Happy Friday. Your Survival Guy was talking with a client yesterday. He was at the helm of his sailboat. They were making their way home for the summer. I could tell it was bittersweet. They were already missing the new friends they had made over the winter. Having recently completed the crossing back to Florida, they were looking forward to some of their favorite stops along the way. It was a calm morning. It reminded me of the hours my family spent sailing Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound in the summer, rafting up with family friends. That was fun. One of the great parts about sailing … [Read more...]
Fidelity Foul Ball: Annuities Don’t Belong in a 401(k)
Your Survival Guy’s a big fan of Fidelity Investments, as you know from here, here, and here just to point out a few reasons why. But Fidelity is also a 401(k) powerhouse. I know this because Your Survival Guy worked in Fidelity’s 401(k) division in the mid-90s. So I’m not thrilled to write this, but it’s a big-time foul ball. Your Survival Guy’s not a fan of annuities, especially in a 401(k) or IRA. It’s a tax-deferred vehicle already. It doesn’t belong in a tax-deferred account. The minute you can get out of your 401(k) and self-direct, do it. This is yet another product to charge higher … [Read more...]
I Meant to Tell You My Recent “Survival Guy” Story
You know from here, here, here, and here that bad stuff happens. More times than I care to admit, I'm involved. Dear reader, is there anything more enjoyable? I get it. But once the feeling of "thankful it wasn't me" passes, it gets darn serious. "What," you may ask yourself, "if that happens to me?" The other weekend Your Survival Guy arrived at his cabin in New Hampshire with no heat. Hours earlier, glancing at my phone to check the indoor temp I turned up on the app (life's a little too easy at times), I realized it hadn't budged and was falling. Sure enough, the furnace was out. Good … [Read more...]
“I’m Having Major Surgery Tomorrow,” He Said
Life comes at you fast. One minute you’re living your retirement life. The next, you need major surgery. “I’m having major surgery tomorrow,” a client said to me yesterday. “Take care of things for me,” he said. “I will,” I said. We’ve been working together for over 20 years. He’s been trusting Richard C. Young for many more. He’s financially fit because he invested in himself at an early age and was smart with his savings. He realized a long time ago that saving money and investing are two different things. He needed help with the second one. I know his family because he tells me about … [Read more...]
Interest Rates Weighing on Banks’ Balance Sheets
When it comes to your investment portfolio, I don’t want it stuck in a bank. They lend your cash for a song and pay you peanuts. Instead, consolidate your lazy cash at Fidelity. I like the Fidelity Treasury Money Market yielding just shy of 4.5%. I also like individual bonds paying fixed-income investors yields we haven’t seen in a generation. If you need help, I’m here. Justin Baer writes in The Wall Street Journal: In the latest sign that higher interest rates are weighing on banks’ balance sheets—as customers find better yields elsewhere— deposits were down 11% at Schwab and 5% at State … [Read more...]
Why You Miss Richard C. Young’s Monster Master List
Happy Monday. Is your advisor a bank? If so, is it lending out your money for a song and paying you peanuts? Fidelity is not a bank. Fidelity is not a publicly traded company. In comparison, Charles Schwab has a banking division and is publicly traded. How about Vanguard? When was the last time you spoke with a phone rep? Are you stuck only in Vanguard funds and ETFs? Are you being penalized by investors in the same fund as you who sell at any sign of trouble? Where Vanguard’s fund managers are forced to sell positions to raise cash, often at the worst times? I want you at the private … [Read more...]
Schwab vs. Fidelity: Separate Your Banking from Your Investments
Your Survival Guy recommends you separate your banking from your investments. Schwab’s stock is off nearly 40% YTD through Friday. It’s why I like Fidelity. Unlike Schwab, it isn’t a bank. And it’s a private, family-run business, which keeps the pressures of Wall Street earnings expectations at bay. The Wall Street Journal's Justin Baer reports on Schwab's latest earnings: Charles Schwab is kicking off another bank-earnings week, posting higher first-quarter profit on gains in interest revenue and money-management fees. The brokerage giant said Monday that its net income rose 14% to $1.6 … [Read more...]
April RAGE Gauge: A Private Spa Not the Public Pool
OK, my latest RAGE Gauge is in, and it’s not pretty. What did you expect me to say? The black swan isn’t gone for the season. Hardly. But, with interest rates you can sink your teeth into, it’s time to get your banking life in order. Look at the yield curve below and see what I’m talking about. Get your lazy cash off the couch. Get it working for you. No more banker’s hours. As you can see, we’re in the midst of a generational opportunity in bonds. As Your Survival Guy, I want you off the bench and in the game. Don’t let crusaders for the “perfect” get in your way. Inertia is a terrible … [Read more...]
When Rates Are This High, I Pay Attention
What you’re looking at is a snapshot of the yield curve at certain points in recent history and today. My, how far we’ve come. And hopefully, there’s further to go. But you and I know hope is not a strategy. With that said, if you’re on a fixed income, take a hard look at locking in some of today’s yields well into tomorrow. If you have lazy cash sitting around, sink your teeth into today’s yields. Remember, it was only three short years ago we were looking at a different landscape. Yields were scraping the bottom, like dredging for bay scallops. Now all of a sudden, rates are … [Read more...]
Friends, Come with Me on a Road Less Traveled
You’ve come a long way. Pretty nice view, isn’t it? Look at your savings. Who would have imagined you’d be where you are today? Nice. And because of who you are, I want you to become intimately familiar with the yield curve. Fixed income is alive and well. Pretty nice, I’d say. And before we try and rain on this parade with inflation talk (I’ll get to that in a minute), let the yield curve sink in. Better yet, show it to your lazy cash sitting at the bank doing nothing for you. Your Survival Guy’s life has been one of compounding. Compounding experiences. Compounding money. Both are … [Read more...]
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