In the old days, criminals had to bring their loot to a "fence," someone who could launder the stolen goods and sell them. Nowadays, thieves just sell their stolen wares online, oftentimes on sites you know and use, like Amazon, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and Ebay. Now big retailers are trying to dry up the market for stolen goods by pushing Congress to pass the INFORM for Consumers Act. The Post Millennial reports: In a letter addressed to Senate and House leaders on Thursday, the Retail Industry Leaders Association urged Congress to pass legislation protecting buyers from illicit … [Read more...]
Island Life
In times like these, your safety tops the retirement survival checklist.
If you can live on an island (Newport, Key West for example) do it. Islands can be easily defended, period. Your island doesn’t need to be surrounded by water. I like the idea of a cul de sac or some high elevation retreat. You get the point: Easily defendable and easy to shut down access.
Making the thugs think twice is the point. They aren’t looking for “hard” targets.
If you own a waterfront home, or a mountain retreat, or some land with a barn not too far from the city, then you know their values are going up. I’m seeing it here in coastal Newport at every turn with license plates from NY, NJ, MA, and CT filling the streets—the secret’s out. But most have been dreaming about the “lifestyle” for years. They just needed a push to get in the game.
Read more about finding the "Island Life" in the posts below.
Your Survival Guy’s Fishing Stories: From Key West to Newport
One special night in Key West, dining at the fabulous Café Marquesa, I was told actor Michael Keaton was seated behind me. Turning around, I instantly recognized that he was, sidled my chair next to his, put my arm around his shoulders, ordered a round of drinks, and told him he was, hands down, my favorite Batman. Kidding. I’m Your Survival Guy, not The Joker, thank you. But, I will admit, leaving the Marquesa, we took a left on to Simonton Street to confirm the sighting. And as I casually glanced into the dining room, sure enough, there was Batman. Fast forward two years now, and here I … [Read more...]
Your Retirement Life: Living in Vacation Destinations
Here’s a problem that’s not going away—the cost of living in certain vacation destinations is prohibitively expensive. I see this in Newport as well as Key West. When there’s no place for workers to live, what happens to the service industry? When the Fed pumps too much money into the system inflation is the natural result. And when million-dollar houses and then some, are selling sight unseen, there’s too much money in the system. How is that good for places you like to visit or live? It’s not. Read about Newport's housing problems here from Bethany Brunelle of The Newport Daily … [Read more...]
An Island of Freedom Where You’d Least Expect It
If you’re looking for the island life, consider my favored liberty retirement state of New Hampshire, which sits on an island of freedom surrounded by tax-hungry blues states of the Northeast. As a fair disclosure, my family owns a log cabin in the White Mountains of NH and we're looking forward to spending time there over Thanksgiving. Once you start thinking about your retirement life, you quickly realize you deserve to keep more of what you earned or to live free or die in a place where you’re looked upon as a resident, not a piggy bank. Here's a list of small towns in New Hampshire … [Read more...]
Can We Still Afford the Riverboat Cruise?
Are you falling for the oldest trick in the book? Here’s how it reads. Managers today draw you in with low-cost index funds and past performance—not necessarily in that order. Then, once you’re in the door, they sell you on other stuff, like toxic variable annuities, until you’re blue in the face. It’s hard not to fall for the sales pitch. I get it. Here’s what happens. It’s Sunday morning. You don’t have a care in the world. Frank Sinatra is playing in the background. Life is good. Then you peel open the quarterly funds report in the Journal and look at the performance like a box score … [Read more...]
Am I Communicating With a Scammer?
The internet and inexpensive digital communications have led to a proliferation of scams via text, email, cell phones, and other forms of communication. Unfortunately, you're not always prepared to be assailed by someone attempting to steal your money or personal information. You need to prepare yourself mentally by knowing the signs of a scam BEFORE ahead of time. Bank of America has put together a good list of "Red Flags," for you to think about. They write: The most common types of scams will target you through fake emails, text messages, voice calls, letters or even someone who shows … [Read more...]
Will Businesses Even Want to Move Back to NY?
You have seen what Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill DeBlasio have done to New York State and New York City. Cuomo's COVID response, lauded early on, was exposed as a complete debacle. And DeBlasio has allowed crime to skyrocket in the Big Apple. Despite such terrible performance from public officials, New Yorkers are asked to pay some of the nation's highest taxes. Now Governor Cuomo is asking businesses to return to the state. Fox Business reports: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is calling for companies to end remote work and bring staff back to the office by Labor Day in order to support … [Read more...]
Mask Theater Returns for an Encore Performance at the Capitol
Four months ago Sen. Rand Paul debated Dr. Anthony Fauci on the merits of "mask theater" for people who had received the vaccination. Watch the exchange between Paul and Fauci: Shortly afterward, the CDC seemed to concede Paul's point of view and allowed vaccinated people to go without masks, including at the nation's Capitol. Now, masks are returning to at least the House of Representatives side of the Capitol, even for those who have been vaccinated. The Daily Mail reports: Face masks are again required in the House of Representatives for all lawmakers, staff and reporters - … [Read more...]
Your Survival Guy: Boats and Your Island Life
Your Survival Guy's looking forward to getting out on the boat this weekend, cruising from Newport, RI, to visit family in Mattapoisett, MA. You know I advise the island life for you because it's the island life I love for me. I eat my own cooking. That being said, thank you for sticking around. I know you might be getting sick of hearing from me every single day. It's a bit much, even for me, hearing from Your Survival Guy. It's like, "OK, enough already." Here's the deal, Your Survival Guy's boating so far this summer? Zippo. It's my fault. Sure, I can blame it on the rain, but when is … [Read more...]
MLB’s Political Activism Doesn’t Extend to Cuban Freedom
Magor League Baseball had no problem embroiling itself in the political conflict surrounding Georgia's new voting law earlier this year, but can't seem to find time to mention any support for the freedom of Cubans currently suffering under the island's communist regime. This, despite MLB's many Cuban players and fans. The league is an influential institution on the island, and its support for those demonstrating for freedom could actually help. Stephen L. Miller discusses MLB's failure to speak up on Spectator World, writing: Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game was never supposed to be … [Read more...]
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