Ask Doc "Don't change the Friday issues!"
We've gotten a lot of feedback on whether readers like our Friday Q&A issues. The response was an overwhelming "yes."
And we got a huge wave of questions over the past week. So we'll get straight to answering as many as we can.
As always, keep sending us your questions, comments, and criticisms. We appreciate every e-mail we get.
Q: I know, as you have talked about before, that eating white potatoes is not healthy. In some grocery stores you can now buy purple potatoes. I was just wondering whether they are any better for you. Thanks. – J.
A: When I'm eating potatoes, I avoid white potatoes and go for either sweet potatoes or purple/blue potatoes.
Purple potatoes contain an antioxidant, known as anthocyanin, that can lower inflammation, reducing your risk of heart disease and cancer. Many big chain stores don't carry purple potatoes. But you can find them at Whole Foods or gourmet-food stores. I like to grill mine sliced (like a chip), brushed with a little olive oil, and sprinkled with fresh rosemary.
You can use them in recipes calling for russets. I've also mashed them with garlic and eaten the skins... They're fantastic.
Sweet potatoes are another choice if you want to avoid white potatoes. Sweet potatoes are loaded with potassium, vitamin A, and fiber.
When it comes to fries, I'll choose sweet potato fries over regular French fries any day. I keep a bag of sweet potato chips in my office when I want a crunchy snack. There's no added salt, so all you get is the natural salt in the potato (which helps keep me from eating too many).
In my Big Book of Retirement Secrets, I talk about this and 46 more ways to protect and improve your health. Click here to get your copy.
Q: I recently sold a put option (that I learned from you – thank you!) that expired 4 cents above the strike price, so I did not have to purchase the shares. But it got me thinking... what if the share price closes exactly on the strike price at expiration? Do I still get put the shares? – D.D.
A: Congrats on your success selling a put option! Many investors are nervous when it comes to selling options, but once they get started, they see how simple it is. (For readers who want to learn about the power of selling put options, don't miss my issue, "Boost Your Returns by Learning Greek.")
If the stock is exactly where the strike is, there's no guarantee what would happen. You could be assigned shares, or your put could expire worthless. If the put buyer decides to exercise shares early, it's essentially a lottery to see who gets assigned shares.
If that were to happen, you could hold your shares and sell calls against them to collect more income. Or you could just sell your shares. Remember, by selling a put, the premium that you collect gives you a margin of safety that regular stock investors simply don't have.
I'd recommend talking to your broker about the likelihood and ask what you could do in that situation.
Q: In today's e-mail you answered that shingles can reoccur 60% of the time. But when I went to your link on shingles Q&As it said only 6%. That is a huge difference. Which is correct? – T.M.
A: Thanks for pointing out our mistake. We had a couple other sharp-sighted readers notice this as well. The correct number is 6%.
We apologize for the error. Please let us know if you spot something that looks wrong. And thank you for keeping us in line.
Q: What are the health benefits of colloidal silver? I read there are different kinds e.g. ionic and non-ionic and that they act in different ways to support your immune system. – A.V.
A: Colloidal silver is silver particles suspended in liquid.
You'll find bottles of colloidal silver with claims that it boosts your immune system. Some bottles also say the liquid is nontoxic.
However, consuming too much colloidal silver will not only turn your skin blue, it can lead to kidney damage and seizures. And it's regularly ranked on Consumer Reports' list of dangerous supplements and ingredients.
I don't recommend it. Instead, eat antioxidant-rich foods like blueberries, ginger, and olive oil.
The holiday season is getting closer. Are you already planning? What are your best tips for surviving the holidays? Share them with us at [email protected].
What We're Reading...
- Something different: This is what a dinosaur's fossilized brain tissue looks like.
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Retirement Millionaire Daily Research Team
Baltimore, Maryland
October 28, 2016
|
Retirement Trader Hot Off the Press Did you read it? I just sent out the latest issue of Retirement Trader – my high-end options-trading service. In it, I explain how you can always get the right prices on your option trades... and I detail how we can make 13.9% on an "old dinosaur" company... It's growing revenue, giving more back to shareholders, and it has beaten earnings estimates for the past 23 quarters. That's no dinosaur. If you're already a Retirement Trader subscriber, thanks for your subscription and please make sure you read the latest issue on our website right here. And if you're not a subscriber yet, you can join right here. |