OK, Your Survival Guy wishes retirement planning were a one-size-fits-all endeavor. It’s not. Because when you say, “Honey, I think it’s time I retire,” the response you receive may not be the one you expected. All those years you pulled the plow, dreaming of retirement, you envisioned how you’d ride off into the sunset to […]

“Honey, I Think It’s Time I Retire:” Part 2
E.J. Smith

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted unanimously to keep the federal funds rate unchanged at 3.5%–3.75%, signaling a continued wait-and-see approach to monetary policy. The Federal Reserve noted that the US economy is growing steadily, supported by strong productivity and investment, and that employment remains stable. However, inflation is still above the 2% target, […]

Federal Reserve Signals Cautious Stance as Rates Remain on Hold
Dick Young

Natural gas production in the Permian Basin has grown much faster than oil, rising 60% from 2021 to 2025 compared with a 39% increase in crude oil. This is mainly due to a rising gas-to-oil ratio (GOR), meaning more gas is produced per barrel of oil as reservoirs decline in pressure over time, according to […]

Natural Gas Outpaces Oil Growth in the Permian Basin Through 2025
Dick Young

A major rebound in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is underway after a US–Iran interim peace deal, with stranded oil tankers and LNG carriers beginning to move out of the Gulf for the first time in months. Several supertankers—including Saudi, Qatari, Emirati, and Iranian-linked vessels—have resumed transit, signaling a partial reopening of one of […]

Supertankers Return to Strait of Hormuz
Young Research

Ships are facing major fuel shortages and delays due to tensions in the Middle East, which are disrupting global shipping routes and bunker fuel supply chains. Vessels are waiting up to two weeks or diverting long distances to refuel, with key ports like Singapore and Fujairah experiencing shortages, higher prices, and reduced fuel quality. Shipping […]

Middle East Tensions Trigger Fuel Chaos Across Major Shipping Ports
Young Research

“Honey, I think it’s time I retire,” you said, thinking it would be received as the good news you believed it would be. “What are you going to do all day?” she replied. And so, the conversations about Your Retirement Life begin. Allow me to intervene if you will. These are not easy conversations. They’re […]

“Honey, I Think It’s Time I Retire:” Part 1
E.J. Smith

In 1929, Dow Jones spun out utilities from its main index and created the Dow Jones Utilities Average Index. The original components of the average were: American & Foreign Power American Gas & Electric Co. American Power & Light Co. American Telephone & Telegraph American Water Works & Electric Co. Brooklyn Union Gas Columbia Gas […]

The Evolution of the Dow Jones Utilities Average Index
Dick Young

In the first five months of 2026, utility-scale solar generation in California’s CAISO grid exceeded natural gas for the first time, rising 21% compared with 2024, while natural gas generation fell 60%. Solar supplied more electricity than gas on 82% of days, reflecting a rapid shift in the state’s power mix, reports the US Energy […]

Solar and Storage Boom Reshapes California’s Electricity System
Dick Young

The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Oil Market Report (June 2026) highlights a global oil market transitioning from tight supply conditions toward a potential surplus later in the decade, driven by recovering Middle East output, shifting demand patterns, and expanding non-OPEC supply. In the short term, the report notes that oil markets remain relatively tight as […]

IEA Warns Oil Market Heading Toward Future Surplus
Dick Young

The United States is seeking to reunify Libya by brokering a power-sharing agreement between the rival governments in the east and west. The plan, led by Massad Boulos, aims to create a unified government, consolidate state institutions, and attract foreign investment, particularly in the oil sector, according to the Financial Times. The proposal would reportedly […]

US Pursues Power-Sharing Agreement to Unlock Libya’s Oil Potential
Young Research

Speaking ahead of the G7 summit, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen outlined priorities, including global economic imbalances, Ukraine, the Middle East, energy security, and artificial intelligence. She warned that Europe’s record €360 billion trade deficit with China is unsustainable and called for stronger domestic manufacturing, diversified supply chains, and coordinated action […]

G7 Agenda Centers on Ukraine, Middle East Stability, and Global Trade
Young Research

You know states are taking sides in a war over taxes. Many red states are racing to lower taxes as far as possible, while blue states seem set in a competition to raise them the highest. Well, Rhode Island has implemented a major new tax on millionaires, placing it in the top tier of progressive-taxation […]

“Pay A Little More”
E.J. Smith

In 2001, I wrote about Ben Graham and his Margin of Safety: Creating Wealth Through the Power of Compound Growth Ben Graham, 1894-1976… Warren Buffett has referred to Benjamin Graham’s The Intelligent Investor as “by far the best book on investing ever written.” John Train, a former super Forbes columnist, wrote, “Graham ranks as this […]

Ben Graham: Margin of Safety
Dick Young

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that US import prices rose 1.9% in May 2026, following a 2.0% increase in April, driven by higher fuel and nonfuel import costs. Export prices increased 1.3%, marking their sixth consecutive monthly gain. Key points: Import prices were up 6.7% year-over-year, the largest annual increase since 2022. Fuel […]

US Import Prices Jump 1.9% in May as Energy Costs Surge
Dick Young

Bloomberg reports that Qatar is preparing to quickly ramp up liquefied natural gas (LNG) production once the Strait of Hormuz fully reopens, with plans to restore about 50% of capacity within one month and roughly 80% within two months. The rapid recovery plan reflects QatarEnergy’s efforts to stabilize exports after months of disruption caused by […]

Qatar Plans Fast LNG Production Restart After Hormuz Reopens
Dick Young

The UK government is considering easing its electric vehicle (EV) sales mandate by allowing more hybrid vehicles to be sold through 2030. Under the proposal, fully electric cars could account for 50% of new vehicle sales by the end of the decade, down from the current 80% target, with hybrids making up the rest, the […]

Britain May Cut 2030 EV Sales Requirement to 50%
Young Research

The US Department of Energy announced a $1.6 billion loan for a Michigan energy project to upgrade aging infrastructure and lower energy costs for residents. The funding will support improvements to electric or natural gas systems—depending on the utility involved—by modernizing equipment, reducing maintenance issues, and improving overall grid reliability. According to the DOE, the […]

US Energy Department Funds Major Grid Upgrade to Lower Bills
Young Research

Risk, it means different things to different people. If you value your family. If you value keeping your family safe and properly sheltered, then the word risk isn’t something you take lightly. And yet when asked about money and investing objectively or for one’s objectives, it’s often phrased as something like: “I want capital appreciation […]

Risk
E.J. Smith

The United States and Iran announced an interim peace deal after nearly four months of conflict, according to the WSJ. Mediated by Pakistan, the agreement is expected to be formally signed later this week and includes an end to military operations and steps to ease trade and shipping restrictions. The deal also begins negotiations over […]

US and Iran Move Toward Long-Term Peace Accord
Dick Young

USA Rare Earth has finalized agreements with the US Department of Commerce that provide access to up to $1.6 billion in funding, including $277 million in federal incentives and $1.3 billion in CHIPS Act loan capacity. The funding will support the company’s strategy to build a fully integrated U.S. rare-earth supply chain spanning mining, processing, […]

USA Rare Earth Advances America’s Mine-to-Magnet Strategy
Young Research