Investing for the Zombie Apocalypse

Today I have a special, Halloween-inspired episode of the podcast that comes to you thanks to a listener question. Here's what my listener Jana asked:"I listen to several other personal finance podcasts and read finance blogs, and as far as I can tell, no one has tackled this topic. I'm not sure how to phrase it in a way that doesn't sound crazy, but here it goes. How do you balance simultaneously preparing for a traditional retirement and also balance simultaneously preparing for a zombie apocalypse?Okay, I know that is actually crazy, I don't really think there will be zombies, but seriously though, what if our banking systems collapse or there is a successful attack on electronic data? After all, our money is really only numbers on a computer screen that we trust banks to maintain. What if that's all wiped out? Don't get me wrong, I don't think this scenario is likely, but I like to plan for all possibilities. Can the stock market completely collapse? I don't see why it couldn't.In my circle of friends, topics like which ETFs to buy, Roth vs. Traditional IRAs and credit card churning don't come up, but the possibility of society's ultimate collapse does, with surprising regularity and vigor."To answer Jana's questions and help her and her friends prepare for all possibilities, I enlisted my friends Matt Reiner and Eddie Goepp from Wela and what resulted is probably one of my favorite podcasts to date.

What are we drinking?

Eddie - Old Fashioned

Matt - Manhattan

Shannon - True Blood Cocktail

Podcast Notes:

  • We discuss what assets would be valuable if a zombie apocalypse ala Walking Dead were to transpire

  • We discuss why we believe the stock market wouldn't completely collapse and what you should invest in if you are afraid that it might

  • We talk about the value of centralized banks and the banking system in general

  • Matt and Eddie warn against trading during stressful times and give great advice for how to avoid emotional trading

Random 3 Questions Answered:

  1. As Georgia Bulldog fans, what team in the SEC do you hate the most?

  2. What's your favorite thing to do during your down time?

  3. If you had $1MM dollars what would you do with it?

Gif source: Giphy

How would you invest for the zombie apocalypse? What investments do you think would give you less fear and help you sleep better at night? How would you answer Jana's question?