I wanted to take some time today to address a few questions that have been asked of me over the past 3 weeks since we launched the paid version of Babylon Burns.
During the past 3 months, I’ve published a lot of content here, both free and since 3 weeks paid. As you probably know I am running a launch discount where you can join for $299 instead of $399, so long as you sign up before September 7th at 11.59PM ET. From Tuesday, after Labor day, the price goes up.
So today I wanted to address some of the questions which have been asked the most often.
What does a subscription to Babylon Burns include?
You get all my research on finding alpha in these markets where we have no choice but to do things differently in the past. We’re on an unavoidable route to global fracture and devaluation of currencies, and relying on a 60/40 portfolio or index investing is likely going to lead to subpar results from here.
Annual members also get access to the web application we built so you can see the portfolio live, receive email alerts for trades, and at the end of each month receive the tear sheet of the portfolio so you can follow along.
Below is a preview of the August one:
I read the free posts. Why pay?
I give some stuff away for free, but all of my picks, the position sizing, the trade timing, the stop losses, the entries and exits, are for paid members only.
One good trade could literally pay for the whole subscription many times over.
Is this a tip sheet?
No a tip sheet is two words: a ticker, and buy/sell.
This is global equity research + macro all wrapped into a model portfolio where you can see how I size, trade, and manage risk in real time.
What’s the track record?
The book is three weeks old, I think we’d be getting ahead of ourselves.
My personal track record is that the 3 portfolios I’ve managed at the Dividend Freedom Tribe have beaten the S&P 500 despite being invested in a diversified portfolio of conservative dividend stocks.
As a CIO of a small systematic macro hedge fund, we’ve produced market beating returns since inception (KPMG audited our returns).
I believe we will do quite well with Babylon Burns, even if I’m pretty sure I’m not allowed to promise anything of the sort.
Who are you?
Sam Kovacs, born in the UK, grew up in Luxembourg and France, have lived in Canada, Indonesia, and the UAE, which is currently home. I am somewhat of a perpetual traveller spending a lot of my time between Cape Town, Bali, HK, Morocco and Europe.
I got a BBA at HEC Montreal, and a Masters of Economics at Sciences Po Paris. I never had a proper “job”, I launched my first business out of my student flat and never looked back.
What does $299 buy?
($399 from September 8th onwards)
You can expect research to go out every week covering either stock picks, a macro dossier, or portfolio updates. I will drip content at the cadence needed to follow the strategy.
Why pick annual instead of monthly?
Monthly is $49, which is $588 a year, and it doesn’t include the web app. Annual is $299 until Monday, includes the app, and is generally the better experience. I’m not interested in managing monthly access to the web app.
Why is the price going up?
$399 is the price of the newsletter.
$299 was the launch offer, set on August 15 to run through Labor Day so the people who backed the publication before it had a record got in under the sticker price.
Everyone who joins at $299 renews at $299. Everyone who joins Tuesday pays $399 and renews at $399. That’s $100 a year of savings right now.
Is the deadline real?
Yes. The checkout price changes at 11:59 PM ET Monday. I set the date on August 15 and I’m not extending it. Don’t message on Monday asking for the discount, it won’t be there.
What if it’s not for me?
Substack refunds in full within seven days. Read the archive, open the web app, decide.
I’m retired and my first priority is not losing money.
That is also my approach to investing: don’t lose money. However this is an equity investing strategy and equities carry risk and come with no guarantees.
I’m not in the US.
Neither am I. The portfolio currently holds NYSE, NASDAQ, TSX, TSX Venture, AIM, and OTC listings. Interactive Brokers covers all of them from almost anywhere in the world. This is a global equity strategy. It currently has a US bias, but that could change very fast.
How much time does it take?
The time it takes you to read a weekly report, the odd trade alert, and chose whether you’re going to act on it.
Do you own everything you write about?
Yes. Entries and exits go into the web app the day they happen. I cook what I eat and eat what I cook.
What happens when you’re wrong?
I sell and move on.
Is this investment advice?
No. It’s my portfolio, my scenarios, and my exits, published as I make them.
How many people are in?
Just over 500 paid members since August 15.
What happens at midnight Monday September 7th?
The price goes up to $399.
As Babylon burns, we light the cigars.
So if you are convinced by the depth and breadth of my research and want to be a part of this community before the price goes up, click through below and join the Substack today.
