Money Talks

October 2022

This Is the Key Benefit of Owning Physical Gold and Silver

October 21, 2022TradeSmith Editorial Staff

Last month I explained why many of the smartest investors I know recommend owning physical gold and silver. In short, it’s not because they’re great investments. (Precious metals often underperform traditional investment assets for significant periods.) And it’s not even because they’re great inflation hedges. (While this is true over the long run, gold and silver can sometimes underperform in inflationary environments like we’ve seen this year.) Instead, they own gold and silver because they’re historically the only assets that

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Mortgage Rates Are Just One Reason to Avoid New Housing Investments Now. Here Are a Few More.

October 14, 2022TradeSmith Editorial Staff

I warned Money Talks readers back in May that the housing market could soon be in serious trouble. Well, I’m sorry to say that trouble has now arrived. As you can see below, mortgage rates have continued to rise since that update. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Freddie Mac The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is now 6.92%. That’s up from an already high 5.3% in May and higher than any time since 2002. This combination of surging rates

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A Surprising Lesson from One of the World’s Most Successful Investors

October 7, 2022TradeSmith Editorial Staff

This week we learned that Ray Dalio is stepping down as the head of Bridgewater Associates, the huge and massively successful hedge fund he founded out of his tiny apartment in 1975. Dalio isn’t exactly a household name. But he’s a legend in the investment world and holds a special place in our hearts here at TradeSmith. That’s because he was one of the first investors to take a closer look at the shortcomings of traditional investment strategies. And what he

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September 2022

A New Financial Risk Every Family Needs to Be Aware of Now

September 30, 2022TradeSmith Editorial Staff

In 2019, Robyn King had to move her mother — who was suffering from Alzheimer’s — into a nursing home. It wasn’t a choice she was eager to make. However, with rates of dementia and other debilitating end-of-life diseases rising, it’s becoming all too common for many families. Robyn rightfully expected it to be a difficult transition. But it turned out the most traumatic aspect of the experience had nothing to do with the move itself. It wasn’t even being

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Meet TradeSmith’s Newest Expert – And the Strategy That Will Get You Through This Frightful Market

September 23, 2022TradeSmith Editorial Staff

In this week’s Money Talks, I’m doing something a little bit different. You see, instead of highlighting an idea, strategy, or opportunity related to personal finance and investing, I want to introduce you to an individual. I’m referring to Senior Analyst Jason Bodner, who officially joined the TradeSmith team this month. I mention him today for a crucial reason… Jason – an acolyte of legendary quantitative investor (or “quant”) Louis Navallier and a veteran investment professional himself – believes we’re entering a new era of stock

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Three Fundamental Metrics Every Investor Should Consider Today

September 16, 2022TradeSmith Editorial Staff

Earlier this year, I shared some simple guidelines for identifying “forever stocks.” That’s my name for high-quality businesses that are likely to survive and thrive over the long run, regardless of what happens in the markets or the economy along the way. These qualities make forever stocks fantastic long-term investments. However, they can also give you tremendous peace of mind during periods of market turmoil like we’ve experienced this year. Given the risks of further “tough sledding” in stocks, I’d like

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Do You Have This Financial ‘Disaster Insurance’ Among Your Assets?

September 9, 2022TradeSmith Editorial Staff

Many of the smartest investors I know recommend owning some gold and silver. However, they generally don’t view these precious metals positions as traditional “investments.” (Though they can certainly be great investments when purchased at the right times.) Instead, they view these positions as a type of financial “disaster insurance” that they buy and hope they never need to use. Let me explain… You’ve probably heard that precious metals are great inflation “hedges.” And that’s historically true over the long

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6 Simple Rules to Protect Yourself and Profit in a Volatile Crypto Market

September 2, 2022TradeSmith Editorial Staff

The crypto markets are unlike any other in history. Never before have ordinary investors had the opportunity to make truly life-changing gains from such relatively small investments. In fact, data shows that cryptos are actually the highest performing asset class in history, even with the recent market movements. Yet, this dramatic upside potential comes with far greater risks than you’ll find in more established, traditional assets like stocks and bonds. There are countless ways unsuspecting crypto investors can lose their

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August 2022

7 Easy and Simple Ways to Boost Your Credit Score

August 26, 2022TradeSmith Editorial Staff

Like many areas of finance, credit scores can “take the stairs up and the elevator down.” Years of hard work to improve a score can be wiped away quickly with just a few bad decisions. A colleague recently told me that she started her financial journey a bit like I did: taking out loans without much thought to the long-term impacts. She mentioned that she had worked diligently for five years to make every payment on time, build up some

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What You Don’t Know about Your Credit Score CAN Hurt You

August 19, 2022TradeSmith Editorial Staff

I despise most forms of debt. That’s because I know firsthand how easily excessive borrowing can snowball into serious financial problems. Taking on too much debt nearly ruined my life. And I’ve made it my mission to help readers avoid a similar fate (or get back on their feet if they’re already in trouble). But I’m not dogmatic… I understand that not all debt is necessarily bad, and there are times when you may want or need to borrow money.

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True Financial Freedom Starts with Something You Might Not Expect

August 12, 2022TradeSmith Editorial Staff

I’ve written a lot about the power of getting your personal finances in order. These ideas literally changed my life. For years, I had naively convinced myself that everything would just “work out” somehow. I had a great, high-paying job and was steadily climbing the corporate ladder. Why did I need to worry about saving for retirement or living within my means? But the reality is this: When you don’t take care of your finances in the present, you’re actually

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If Stock Prices Go Nowhere, Consider This ‘Investment’

August 5, 2022TradeSmith Editorial Staff

Today, I want to tell you about an exciting new investment opportunity. It is virtually guaranteed to beat the market over the long run. Yet it is also completely risk-free with zero chance of loss. And unlike many of the world’s best investment opportunities, this one isn’t limited to Wall Street insiders and the super-wealthy. Now, I know what you’re probably thinking: This opportunity sounds way too good to be true. Well, let me assure you, it is real and

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