Dear Survivor, It’s foggy this morning, but the light coming from my daughter’s bedroom is bright because she’s away on a trip, and her door is wide open. It’s heartbreaking walking down the stairs knowing this is what it will feel like when she leaves for college. Every step I feel the weight of: did I spend enough time with her, will she be ok on her own, is she happy, what will her life be like now? It’s heavy. That’s being a parent. Your kids grow up and leave you, then you have grandchildren, they visit, they leave, and it’s the same feeling all over again. And you say to … [Read more...]

Dear Survivor, Your Survival Guy was recently asked how I would protect my family if a gang showed up at my door (answer below), which leads me to wonder: Where you live may never be more important. Elon Musk has had it with California. Put me in jail, he says, but don’t think I’m letting my business die without a fight. How hard would it be for you to move to a Red state? I’m not saying you do it now, but in prep for the next unforeseen event you might want to think about it. Would being in a Red state improve your situation? We might find out, as guys like Musk take Blue states … [Read more...]

Dear Survivor, What will the response be for Covid-20 or some other deadly virus down the road? Imagine what it will be like when there are opposing views within families, never mind on the county, state, and country levels. Let’s begin with investing. Guess which area has done well. Companies that offer stuff people need, such as consumer staples—specifically dividend payers with a history of increasing them. Compare a tech app on your iPhone you can delete with a swipe of your finger. How about relationships? When your spouse has a check-list before anyone enters the house, never … [Read more...]

Dear Survivor, You’ve known for some time now that for many Americans today the “American Dream” is simply that, a dream. You’ve instinctively known this. It was in your gut. If you haven’t, hopefully you’ll seek out the peace of mind and safety you deserve when the coast is clear. That may be a while. You know I’ve been a big supporter of the message Tucker Carlson’s been making on his show each night, that we need an American Dream (my words) that is open to Americans. When I was in college, globalism dominated discussions about the future. In hindsight I wonder, how has that … [Read more...]

Dear Survivor, Who loves a market rattling pandemic more than CNBC? It’s a ratings bonanza allowing them to fill the airwaves with 24/7 fear, and when there isn’t a pandemic, they fill it up with fast money greed—sell, sell, sell, buy, buy, buy. Same old tune, different day. Imagine if you could get away from it all and take a deep breath (while drinking plenty of water to keep the coronavirus out of your lungs). No one knows what the coronavirus is going to do to the markets over the short-term. What we do know is, it’s causing plenty of investors (not you of course) to be … [Read more...]

Dear Survivor, After decades of urbanization, Americans are beginning to rebel against the "bigger is better" mentality of city-living. Seeking a smaller, more affordable, sustainable, and secure lifestyle, some are venturing out from the mega-cities in search of a different life. A number of techniques have become popular in an effort to save, especially scaling down the size of one's home. Living small and saving big is even better when it's coupled with living in a state that treats you more like a human than an ATM machine it can withdraw money from. Carey L. Biron explains this … [Read more...]

Dear Survivor, How well are you securing your cash and valuables? Do you have a safe at home? A safe is an obvious choice for convenience, but unless you have serious security, you wouldn't want to leave major wealth sitting unattended while you're at the office or on vacation. You need a better option. The obvious choice for most is a safe deposit box. That is the route an increasing number of the world's wealthiest are taking. Disasters like the wildfires and hurricanes that have hit the United States in recent years have made securing wealth an urgent endeavor in the minds of many. … [Read more...]

Dear Survivor, This is one of my favorite investment pieces by the late Richard Russell: Rich Man, Poor Man By Richard Russell The most popular piece I’ve published in 40 years of writing these Letters was entitled, “Rich Man, Poor Man.” I have had dozens of requests to run this piece again or for permission to reprint it for various business organizations. Making money entails a lot more than predicting which way the stock or bond markets are heading or trying to figure which stock or fund will double over the next few years. For the great majority of investors, making money … [Read more...]

Dear Survivor, I’ve been working with Dr. Lee for 16-years. He was only 53 when he became a client. Even back then he was the millionaire next door. But for about two weeks of every month, he doesn’t have any neighbors. That is unless you happen to have a cabin on Kodiak Island, Alaska. Even then you probably won’t see each other. Overlooking the water, his cabin is a fly cast away from world-class King Salmon fishing. He loves to fish. He also loves to share his knowledge and to keep learning. Before he retired he would sharpen his professional axe teaching university students … [Read more...]

Dear Survivor, If you want to see Jay Leno’s home in Newport, RI all you have to do is leave my office, turn on to Bellevue Avenue and head out to Ocean Drive, and you’ll see it right there on the water. “Leno and his wife first admired the house around 30 years ago, when he was in Rhode Island for a standup gig,” explains Fred Albert in Newport Life. “In 2017, the couple drove by it again — only this time, they stopped. ‘Let’s see if it’s for sale,’ Leno said, taking advantage of a departing gardener to slip through the open gate and drive up to the front door, where a caretaker greeted … [Read more...]