Your Survival Guy’s August Rage Gauge™ is in, and it seems to me like the calm before the storm. That’s why my reading remains full tilt to more risk. It’s a mixed bag as background checks are down, gold is way off, stock yields are lower, as is the unemployment rate. But when you look around and see what’s going on in your neck of the woods, you’re telling me a different story. Things still don’t feel the same, and maybe they never will you say. We’ll see. Anecdotal for sure, but a recent visit to a local restaurant was telling in that, it wasn’t fully staffed, wasn’t fully occupied, … [Read more...]
RAGE Gauge: Fourth of July Fireworks, Running HOT
How ya doin’? I hope you’re looking forward to spending a stress-free Fourth of July with family and friends. You deserve it. But before you do, let’s visit my latest RAGE Gauge reading. You know inflation is running hot every time you open your electric bill or open your fridge. You’re also seeing it with high gold prices (though they have come down a bit) as investors question their faith in the almighty Fed. Gun sales are slowing a bit, and ammo prices are off their peak as stimulus checks begin to slow. If you want a gun, you probably already have it by now or are in a holding … [Read more...]
May RAGE Gauge: America’s Gun Owners are Its Best Conservationists
UPDATE 5.27.21: David Chipman admits that he wants to ban the AR-15. WATCH: Sen. Ted Cruz gets Joe Biden’s ATF Director nominee David Chipman to admit that he wants to BAN the AR-15, the most popular rifle in America. “With respect to the AR-15, I support a ban.” pic.twitter.com/6nDgalAkRj — Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) May 26, 2021 Originally posted April 20, 2021. Here's a gun bill even a progressive can like but stands watching closely with Biden’s nominee for director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, anti-gun fanatic David Chipman. The NRA … [Read more...]
June RAGE Gauge: S&P 500 Yield Lowest In Nineteen Years
My latest RAGE Gauge™ is in, and let’s just get something straight right off the bat—a good economy does not mean a good stock market. Sure, stock prices are up thanks to government stimulus checks funding Robinhood and other brokerages’ accounts. But higher prices don’t create anything other than higher valuations. At the end of the day, increasing the “P” in Price/Earnings doesn’t do squat for earnings. The S&P 500 is at its lowest yield in 15-years and the Fed Funds rate is almost zero and is less than zero after inflation. Stocks can go up for as long as there continues to be … [Read more...]
April RAGE Gauge: Are Your Bond Funds Dead or Alive?
My April RAGE Gauge is in, and RISK remains HIGH. Therefore, I want you to be a mindful and cautious investor, especially with your “safe” money. Your anchor-to-windward savings need to be safe. I’m talking specifically about bonds. Bonds are not dead, far from it. They’re alive and well, especially if you have access to new and secondary market issues. And not just letting the chips fall as they may. Remember, bond prices swing in the opposite direction of interest rates. Their sensitivity to interest rate swings is measured by duration. As a rule of thumb, duration (measured in years) … [Read more...]
Survival: Top 10 Tactical Shotguns #4
Who needs “a semi-automatic shotgun that wants to be an AK-47 when it grows up?” Sometimes it’s not about need. Coming in at #4 on our list of the Top 10 Tactical Shotguns is the famous (infamous?) Saiga 12--a semi-automatic shotgun that wants to be an AK-47 when it grows up. Built on an AK-47 body, the Saiga, made by Izhmash, is immediately recognizable as a Russian weapon. The Saiga 12's greatest advantage is the ability to accept detachable magazines, giving it unmatched capacity. Official Description: The "Saiga-12" self-loading smooth bored shotgun is intended for … [Read more...]
February RAGE Gauge: Americans Focusing on What’s In Front of Them
You think Americans are feeling elevated risk? You wouldn't know it by looking at the stock market. But how are you doing on a local level? Are you taking small steps every day to secure your situation? You don’t have to change your world in a day. Focus on what's right in front of you. That's what's most important. Here are some thoughts looking out at my backyard: Are you seeing local prices higher or lower? Here, the price for food at the grocery store is up, while remaining pretty steady at restaurants. What isn't going up is the yield you're earning on the S&P 500. Yields are … [Read more...]
January RAGE Gauge: “THE MOST Dangerous Investing Environment in My Lifetime”
Good morning from post-winter storm Gail. Your Survival Guy is safe and sound. Not much of a snowmaker here in Newport. But the snow is pretty, especially this time of year. Let me know how you're faring in your neck of the woods. In my conversations with you, you're telling me about your own island life you've created, and I thank you for that. You're telling me you're getting lost in your reading, doing a lot of thinking, and looking forward to when your band gets back together this Spring. In the meantime, your island life is alive and well. You understand you don’t need to spend a lot … [Read more...]
Why Your Retirement Survival is No Easy Task
You know how I feel about keeping what you’ve made and perhaps working a side hustle. You Owe it to Yourself to Continue Doing What You’re Good At Keep Working, if You Can How Many “Retirees” Will Keep Working?: Some Just Won’t Stop How Many “Retirees” Will Keep Working?: Today’s Elderly Twice as Likely to Work than in 1985 Your Retirement Life: You Can Keep Working These Americans Are Never Going to Retire You also know the benefits of working with someone who can be unemotional about your money. The entire country is emotional today. My RAGE Gauge, which measures … [Read more...]
New! November Rage Gauge™ LAST CALL Before the Election
Your November Rage Gauge™ is in, and it’s at a record high, but you don’t need me to tell you that—just look around you. This week you learned Social Security’s cost of living adjustment will average about twenty bucks a month next year. You remember a time when a crisp twenty-dollar bill meant something to you. It meant I had to cut my neighbor’s lawn twice or scoop ice cream for five hours. Today you’re looked at as old-fashioned when presenting one for payment—as if cash is an inconvenience. “Just Venmo me.” What could possibly go wrong with the digitalization of the dollar? What … [Read more...]
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