Your Survival Guy

Preparing your investments and family for when disaster strikes.

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Cut the Wait Times at Fidelity and Vanguard with Your Survival Guy

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Investing in a chaotic world isn’t easy. You hope you’re doing the right thing. But hope is not a strategy. When I talk with investors like you on the phone, you’re telling me about the hours-long waits you’re enduring with custodians from Charles Schwab to Vanguard and, yes, even Fidelity. The phone tree is alive and NOT well. That’s unfortunate because you deserve more.

Life Comes at You Fast. Slow It Down with My Friday Email. It’s Free.

If you’ve been with me through thick and thin, then you know the plan. You’re hunkered down collecting dividends and interest, in other words, getting paid to be in this market. If you’re not with me, I have no idea what you’re doing. Hunkering down? Hoping some positions will rebound?

Investing is not getting easier, especially with the social crusaders voting your shares as if they’re your political leader. I’m hearing, because you tell me, about consolidating with Fidelity. But let’s not confuse investing with Fidelity with investing with Your Survival Guy at Fidelity. They’re not the same.

If you want the white glove service, I think you know which way I favor. As more and more assets are consolidated with the big players, more pressure builds up on their service model. It’s a pressure cooker. And it’s times like these where you deserve someone working on your behalf who knows the system. No one deserves to spend hours on hold.

Action Line: The phone tree is alive and not well as wait times build. Cut down the phone tree. Don’t waste your day on hold. Your time is a most precious commodity. Give me a call. But only if you’re serious.

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E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy

E.J. Smith is Founder of YourSurvivalGuy.com, Managing Director at Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd., a Managing Editor of Richardcyoung.com, and Editor-in-Chief of Youngresearch.com. His focus at all times is on preparing clients and readers for “Times Like These.” E.J. graduated from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with a B.S. in finance and investments. In 1995, E.J. began his investment career at Fidelity Investments in Boston before joining Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd. in 1998. E.J. has trained at Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, NH. His first drum set was a 5-piece Slingerland with Zildjians. He grew-up worshiping Neil Peart (RIP) of the band Rush, and loves the song Tom Sawyer—the name of his family’s boat, a Grady-White Canyon 306. He grew up in Mattapoisett, MA, an idyllic small town on the water near Cape Cod. He spends time in Newport, RI and Bartlett, NH—both as far away from Wall Street as one could mentally get. The Newport office is on a quiet, tree lined street not far from the harbor and the log cabin in Bartlett, NH, the “Live Free or Die” state, sits on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest. He enjoys spending time in Key West (RIP JB) and Paris. Please get in touch with E.J. at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com To sign up for my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter, click here.

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