You don’t need me to tell you that the internet changed the way we live. From emails that have pushed snail mail out of business to online shopping that endangers brick and mortar shops, our daily lives have been transformed forever.  So why does internet dating still carry a stigma in some quarters — or does it?  —Recommended Link— 2-Digit Code Predicts Market Crash This little-known indicator predicted the last market collapse… and can save you from the next one too. Full details here. For those of us who lived most of our lives before the internet, cell phones… Read More

You don’t need me to tell you that the internet changed the way we live. From emails that have pushed snail mail out of business to online shopping that endangers brick and mortar shops, our daily lives have been transformed forever.  So why does internet dating still carry a stigma in some quarters — or does it?  —Recommended Link— 2-Digit Code Predicts Market Crash This little-known indicator predicted the last market collapse… and can save you from the next one too. Full details here. For those of us who lived most of our lives before the internet, cell phones or texting, the old way of meeting people — in our place of work, study or through friends or relatives — still takes precedence. But for people who’ve lived most of their lives with the internet, filling out an online dating profile is as familiar as downloading a tune. #-ad_banner-#Among all age groups, though, the level of acceptance has been growing strongly. According to Pew Research Center, 41% of American adults say they know someone who uses online dating, and 29% indicate they know someone who has married or entered into a long-term partnership with someone they met online.  In… Read More

The banking sector enjoyed a nice run higher as investors saw the reality of rising interest rates getting closer. Banks make money by borrowing it at lower short-term interest rates and lending it at longer-term interest rates. So, the yield curve — the difference between short- and long-term rates — is critical. #-ad_banner-# If the Federal Reserve raises short-term rates, with all else being equal, the yield curve will flatten, making it harder for banks to make money. All things are never equal, though, and the chain of events in the… Read More

The banking sector enjoyed a nice run higher as investors saw the reality of rising interest rates getting closer. Banks make money by borrowing it at lower short-term interest rates and lending it at longer-term interest rates. So, the yield curve — the difference between short- and long-term rates — is critical. #-ad_banner-# If the Federal Reserve raises short-term rates, with all else being equal, the yield curve will flatten, making it harder for banks to make money. All things are never equal, though, and the chain of events in the capital markets is thought to push long-term rates higher, as well. Pundits think long-term rates will rise more than short rates, and that will make the yield curve steeper. However, that does not seem to be happening now. The yield curve remains as flat as it has been since early July, which represented a nine-year low and a level last seen as the financial crisis was still unfolding. While the yield curve spent the first half of September steepening and broke a one-year trendline to the upside, something happened mid-month to abruptly change that. Out of the blue, markets got… Read More

Quick, which nation reported the strongest economic growth last year?  I’ll give you a hint. The country is rich in minerals and agricultural products, is situated squarely in the Pacific’s volcanic Ring of Fire, and has an incredibly diverse population that speaks 852 different languages.  #-ad_banner-#I’m talking about Papua New Guinea. While most of its citizens live in rural farming communities, this island nation has been outrunning the world’s economic powerhouses. Some of the credit belongs to an influx of foreign capital. ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), Total (NYSE: TOT) and Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS) are just a few of the… Read More

Quick, which nation reported the strongest economic growth last year?  I’ll give you a hint. The country is rich in minerals and agricultural products, is situated squarely in the Pacific’s volcanic Ring of Fire, and has an incredibly diverse population that speaks 852 different languages.  #-ad_banner-#I’m talking about Papua New Guinea. While most of its citizens live in rural farming communities, this island nation has been outrunning the world’s economic powerhouses. Some of the credit belongs to an influx of foreign capital. ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), Total (NYSE: TOT) and Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS) are just a few of the parties vying for a piece of the country’s rich oil and gas resources.  Papua New Guinea is also blessed with valuable metals such as gold, copper, nickel and cobalt. High in the rainforests of Enga Province, Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX) pulled 493,000 ounces of the yellow metal from the Porgera Mine last year, and this is just one of sixteen large-scale mining projects in the country. Elsewhere, others are busy growing cocoa, coconut, and palm oil, the country’s top agricultural exports. Thanks to all these resources, the country enjoyed robust GDP growth last year that has been estimated at anywere… Read More

