What we have is a crisis in confidence. It’s not such a small world anymore. When countries retreat, look inward instead of outward, tension builds, and fingers are pointed. Look at what’s going on at home in the U.S., for example. The big blue blob cities continue operating as usual as unsustainable deficits and pension obligations build. Look at the stark differences on the state level between California and my favored red states, like Florida, by example. They’re night and day. The same is happening in the Eurozone. Over the last eight years, what I’ve witnessed personally is a major … [Read more...]

Are you working with a fiduciary? What is a fiduciary? If you aren't sure your advisor is a fiduciary by law, you should find out. It can make a difference in what happens in your portfolio. In his 2009 article "The Fiduciary Principle: No Man Can Serve Two Masters," the founder of The Vanguard Group, John (Jack) Bogle, explained the fiduciary duty as follows: The concept of fiduciary duty has a long history, going back more or less eight centuries under English common law. Fiduciary duty is essentially a legal relationship of confidence or trust between two or more parties, most commonly a … [Read more...]

Your Survival Guy just got back from Rome, and it's a wonderful city. But something is missing. The "bambinos." Italy is facing a crisis in its birthrates that aren't nearly high enough to replace those Italians who are dying or migrating out of the country. CNN's Barbie Latza Nadeau, Valentina Di Donato, and ANtonia Mortensen report: Italy, a country once known for its big families gathered around the dinner table, is facing a crisis of unparalleled proportions. For the first time, the number of births in a year fell below 400,000 – representing an average of 1.25 babies per … [Read more...]

You know Your Survival Guy loves dividends and values his fiduciary duty to clients. But Richard Vanderford writes in The Wall Street Journal that this year companies will be voting on issues like "abortion, guns and climate change." What does any of that have to do with your dividend? Vanderford continues: A backlash against companies taking on issues ranging from climate change to abortion rights is helping to push shareholder proposals to record numbers this year. More advocacy groups are using these resolutions to try to inject their voices into the corporate agenda, questioning … [Read more...]

Your Survival Guy is focused on you, the millionaire next door, who wants to enjoy travel and family in retirement. You may even be the type of saver who doesn't want to stop working completely because you enjoy the skills you've developed over decades of working hard and saving til it hurts. When you invest your hard-earned money in a company, it's because you expect the managers of that company to work just as hard as you do to return your money and then some. But not everyone thinks like you. There are shareholders who want to weaponize corporations to pursue their political agendas. They … [Read more...]