Your Survival Guy’s never been a big fan of target date funds, where you rely on fund managers to adjust your allocation like a robot based on when you plan to retire. But, unfortunately, these target date funds litter many of America’s 401(k)s (and other defined contribution plans). Many investors just can’t get away from them. Want another option? “Sorry,” they say. Plans that depend on target date funds are like going to Kentucky Fried Chicken and asking for filet mignon. It’s not going to happen. Sure, you can manipulate the allocation by being clever with the target dates. Your … [Read more...]
Watch Out for Your Worst Enemy
Looking to get away? As Your Survival Guy, I want you to try to be invisible while traveling abroad. Don’t be the one creating a scene in customs. As Covid rears its ugly head, make sure you’re up to speed on the requirements to enter a country and to return to the U.S. They’re not the same if, for example, you’re going to France and back. Cash is king. Make sure you have travel cash on hand. Don’t rely purely on traveler’s checks. Have a mix of small and large bills and know the exchange rate before and during your trip. Make sure you pack some patience. Missed trips because of Covid … [Read more...]
Job Market Survival Advice for Graduates and for Those YOU Love
Your life is a work in progress. You spend it gathering different skills like a Swiss Army knife. When I was at Babson College, one of the courses we all took was Operations Management. In it, we studied the manufacturing process of how stuff’s made. We looked at raw materials, for example, and the factory floor. It was like Breaking Bad but legal. At the time, a tectonic shift was underway. Globalization was picking up steam. Our manufacturing base was being offshored to China. (Turns out, that wasn’t the best practice in terms of U.S. survival. Now look at where we are with our supply … [Read more...]
BUY THE DIPS? Can You Catch a Ginsu Knife?
You may be wondering, “Buy the dips?” Well, are you good with knives? Because trying to catch a bottom can be painful. And yet, that’s what seems to be happening. Ginsu investors flailing at falling knives with cuts and scrapes like Allstate’s creepy “Mayhem” guy. Bad stuff happens. Deal with it. Markets can be brutal for a long, long time. I’ve yet to speak with anyone who likes losing money. And yet investors make bets they can’t afford to live with on a regular basis. All of a sudden, they realize it was wrong. And I’m not talking about wrong for a few months. I’m talking years or a … [Read more...]
“I’ve Been with Richard Young for Over 30 Years Now”
Thought I’d share this email with you that I received from a client yesterday. Hi EJ, Thanks for your e-mail today. Thanks for all you do for your clients and our investing. I have taken your advice and been with Richard Young for over 30 years now and am very satisfied with all you have helped me with. As we know, this too shall pass. I am happy that we went conservative with my accounts a couple of years ago. You and your firm really look out for your clients and stay in touch on a regular basis! Thanks! Your Friend, Jeff Action Line: Are you getting the advice you deserve? Let … [Read more...]
All-Powerful Money Managers Voting YOUR Money Targeted by Senate GOP
You and Your Survival Guy have been watching the problems with ESG funds and all-powerful money managers voting your shares for years now. Finally, someone in Washington, DC, is realizing how bad this is for America. Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska plans to introduce legislation that will force money managers to allow investors to vote their own shares. The Wall Street Journal’s Angel Au-Yeung reports: A group of Republican senators is looking to curtail the power big asset managers like BlackRock Inc. and Vanguard Group have over public companies. In legislation to be introduced Wednesday, … [Read more...]
BE VIGILANT: The Rats Are Scurrying in These Rough Markets
How are you feeling? Rough markets, I know. But if you’re in value-oriented equities and short to mid-term bonds, you’ve been able to avoid most of the market chaos. Because it’s chaotic out there. I wish I could say it’s going to get better soon, but I don’t know if it will. I’m Your Survival Guy, not Annie—the sun may not come out tomorrow. The carnage is brutal, and it’s widespread. The asset bubble is deflating. Those who have used leverage or borrowed money are either feeling the heat, hanging on for dear life, or they’re already done. We’re talking 50% losses and more, easily, where … [Read more...]
Young Americans Fall in Love with Farming, Again
UPDATE 5.17.22: There’s a lot to like about being self-reliant in times like these or any time for that matter. I wrote this piece for you with that in mind. Originally posted August 16, 2021. You may have noticed that every time America endures a crisis, people start getting back to the basics. Oftentimes that means farming. The Wall Street Journal's Krithika Varagur reports on a new wave of young Americans returning to the land in the wake of the pandemic and violence in the cities. She writes: More young Americans are joining the agriculture sector and changing what it means to work … [Read more...]
Your Survival Guy: “Sell in May, Buy After Labor Day?”
Thoughts from Your Survival Guy: “Sell in May, buy after Labor Day?” Not me. The volatility is what separates the good investors from the great. You don’t need to be a hero, just “Survive and Thrive.” How do you think ESG looks when the lead proponent says it’s OK to change mid-course because of the problems in Ukraine? Isn’t ESG yet another climate change money grab? If you’re stuck in mutual funds and ETFs, the mothership is voting your shares. Don’t let the “woke” vote their politics with your money. Take a look at the top ten holdings of ESG funds. You might be surprised how … [Read more...]
Is Your Financial Advisor Hiding the Truth About ESG?
Is your financial planner, advisor, wealth manager, CPA, CFA, CFP, or whatever else they slap onto their business card on the same page as you? Are you all rowing in the same direction? Have you asked them about ESG, for example? Do they ask you? Because if you don’t know, it’s probably time you do. This is no time to be politically correct when it’s your money on the line. You know where Your Survival Guy stands on ESG. I hate it. And yet, in my conversations with you, a prospective client, you told me you asked your “guy” about ESG the other day, and you didn’t get a straight answer, as … [Read more...]
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