When Your Survival Guy graduated from Babson College in 1994, I got right to work. Right to work traveling, that is. I hit the road that summer, backpacking through Europe beginning with a trip to a Greek isle to visit a fraternity brother at his family’s summer place. That went so well that when I got home, I decided to be a ski instructor for the winter. Then, finally, I made my parents proud, and I got a “real” job at Fidelity Investments. That was March ’95. What’s the rush? One of my tasks at Fidelity Investments was to jump on the phones when call volume was high. The other part of my … [Read more...]
“My Effin’ Life,” by Geddy Lee of the Band Rush
Your Survival Guy’s been reading “My Effin’ Life,” by Geddy Lee of the band Rush. To understand Lee, one needs to know where he came from: the suburbs of Toronto, Canada, a child of holocaust surviving parents. His father died when Lee was only 12, and as such, Lee knew about loss at a young age. His mother, grief-stricken, made it hard for Lee to realize his own pain from the loss of his dad. When Lee looks back, writing “My Effin’ Life” at age 69, he realizes he, too, was a survivor and not just a quiet kid. He was determined. He had calloused fingers from playing, he was hardened … [Read more...]
What’s the Right Amount to Invest in Stocks?
Your Survival Guy has witnessed it all when it comes to investing. I’ve written to you about the top 10 investing mistakes to avoid and the top 10 investing habits of the fairly wealthy (see below). I’ve told you how I see investors get overweight in stocks like it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet. Then they switch to a strict diet of cash, selling out at the bottom of a bear market, never to get back in. It’s why I don’t try to time the market, nor do I advise it for you because you need to be right twice: when to sell and when to rebuy. Avoid the problem altogether. Don’t get greedy. … [Read more...]
“Survival Guy, How Much Should I Invest in Stocks?”
“How much should I invest in stocks?” It’s a good question. One you might be thinking about. Sure, when you’re working, it’s easy to invest in stocks because you have a paycheck to lean on like a crutch. But what if you’re retired with no paycheck, living on a fixed income? Investing in stocks can be downright scary. The good news is stocks have historically been good inflation fighters. But how much to invest? You’ve seen the brutal corrections so far this century. And chances are there will be more. “So, Survival Guy, how much do we invest in stocks?” When speaking with … [Read more...]
“Survival Guy, What Have You Done for Me Lately?”
“Hey, Survival Guy, what have you done for me lately?” you ask. “Good question.” Let’s refresh our memories. One of the more important tasks of an investor is to protect what one makes. You know how it goes. Rule #1: don’t lose money. Rule #2: don’t forget rule #1. As another wise man said, then there’s rule #6: “Don’t lose money.” When asked about rules one through five said, “There are no other rules.” See how fun this can be? As we get older, we learn the rules. One way or another, we learn the rules. I’d put the school of hard knocks up against Harvard any day of the week. … [Read more...]
“We Want Preservation…” No Soup for You!
When prospective clients tell me, “We want preservation of principal and growth,” I think of the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld and feel like responding, “No soup for you!” Because this happens all the time. And I get it. Part of our precious time together at www.yoursurvivalguy.com, dear reader, is to learn about each other and to learn the rules of the road. And our road isn’t for everyone. And clearly what we learned in kindergarten still applies, yet is often forgotten: Wait your turn and be nice. Now, this couple in their early 80s were nice. But they are needy: wanting preservation and … [Read more...]
What Took Them So Long?
Last week, State Street Global Advisors announced that it is leaving the group Climate Action 100+, which seeks to use financial power to implement the goals of the radical progressive climate agenda. This follows on the heals of BlackRock's backpedaling, and Vanguard's leaving a similar group, the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative. Silla Brush reports for Bloomberg News: State Street Corp. is pulling out of the world’s biggest investor group devoted to tackling climate change, saying the organization has hamstrung the firm’s own approach to the matter and its ability to interact with … [Read more...]
You Can Come Up Empty Handed When Reaching for Yield
The Wall Street Journal recently gave readers four examples of areas to pick up yield as alternatives to money market accounts or CDs: Multiyear guaranteed annuities Defined-maturity ETFs Preferred stocks Exchange-traded debt Your Survival Guy would not recommend a single one of these. Here's what the WSJ had to say about annuities: MYGAs, as these fixed-rate annuities are known, can be a good option for savers who are looking for returns comparable to those on certificates of deposit but for longer periods. In addition to competitive rates, MYGA earnings aren’t taxed until … [Read more...]
With AI, You Get Out What You Put In
In a rush to keep up with the artificial intelligence (AI) mania, Google recently released Gemini, its latest AI technology, to the public. The bot immediately angered users who asked for historical facts and were met with woke interpretations. The problem is, when AI learns from garbage woke opinions, users get garbage results. It’s a closed loop. Your Survival Guy isn’t impressed. In The Wall Street Journal, Miles Kruppa explains what happened, writing: Google’s artificial-intelligence push is turning into a reputational headache. Gemini, a chatbot based on the company’s most advanced AI … [Read more...]
DIVIDENDS: “Do or Do Not. There is No Try”
Ahhhh, cash, money, green. Sounds so nice. More money, less work. We all want it, and we all say we need it, but when it comes to investing, why do investors ignore it? I’m talking about dividends. In a “What have you done for me lately?” world, investors live or die on prices. Don’t be a price hog. Don’t be a hog, period. The minute you ignore prices, you become Your Survival Guy’s kind of investor. You become eccentric. Unique. Even contrarian in today’s price-focused world. You focus on being paid. You imagine yourself living in a cave, ignoring the chaotic world outside. And I can tell … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- …
- 99
- Next Page »