Dear Survivor, Recently Becky and I had the pleasure of attending Babson’s Summer Reception in Newport. Hosted by Mary and Thomas Gilbane, Jr., it was an opportunity for the entire Babson community in Rhode Island to get together and speak with Babson’s new President Stephen Spinelli MBA ‘92. Spinelli as President makes this year for Babson—it’s 100th—even more special. As you may know, Babson has played a special role in our family with Becky’s dad Richard Young ’63 (a former trustee), brother Matthew Young ’92, Becky ’94, and me ’94 all graduates of the college. Seeing and … [Read more...]
Survive & Thrive August: Your Survival Guy Escapes a Heat Wave on the Tom Sawyer
Dear Survivor, You may have experienced a heat wave this summer. Ours was this weekend, all over New England with temps in the 90s and the “real feel” reaching the low 100s. It was a scorcher. There’s no beating the heat, but going out on the boat is a nice break. In the first video I’ll show you what it feels like to leave Newport at cruising speed, with Castle Hill off the port side, the Newport bridge to stern, and Jamestown, RI to starboard (pardon my finger it was hard to hold the phone). In the next video we’re approaching Mattapoisett harbor. You’ll see Ned’s Point … [Read more...]
Survive and Thrive July: FIRE! Financial Independence, Retire Early
Living Your Best Life Dear Survivor, Are you familiar with the FIRE movement? You should be, and you will be shortly. And I’m not talking about a fire where, for example, a tree falls in your backyard onto power lines, ripping them down along with a transformer and nearly burning down your house on a quiet afternoon in Newport, RI. (You can read about that here). The FIRE I’m talking about stands for—Financial Independence, Retire Early—and it’s a big-time movement especially with Millennials. Because more and more of them, are disillusioned with a life working for “the man” and not … [Read more...]
Survive & Thrive June: Your Survival Guy Goes to College
Dear Survivor, Your Survival Guy went to college recently. Actually, I went on a college tour. Our daughter is a Junior in high school and that’s what you do, right? Driving with her for a couple hours in the car was a real eye-opener, because we not only talked about college in general, but she actually asked me questions. Questions from a teenager? It was an amazing feeling. She was relying on me for the answers, and not on social media. The college search is like the 800-pound gorilla in the room, or in this case our kitchen. Have you seen the books? The “best colleges in the … [Read more...]
Survive & Thrive May: Why Stay Away When You Can Buy GNMA?
Dear Survivor, Much of your long-term investment success depends on your ability to shrug off markets. It sounds simple, but is hard to do. Sell in May and go away? Not me. Why risk missing dividend and interest payments, especially when Vanguard GNMA, by example, is a consistent income producer through thick and thin? In this record-breaking market, I want you to consider the future of long-term investing, the economy, and what you want to do with your hard-earned money. Take action, because at the end of the day your retirement life is all about my favorite three letters: Y.O.U. A Record … [Read more...]
Survive and Thrive April: Is an EMP Attack Imminent?
In March, President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to identify the threats posed by an electromagnetic pulse (EMP)—believed to be potentially dangerous to critical infrastructure like the electric grid (understatement to be kind)—and find ways to guard against them. As you have read right here we’ve been sounding the alarm for years. Boom—Your Life Changes EMP Threat: Be Prepared EMP Technology in the Hands of Terrorists EMP Attack: When the Lights go Out SCADA Vulnerable to Cyber Attack and EMPs Is Your Data Protected from EMP? Nukes, … [Read more...]
Survive and Thrive March: Do You Have What it Takes to be a Great One?
My March Rage Gauge: Take Inventory of Your Investment Life My March Rage Gauge is in, and it feels like the calm before the storm. Does that mean the market will have a huge downward correction this year? Like I’ve written to you in the past, I’m not in the prediction business. Because for you to be a great investor, you need to put together multiple seasons of investing and then maybe you’ll be able to look back and say: “Well, I wouldn’t want to do that again, but we made it.” Let me explain. All of us have a pretty good feel for what’s going on today. Interest rates aren’t moving, the … [Read more...]
Survive and Thrive February: Rush’s “YYZ” and Triangle in the Percussion Section
Dear Reader, You know the triangle is a special instrument. It’s small, yet important. Like the cherry on a sundae. It has a place. But when you’re a drummer in a high school band and you see the sheet music for the Nutcracker and you’re playing the triangle you know it might be a light day. That’s why anyone in a high school band around Christmas in the early 1980s might be familiar with the sound of the all-important triangle not from Tchaikovsky but from the band Rush and their song “YYZ.” If you know the song, then you can hear the beginning right now: Drummer Neil Peart … [Read more...]
The Shutdown’s Real Lesson: Too much of Economy Hostage to Government
“The problem with the shutdown is not that President Trump is holding the government ‘hostage,’ as House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said, but that the government has taken hostage of too much of the U.S. economy,” writes Chris Edwards editor of www.DownsizingGovernment.org at the Cato Institute, a Washington, DC.,-based think tank focused on limited government. When security at the nation’s 450 commercial airports depends on the government—a shutdown matters explains Edwards pointing out that a spokesman for the TSA screener’s union said this Tuesday: “Some of [my members] have already quit … [Read more...]
Does Your Investment Advisor Take Legal Kickbacks behind Your Back?
When you seek investment council be sure you work with an investment boutique that’s required by law to act as your fiduciary. Ask the question: “Are you required by law to act as my fiduciary.” Do not accept any answer other than Y-E-S. Because too many professionals in this industry put themselves out there as “Investment Advisors” or “Financial Advisor” when in reality they are neither. In order to legally call yourself an investment advisor you are required to act as a fiduciary. So called “advisors” working for big Wall Street firms are not required by law to be your … [Read more...]