A question I get from time-to-time is “If you are so down on the stock market and economy where do you put your money?”

Well, that’s assuming we have any money! Truth be told…we have a very small amount in an emergency fund. Most of our assets, if you want to call them that, are the glamstead, rolling stock, and some misc. storage items. But as I said, we have a small emergency fund. It is spread out in a top tier mutual fund company…(I’ve included the top corporate holdings in each fund for additional information).

Before I share this information understand this…I am no professional, no advisor, no consultant, no nothing. This is only telling you what we’ve done, nothing else, nothing more.

Our emergency fund:

• 30% cash
  • ½ in a market fund paying 3.5%
  • ½ in a gov’t securities fund paying 3.5%
• 17% in a Semiconductor fund (returns: 30% 5yr / 30% 10yr)
  • NVIDA
  • Broadcom
  • Marvel Technology
  • Mictron Technology
• 13% in a Communications fund (returns: 15% 5yr / 16% 10yr)
  • Alphabet
  • META
  • Amazon
  • ATT
  • Netflix
• 13% in a Defense and Aerospace fund (returns: 18% 5yr / 15% 10yr)
  • GE Aerospace
  • Boeing
  • RTX
  • Howmet
  • Heico
  • General Dynamics
• 10% in Blue Chip fund (returns: 15% 5yr / 20% 10yr)
  • NVIDA
  • Apple
  • Alphabet
  • Amazon
  • Microsoft
  • META
• 17% in a Gold fund (returns: 17% 5yr / 18% 10yr)
  • Agnico Mines
  • Newmont
  • Franco-Nevada
  • Weaton
  • Anglogold

Let me share this little bit of information…we look over the emergency fund at the end of each year and re also review our goals for it as well. Then we make adjustments accordingly. This year was a total adjustment. We had been in a S&P500 index fund which is normally a very safe bet over decades. But, my wife and I realized we no longer have decades left. So we wanted to realign our fund to our needs.

How did I come to those choices?

First off I wanted to go with a fund manager/company that was in the top 10; I choose in the top 7. I didn’t choose Blackrock for a number of reasons…basically they are not a company I want to do business with, same with JPMorgan and Charles Schwab. Just my personal preference…based on who/what those companies are. Oh, why in the top 10? Because I know the markets are manipulated. And who do you think helps manipulate those markets? Yup, everyone one of those top 10. So, I wanted to ride their coat tails.

Next I wanted good returns…not high risk & stratosphere returns. So I figured to look at 10-year return to show they have a track record and consistency. And then 5-year return to show they can maneuver in the markets. I could have chosen to look at much longer term returns but I thought those funds might be stuck in a rut and not as flexible.

Along with returns I wanted to choose “categories” of stocks, “industries” would be another way to put it. Those choices were based on what I see in the world today and where we are probably headed. We need technology and communication in this technology driven world for the foreseeable future. And we are always good for military action, if not outright war, here in the US. So, I chose; Communications, Semiconductor, and Defense & Aerospace. Then a blue chip fund for conservatism. And of course a gold fund to hedge all the others. For “cash” I chose a combination of a regular money market fund and a government securities fund. Both are returning the same so I guess it didn’t really matter. Supposedly gov’t securities are safer.

If you look at the spread, you can see I am hedging my bet. I know the economy and markets will crash…but I don’t know when. Until then I want our money to grow as much as possible…within reasonable risk. I look at technology as nothing but a growth area. And defense (war machine) will always prosper. So I choose those general areas. And then the gold aspect is to hedge all of that. And the cash part plays an important role…if we need some cash real quick and the market is suffering, we don’t have to take a forced lost redeeming shares in a down fund. That’s if we can’t cover the “cash” need out of pocket.

To be honest & fair…I may have made a mistake the “gold” portion of the portfolio. Since our review came at the end of the year (2025) and gold was already up about 70%…it may head down…since that is what gold does…fluctuates with current events. But, based on dismal outlook both globally and domestically for 2026…gold might do just fine. We’ll have to see…at least the portfolio is balanced to some degree.

Just to give you and idea…as of 1/13/2026 the funds are up from .8 – 7.5% since 12/26/2025 (18 days). That is the kind of growth we are looking for! Now, reality says that won’t be the same kind of performance all year…but remember, it is a “hedge”. We don’t depend on it. And if everything crashes then we still have the glamstead. In the meantime, the stock side of things might just grow 15 – 30% this year. Yeah…that would be nice…really nice. Might help buy a 4k HD color TV in the old folks home when the time comes.

Back to the glamstead (hard, non-liquid asset)…We are mortgage free, our own well, our own power, and food production capability. We have an orchard; apples, peaches, cherries, and fig trees. We have a berry patch; raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries. We have about 400sq’ of raised bed garden boxes, 90’ of rows for squash & melons, and 40’ of row for Anasazi beans. Then in a pinch we have about 5000sq’ of grass yard with decent amended soil that I could convert to garden space in ½ day of tractor work.

So why do I share all the info about the food production capability of the glamstead? Because there is monetary value in it. As well as an emergency way to feed ourselves and others. And that is a true asset.

One last tidbit…my truck is 25 years old, my wife’s SUV is 29 years old. Why does that matter? We aren’t caught up in flashy or new vehicles…both vehicles run just fine with no payments and we have low insurance premiums on both due to their age.

So there you go…that’s “where we put our money”…and it suits us just fine. If you are really wondering where to put your money…well, that depends entirely on where/what your priorities are…then matching your money/investments to those priorities.

Oh, yeah…then work your butt off.

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