Stocks & ETFunds

Right now there's nothing to be bearish about. I say that with conviction, because my "Bear Market Checklist" is a perfect 0-for-9. Heck, not a single indicator on the list is even close to flashing a warning sign. We've got nothing but big whiffers! Take a look. Pop a pill and relax. There's no immediate danger threatening stocks.

Most everything you've heard about investing from the mainstream media, your mutual fund advisor and your tax accountant is a lie. You’ve been told...that the entire point of portfolio diversification is to mitigate downside risk yet when the market experiences the inevitable decline, every sector pushes significantly lower - and your “diversified” portfolio suffers as a result, [right? Well, there IS a better way.] Hear me out. Words: 895

The vast majority of people who have money saved have it invested in the stock market, be it stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs or warrants, and have it "managed" by their financial advisor/planner. Very, very few individuals manage their assets in self-directed accounts either through a full-service brokerage firm or totally on their own via an internet account. As such, very few articles are written for such an audience. This post changes all that with links to some very informative articles on virtually everything you need to know to succeed in today's marketplace.

While George Soros spent over 40 years managing funds at Soros Fund Management, racking up an incredible average annual return of 20%, he is arguably most known for the huge bets he made against the British pound in 1992. He felt that the European Exchange Rate Mechanism overvalued the pound and that the system was inherently unsustainable so he bet $10 billion on this view and reaped more than $2 billion in profits from his trades. [This article outlines his the life - both professional and personal - of this epitome of a hedge fund manager.] Words: 972

I am not normally a big fan of precious metals but in 2013 I am an unabashed fan of silver. If SLV were to return 15% next year there is a 95% probability that a ProShares Ultrashort Silver ETF (ZSL) put option on SLV would return 80%+! [Let me explain how I have come to that conclusion.] Words: 985

While there are a number of funds and stocks that can be used to gain exposure to commodities, futures investing has long been the most popular and direct means of establishing a position. [Let's examine just what futures are, who should use futures and identify the various futures exchanges,] Words: 922

Commodity investing has been around for decades, but it was only recently that their popularity has spread to the general public. It is now generally recommended that investors set aside anywhere from 5% to 10% of their capital for a commodity allocation, as these hard assets generally offer uncorrelated returns essential to diversification. While many investors utilize stocks, ETFs, and futures to obtain their commodity exposure, options contracts can often be a better alternative to not only your commodity holdings, but for the remainder of your portfolio as well [Let me tell you more about options and also why they might/should have a place in your portfolio]. Words: 995

Over the past few years, policy leaders worldwide have grown accustomed to kicking the can down the road with each step in this ongoing financial crisis making incremental moves rather than cultivating viable long term solutions. More recent attempts seem to have evolved into simply just trying to kick the can out of the driveway. Now we fear there may not be enough firepower left to simply kick the can over. [Having done so, we are left between the proverbial rock and a hard place.] If lawmakers do nothing, by all accounts we are likely to see a recession. Should lawmakers extend the Bush-era tax cuts, you make no progress towards long term deficit reduction, potentially raising the risk and magnitude of a future financial crisis. [Let me discuss this predicament further and how best to invest in such precarious times.] Words: 1602

Back in May of 2012 Nouriel Roubini (aka Dr. Doom) predicted that slowing growth in the United States, growing debt troubles in Europe, a slowdown in China, and intensifying political gridlock with Iran would come together to create a “Perfect Storm” for the world economy. Below we outline three ETFs that could thrive as global economic growth expectations deteriorate, keeping in mind that virtually no asset class will be safe if the “Perfect Storm” actually strikes. Words: 606

The Swiss franc is pegged to the euro at 1.2 EUR/CHF (Chart 1) so if the euro keeps going lower and lower against other currencies, the Swiss franc will do the exact same thing. However, if Switzerland were to de-peg the Swiss franc from the euro, there would be a tremendous upside in the Swiss franc. [That being the case, how can one best profit from such an eventuality?] Words: 265