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Q: I recently switched from low fat vanilla yogurt to plain yogurt. I mix a few teaspoons with some fruit and eat it after dinner. I finally decided the vanilla yogurt was just too sweet. But the plain yogurt is just too plain. So I tried adding a little cinnamon and that was better. Then I had an idea of adding a little brown sugar and that's the ticket. Now my question is I know you do not recommend highly processed white foods like white sugar but what about brown sugar? Is it less processed than white and therefore better for us? – J.T.
A: This is a popular question – is brown sugar better than white sugar? The answer is no. Brown sugar is nothing more than white, processed sugar with molasses added back to it. And even though molasses contains some beneficial nutrients (like potassium), the amounts you'd get are so small, they're negligible.
I like to use honey as a natural sweetener... but only raw honey, so I can get the antioxidants from it. Cinnamon is a great addition to yogurt and good for your blood sugar. You can also try some chopped-up dates – they're naturally very sweet and rich in antioxidants and fiber.
Q: I have a question about position sizing. You have mentioned 4% as the guideline for the maximum percentage of one's portfolio that it is advisable to invest in one stock. Does that apply to closed-end funds? They trade as stocks but are mutual funds. The 4% was mentioned in a discussion of PEY recently but it seems to me that they are a different animal than a regular stock. – A.S.
A: For most funds, I'd recommend no more than 5% of your portfolio in any one fund. While funds do offer instant diversification, it's not always enough. Invesco High Yield Equity Dividend Achievers Fund (PEY) gives you better diversification than buying an individual stock, but nearly 50% of PEY's holdings are in the consumer defense and communication services sectors.
Remember that you don't want to just diversify among stocks, but you also want to diversify across sectors, assets, and even countries.
And there's a closed-end fund out there for just about every type of investment – from bonds to options to international stocks, and most everything in between.
I like to see highly diversified funds. Generally, no single holding should ever make up more than 2% of a CEF's portfolio.
For example, if one sector crashes, like Internet stocks, we only want a stock-holding CEF that has less than 2% exposure to those stocks.
Similarly, for bond funds, if one bond defaults, you won't be wiped out if it's only 2% of your fund. Diversified holdings are like insurance for your investment.
But again, it's rare to find a fund that would have the right diversification you need. So to keep your money safe, limit your exposure to around 5% of your portfolio.
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Q: Hey Doc, I'm a longtime Retirement Millionaire reader. I came across your report on the best places to retire and wondered if you'd be updating it anytime soon. My wife and I are starting to look at where we want to retire. – S.G.
A: We've had a number of readers ask us to update this report. We're putting the finishing touches on it. This is the most comprehensive report on the best states to retire... new data categories, even more details on the states, and locations throughout the U.S. so you can find someplace close to you. If you're getting ready to retire, or want to find a great place to live without breaking the bank, this is a must read.
We'll alert Retirement Millionaire subscribers when the report is ready.
- Did you miss it? Your cellphone is destroying your eyesight.
- Something different: Does Earth have mini-moons?
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
August 17, 2018