“E.J., we’re going to be in town for the Newport Flower Show, are you available to meet?” asked Anne, a client of mine. “Of course, I am,” I replied. And just like that a wonderful weekend was booked. Lucky them. What are you waiting for? You have plenty of reasons to come to Newport. Not only is today the beginning of the world renown Newport Flower Show, but, most kids in Newport are still in school. No beach crowd traffic to deal with, yet. And I mean yet. Which is why late June, the Flower Show, and perhaps you, go hand in hand with your perfectly timed mini-vacation. If you want … [Read more...]
Emergency Cash: Bitcoin or Dollars?
With Bitcoin prices diving, it's worth revisiting this post from December 1, 2017. Bitcoin is being considered by some as their emergency stash. For me, when the power goes out, I prefer having dollars on hand. ATMs will be out of commission, and depending on road conditions, even if my bank is open, I’m not sure I’ll be hitting the streets to make a withdrawal. One of the many hurdles bitcoin faces is frictionless exchange. It doesn’t have the general acceptance by society yet like the dollar, and to achieve that acceptance will be a monumental task. In an emergency situation, I … [Read more...]
A Category 5 Strike Devastates Your Portfolio
Take note of this post I wrote in September of 2017, it's as true now as it was then. What if you and your family are not completely prepared, well in advance, to put a force-field around your life’s resources? That’s the reality we live in today. No matter if we live in a connected world with information at our fingertips or in a desolate fishing cabin in Alaska: disasters happen. You need to be prepared. Because you’re never, ever, fully prepared for what can come your way. You just hope you’re in the best position possible for if, and when, it does. From a portfolio perspective, … [Read more...]
Your Retirement Life: A Simple Way to Retire where You want to Live
You want to make sure your retirement plans are right for you. As I wrote to you yesterday, testing or experimenting by actually living in your chosen destination, for at least one season makes sense to me. You could also see what it’s like to be retired by taking a prolonged vacation. Put yourself in that retirement mindset. In other words, you are in charge of your retirement. It’s no secret retirees are moving to places where their money is treated with respect. But it’s beginning to become pretty crowded in certain spots. Take Nashville, TN for example. Cameron McWhirter reports at The … [Read more...]
If You do this, Will You Improve Your Happiness?
“Americans are devoted to the pursuit of happiness. Unfortunately, research shows that many of us don’t actually know what makes us happy, so we end up pursuing the wrong things,” writes Dr. Shlomo Benartzi, professor and co-head of the behavioral decision-making group at UCLA Anderson School of Management. One way to help your happiness is to do a test. It’s called A/B testing. I’m familiar with A/B testing with our websites. Change a couple of words in the title of a piece and it’s shocking what a difference it can make in reader interest. As Dr. Benartzi points out: In research … [Read more...]
Viva Las Vegas!
Whether Las Vegas real estate is in a bubble or not--this article leans towards not—Californians are finding greener pastures away from Gov. Brown’s reckless policies. As I’ve noted in the past, the direction of individual states is a geographical portrait of right vs. left (wrong) ideologies. Eli Segall writes from the Las Vegas Review-Journal: Las Vegas home prices are rising at one of the fastest clips in the country, with builders fetching record dollar amounts and resale values approaching prior highs. The growth is so fast that, according to a new report, prices here are the most … [Read more...]
What do I think of Bitcoin? Part I
In light of recent events, it's worth reexamining this series I originally posted November 15, 2017. I’ve been asked the question “What do you think of Bitcoin,” as much as any question I’ve received about my website www.yoursurvivalguy.com or my series on the S&P 500. I’ve been in the weeds studying bitcoin (the currency) and Bitcoin (blockchain tech) and I’ll tell you, I haven’t had that “Aha!” religious-like moment experienced by, I’m told, its cult of followers. Count me in the “still skeptical” camp, with a distinction. Bitcoin, the technology, or blockchain, is here to stay … [Read more...]
How I Built My Survival Cache. It’s Never Too Late to Start Building Yours
This piece from May 17, 2016 is worth revisiting, and some of my new readers haven't seen it. Use this as a guide for developing your own survival cache. No one likes to lose money. That’s why when I started building my survival cache over ten-years ago I started with gold. Back then, I spent little time (same as I do today) worrying about where I felt the short-term price of gold was headed. What I wanted to do was build a physical hedge for my cash. Cash is king! Try selling that one to your spouse. But cash is pretty powerful. You never know when you’ll need it. Like when there’s a … [Read more...]
Interest Rates Need to be Higher Pronto
Inflation? Yes it’s a thing. Anyone living in the real world recognizes it at the grocery store, in the real estate section of their local newspaper, and the stock market for that matter. Those in retirement trying to live off of their portfolio are paying the price for a reckless monetary policy. Rates need to be higher pronto. The editors of The Wall Street Journal write: Investors briefly bid up the 10-year Treasury yield above 3% on the news before it fell back to 2.97%. But forward guidance has always seemed overrated as a policy tool, and with growth picking up it was becoming a … [Read more...]
Sweden Puts the Brakes on its Cashless Society Plans
How quickly things can change. Back in April I wrote to you of Sweden's all out dash toward creating the world's first cashless society. Digital currency was the wave of the future, and the Swedes were happy to lead. Now, though, the movement toward a cashless society in Sweden is being challenged. Swedish politicians are attempting to rein in the policies of the Riksbank, Sweden's central bank, that encourage cashlessness. Bloomberg reports: A key committee of Swedish lawmakers wants to force the country’s biggest banks to handle cash in an effort to halt the nation’s march toward … [Read more...]
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