the Next Guy
Originally posted November 1, 2017. A phrase I often hear from prospective clients is, “I don’t understand bonds, but I know I need them, and that’s one of the reasons I’m talking with you.” There’s a lot of wisdom in that phrase. It’s like saying to your dentist, “I don’t understand root canals, but my tooth is killing me and I know I need one, and that’s the reason I’m sitting in this chair.” Knowing what we need is different from understanding how to do it. When I think back to when I first joined Dick Young’s management firm in 1998, he had a huge following of investors seeking … [Read more...]
Would You Trade Your Freedom for Survival?
In Venezuela, reports The Wall Street Journal, the socialist Maduro government is using the threat of food ration curtailment to force citizens to vote for the regime. Ryan Dube, Kejal Vyas and Anatoly Kurmanaev write: A 32-year-old teacher, she’s fed up with President Nicolás Maduro’s government. Her salary has fallen to the equivalent of $2 a month with Venezuela’s currency collapse. She struggles to feed her 10-year-old son and is unable to treat the small tumor on her breast because the health-care system is in shambles. Still, Ms. Meza voted for the ruling Socialist Party in recent … [Read more...]
Vanguard GNMA: There When You Need It
Yesterday the S&P 500 fell by 2.5%. At the same time, the Vanguard GNMA Index fund was up 0.2%. Having powerful counterbalancing bond funds like Vanguard GNMA in your portfolio can prevent you from taking massive hits to your wealth. … [Read more...]
Dangerous Rules Make American Pensions Riskier
Originally posted on August 22, 2016. The abuse of expected returns assumptions at public pension funds in America is something I have regularly raised a red flag about. Take a look here at The Economist's comparison of American public pension fund rules with those for private funds and foreign public funds. The opportunity to use inflated future return expectations leads public pensions in America to make less than realistic assumptions about future liabilities, thereby threatening the system itself by making risk more attractive than it should be. Private-sector pension funds in America … [Read more...]
Get Your Gun and Your Training—NOW: Revisited
Originally posted October 26, 2016. Your Second Amendment rights are on the line on November 8th. In a recent conversation with a gun store owner, he told me he cannot keep self-defense guns on the shelves. What he means is the concealed carry pistols are out of stock. What I have learned is how important it is to get your training before making any purchase. I’ve taken hours of coursework at my favored Sig Sauer Academy. A friend of mine just finished 10-hours of training with Surefire in Wyoming. Go to NRA.com to find training near you. You will not regret it. Dick Young wrote the piece … [Read more...]
How Many “Retirees” Will Keep Working?: Part III
In my series this week about retirees working through retirement I told you first that 79% of retirees expect to keep working in retirement, but many find out that they cannot. Then I told you that 73% of Americans 50 and over are planning to delay retirement altogether. Now I'm turning the focus away from America's Baby Boomers, previously the nation's largest generation, to Millennials who are now America's largest generational cohort. Millennials are people born between 1981 and 1991 (though definitions vary). They are well educated, but thanks to a variety of factors, they are getting a … [Read more...]
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