Helping you make better long-term investment decisions...

Like many of you, I am inundated with information. Most of it is not useful or repetitive. Even filtering for relevant content and source, it feels like I’m getting many times more data than even 10 years ago. Part of that is my own fault. I have “curated” a group of trusted friends who share information. I am part of several groups that interact with each other on that data. Most of it goes into the economic background or into my Outlook folders, but some of it eventually makes its way into Thoughts from the Frontline. Generally, I try to pick a theme for the week, go to the sources, and combine them into what I hope is a coherent letter.

I started in the financial publishing industry as a “temp” back in 2011. I spent my first week learning about the industry, and the writing style and routine of my assigned senior editor—the income guy.

I’ve been traveling for a week, reading and talking to a lot of readers and friends. It seems to me there is a great deal of angst in the media and newsletters and podcasts. And the more bearish you are, the greater your audience and clicks. There are so many analysts taking one or two data points and projecting a dismal outcome.

Last week, I said that my bare minimum for yield is 3.5%, and I usually look for over 4% for a long-term wealth builder. Bob wrote in to say that 3-4% won’t cut it for most retirees, and I agree 100%. But that’s not the general consensus across the internet.

Do you ever feel like you’re being steamrolled by change? Everywhere we turn, we see mind-blowing advances that make our childhood years feel like a bygone era.

Here’s a number that should get your attention: 25%.