Your Survival Guy

Preparing your investments and family for when disaster strikes.

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You Realized This Long Ago About Your Work

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In my conversation with you, you prove to me that a life built upon incremental growth is one worth living. Let’s see, in just the last year you’ve finished your barn, tucked away your vintage Jag you’ll be rebuilding, got your brother’s island house in Maine off the grid, fixed some islanders’ tractors and trucks, fixed your brother’s boat, and are finishing up a rebuild for your RV Sprinter. That’s a lot. “I didn’t do it alone,” you said. “My brother and I have been living this way our whole lives.” The school of “Necessity” graduates geniuses every year. “It’s all about incremental … [Read more...]

Cryptocurrencies Tumble as Owners Lose Faith in Institutions

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The imminent purchase of cryptocurrency exchange FTX by rival firm, Binance, has sent shivers through the cryptocurrency market as it is revealed that FTX was facing a liquidity crunch. Forbes reports: Bitcoin fell to a two-year low and the crypto market slid after a shocking run on billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX cryptocurrency exchange and subsequent pact for an acquisition from rival Binance, as the crypto industry shook from the collapse of one of its foremost institutions. Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao announced early Tuesday that his company signed a letter of intent to acquire FTX … [Read more...]

Make These States Competitive Again

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States are supposed to be the laboratories of democracy, but the "scientists" running the labs in places like New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and California have been failing for years. One reason for that is their tax policies don't consider the long-term competitiveness of their states, and instead focus on raising money to pay for politicians' dream projects. The Wall Street Journal's Editorial Board explains that "the real economic benefits come from making a state more competitive for the long haul." They rank the 10 best states for tax climate in 2023: Wyoming South Dakota … [Read more...]

REJECT DEBT ON THE BALLOT: Force Legislators to Own Their Spending

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When legislators or city administrators want to spend too much and rack up debt, they put some of the spending measures on the ballot. Usually, they put things on the ballot that are hard for voters to say no to. Measures like school funding and money for parks. Rarely will you see welfare payments or state pension funding increases up for a referendum vote. At Cato Institute, Chris Edwards explains some bonds on the ballot in 2022, and why those bonds should be voted against, and the spending measures rolled in budgets that legislators can be held accountable for. He writes: Aside from … [Read more...]

Your Survival Guy Prefers Bombardier’s Global Express 7500

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If you’re going to Paris, you’ll need a heavy jet. Your Survival Guy prefers Bombardier’s Global Express 7500. With only a handful to choose from, you’ll be in rarified air, literally—because when you’re cruising at altitude tens of thousands of feet up, the advanced air pressurization system makes it feel like you’re only at 4,000. Great for extra-long trips (and even not-so-long ones). Remember, it’s the small things in life that matter most. You’ll want to hit the ground running, not bogged down with a head cold. Then there are the 15-windows (per side), soft leather club chairs, and … [Read more...]

What a Way to Make a Living: New Hampshire #1

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Originally posted on January 19, 2022.  When you think about what makes New Hampshire Your Survival Guy's #1 state, a good place to start is by asking: Will I be represented by my government? Will it work for me? Protect my interests? Well, with 400 state reps, one per 3,000 residents, New Hampshire is the MOST representative state in the country. That's always a great place to start. But what will keep you there? When I visit our log cabin in the White Mountains, I feel like I'm a part of the ski community in the winter and of the vacationing families in the summer. You just see … [Read more...]

Your Survival Guy: GNMA, L’Ami Louis, and You

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Happy Friday. I want you to go to the most controversial restaurant in all of Paris. But first, a bit of business. As you know, Your Survival Guy isn’t big on selling positions. My default position is to hold forever. With that said, it doesn’t mean I operate with my head in the sand, far from it. There are times when selling for tax purposes makes sense—to realize a loss and get back into something similar. That’s a move that could make sense for you if you hold Vanguard GNMA at a loss in a taxable account. If you hold it in an IRA, then stick it out. If you want to talk, let me … [Read more...]

Kermit Lynch Serving Turkeys for Thanksgiving

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You can’t go wrong with Kermit Lynch. I like this 1990 blast from him on serving Turkeys. He wrote: Throughout eighteen years of business I have withstood the temptation to tell you what to serve with turkey. To demonstrate that middle age has not fixed my brain in concrete, that I am still full of fire and rebellion, I’m going to shatter tradition and tell you what to drink with the traditional Thanksgiving feast: California Chardonnay. Oops, no, just kidding. Let us look at the problem more closely. You are sitting around the bird with your uncle who annually proclaims, “I’m … [Read more...]

Your Survival Guy: Monsieur Get Your Money Cookin’

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Is history a reliable guide? Let me tell you a story. On our research trip to Paris, we spent time on the left bank staying at Hotel & Spa D’Aubusson. At the morning buffet, it could have been easy to go for the morning pastries but using a bit (I said a bit) of self-control, I opted for the soft-boiled egg. Simple. Easy. The following week in Beaune, I did the same, but when I hit the shell, raw egg oozed all over my hands and onto the table. A fellow guest did the same, and later we learned you need to cook the eggs yourself. “The hot water is right there sir,” I was startled to … [Read more...]

Jerome Powell Flexes His Unelected Power

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You know that the unelected Federal Reserve has unrivaled power over markets. That's why investors wait with bated breath any time the Federal Reserve is about to put out a statement or when Federal Reserve Board of Governors Chairman Jerome Powell prepares to speak. Powell just flexed his unelected power by first allowing the Fed to put a statement with dovish tones on rate hikes, and then dashing the hopes of those looking for a slowdown to rate increases with his own statements. Rex Nutting explains in MarketWatch: Fed Chair Jerome Powell is learning on the job. He didn’t repeat the … [Read more...]