Building Wealth My friend and colleague Porter Stansberry has a great saying: "There is no teaching, only learning."
It's the kind of attitude that will keep Porter's brain sharp for years to come.
Longtime readers know I've talked many times about the importance of keeping your brain healthy. As we reach our mid-50s, our mental acuity starts to decline. Several studies point to ages 50 to 60 as the start of this decline, but a handful believe it starts even earlier. What they all agree on is simple: The earlier you take steps to keep your brain strong, the longer you'll delay any signs of decline.
I saw this recently at our subscriber dinner here in Baltimore.
In September, I hosted a group of lifetime Retirement Millionaire subscribers for dinner and drinks at a waterfront restaurant. During the evening, I had a chance to talk with some fascinating folks who all had one thing in common – a desire for lifetime learning.
One of the best ways to learn and keep your mind sharp is with financial literacy.
Studies out of Rush University used brain scans to determine that seniors who had better scores on financial literacy tests also had stronger connections between their brain regions. An earlier study also showed changes in gray matter in an area called the medial prefrontal cortex. This is the area responsible for attention and complex decisions. Folks who had less gray matter in that area of the brain also had more problems with financial tests.
A similar study in 2016 from Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California focused on these connections in particular.
When we learn and use financial education, we use different parts of our brains. Learning the material uses regions in the temporal parietal area. That's a region near the middle-back of the brain. Applying that material uses the frontal lobe of the brain. The researchers wanted to test if greater financial literacy improved the connections between these sections. What they found was that the more financially literate a person, the stronger the connections.
Reading is an excellent way to build up our brain strength. It engages several parts of the brain at once, making stronger connections. That, in turn, helps you sharpen your decision-making process.
One study from the University of Texas, Dallas, looked at the length of sustained engagement. The more engaging a class is, the more your mind works. You power through working memory, episodic memory, and reasoning. Researchers found that classes like quilting or photography boosted memory function in the participants.
Right now, we have a great learning opportunity.
You've likely heard us talking about something called the "Melt Up" for a while now. We're excited about this idea. My friend and colleague Steve Sjuggerud is the guru behind it. I've known Steve for years and share his passion for learning as much as possible about the markets.
Steve plans on sharing exactly what he sees happening in the market and how to play it tomorrow night.
Consider this your ticket to world-class investment education and research. It's a perfect way to sit back and learn about the markets, timing your investments, and more. And your teacher will be one of the best in the business.
Even if you're conservative on the market right now like I am, you can make a bet on the Melt Up and feel confident in it. Steve is saying that we may never see opportunities this good again. It's one of the biggest calls of his career. And when Steve puts his name and reputation on the line like this, he's usually right.
Make sure you're watching TOMORROW, October 24. Steve's even giving away one free recommendation that he thinks could soar by 1,000% in the next few months.
This is an event you don't want to miss. Click here to claim your seat.
What We're Reading...
- Something different: Let the sunshine in.
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
October 23, 2018