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Investing

The Lions of Winter: Young Climbers Lost on Mt. Washington

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Your Survival Guy just finished reading The Lions of Winter by Ty Gagne, the true story of two young climbers who lost their way in extreme weather on Mt. Washington in January of 1982. The 4-days that followed changed the future of New Hampshire search and rescue. Having personally skied Mt. Washington’s Tuckerman’s Ravine a handful […]

“Survival Guy, What Do You Think About Gold Miners?”

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“Survival Guy, what do you think about gold miners?” I’m asked. “I don’t like them,” I respond. “Because there’s a liar above every hole.” Knowing whether a miner is going to strike it rich is like saying a certain stock is a sure thing. You just don’t know until you know, and that’s after, not […]

“Can You Believe This Is Happening?”

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In my conversations with you, you tell me about the conversations you’re having with people you know. You tell me you’re being asked questions like: “What are you doing with your investments?” “Can you believe this market?” “Can you believe this is happening?” And you, rather than get stuck in the weeds about cryptocurrencies and […]

“Survival Guy, How are ‘We’ Doing?”

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Your Survival Guy studies the habits of wealthy men. I know the difference between the Rich Man vs. the Poor Man, the Intelligent Investor vs. the Speculator, and the Prudent Man vs. the Careless One. In my conversations with you, especially your first one, it takes me about 17 seconds to know where you fall. […]

Got Gold? Set It and Forget It Is Hard

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A word about gold. You own it for times like these. It’s like insurance. You hope you never need it. You hope it goes down in value because typically, when it does, stocks are going up. It’s why Your Survival Guy doesn’t dedicate too much to the yellow metal, but I have plenty to keep […]

“I Don’t Understand Bonds,” Says Everybody

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“I don’t understand bonds,” says everybody. Which is a shame because bonds are a pretty nice asset to own right about now, as many of you do if you work with Your Survival Guy. But here’s the deal. When investors hear what the T-Bill is yielding, their immediate reaction isn’t “let’s buy it.” Their reaction […]

The Power of Gold

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As the purchasing power of the American dollar has declined steadily since gold convertibility ended in 1971, the purchasing power of an ounce of gold is strong. The spot price of gold closed at an all-time high of $2,989 yesterday and crossed over $3,000 an ounce in trading today. The purchasing power of gold is […]

March RAGE Gauge: “I Like to Lose Money,” Says Nobody

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“I like to lose money,” says nobody, but like clockwork, when there’s a mini correction, Wall Street and the speculators can’t believe it’s happening. Brokers’ and advisers’ phones light up with questions like “How are ‘we’ doing?” Family and friends ask, “What are you doing with your investments?” Happens every time, and it’s why you […]

“What Are You Doing with Your Investments?”

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“What are you doing with your investments?” asks everyone. They ask it of their relatives. They ask it of their friends. If you’re a regular at Your Survival Guy, you know what I’m doing. You know how much I write to you about risk tolerance: it’s usually lower than investors think. It’s like a food […]

Rich Man: Easy to Understand, Harder to Do

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You know Your Survival Guy is a proponent of the Rich Man story by the late great Richard Russell. I’ve spent a career studying investments ever since I graduated from Babson College in 1994. What I can tell you is that what is true today is what was true then. But as much as I […]