The internet turned 47 years old this year. That’s if you count from the first computer-to-computer linkup on ARPANET in 1969. Even counting from the creation of the world wide web in 1989, the online revolution would be getting close to its 30s. While few companies are trading at the dizzying heights of the dot-com bubble, there are still quite a few names that trade as ‘growth’ stocks on the assumption of years left to internet growth. But what if the internet stops growing? #-ad_banner-#Nearly everyone in the United States (89%) is connected and internet penetration is as high as… Read More

The internet turned 47 years old this year. That’s if you count from the first computer-to-computer linkup on ARPANET in 1969. Even counting from the creation of the world wide web in 1989, the online revolution would be getting close to its 30s. While few companies are trading at the dizzying heights of the dot-com bubble, there are still quite a few names that trade as ‘growth’ stocks on the assumption of years left to internet growth. But what if the internet stops growing? #-ad_banner-#Nearly everyone in the United States (89%) is connected and internet penetration is as high as 94% of the population in the United Kingdom. What happens when the growth that investors are assuming to drive internet-related companies just isn’t there? Turns out it may already be happening. A new study by Adobe suggests that internet growth has slowed considerably or even stopped altogether and it could be disastrous for a few tech names. The Internet Is Dead, Long Live The Internet A report by Adobe suggests that internet traffic may have reached its peak as fewer net new people come online every year. The company’s first Advertising Demand Report was compiled from more than 1.1… Read More

As income investors, the goal for most of us is to find a solid stock with an above-average yield and stay for the long haul.  #-ad_banner-#Anyone who is familiar with my premium newsletter, The Daily Paycheck, knows we try to do just that by searching for securities that will do one of three things: maximize income, maximize growth or minimize risk. We consider these key traits the three interlocking gears of our retirement system’s engine. They work together to ensure our portfolio runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible.  But we’ve also found a way to turbocharge that engine. By… Read More

As income investors, the goal for most of us is to find a solid stock with an above-average yield and stay for the long haul.  #-ad_banner-#Anyone who is familiar with my premium newsletter, The Daily Paycheck, knows we try to do just that by searching for securities that will do one of three things: maximize income, maximize growth or minimize risk. We consider these key traits the three interlocking gears of our retirement system’s engine. They work together to ensure our portfolio runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible.  But we’ve also found a way to turbocharge that engine. By adding one simple feature, we’re able to greatly multiply our portfolio’s capacity to generate consistent income. I’m talking about reinvesting dividends.  Dividend reinvestment is a powerful strategy that too few investors take advantage of, largely because it rarely gets talked about by the financial community. Dividend reinvestment pays you more over the long haul because it puts your dividends to work. When you use your dividends to purchase more shares, those additional shares pay you higher dividends, which in turn buy you more shares. In a nutshell, dividend reinvestment compounds your growth and can increase your income potential exponentially.  But… Read More

We’re less than six weeks from the November elections, and election season usually has investors picking stocks based on the prospective policies of candidates, leading to a certain amount of market volatility. Uncertainty around the global economy and monetary policy has only helped to boost volatility this election season. But betting on stocks that win on one particular candidate is a crap shoot at best, especially in this election. Clinton and Trump differ so radically across nearly every talking point that betting on stocks favored by a particular party means the potential for massive losses if the other candidate wins. Read More

We’re less than six weeks from the November elections, and election season usually has investors picking stocks based on the prospective policies of candidates, leading to a certain amount of market volatility. Uncertainty around the global economy and monetary policy has only helped to boost volatility this election season. But betting on stocks that win on one particular candidate is a crap shoot at best, especially in this election. Clinton and Trump differ so radically across nearly every talking point that betting on stocks favored by a particular party means the potential for massive losses if the other candidate wins. #-ad_banner-#The Real Clear Politics aggregate of national polls puts Clinton’s lead at just 2.3%, close to the tightest the race has been for months. Nobody is able to call this one yet. Unbelievable as it may seem, the candidates actually do agree on one topic. They’ve both made one particular sector of the economy a key position of their platform. For that sector, the news after November could range from good to very good and a leader in the space is primed to takeoff. This Sector Is About To Get A Government Jumpstart While unprecedented monetary stimulus helped to… Read More

I consider myself an early adopter of technology, and when it comes to Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), I’d say I’m borderline obsessive. In fact, my obsession goes back to the early 1980s, when I first laid my hands on my Apple II home computer.  But it isn’t just about having the latest and greatest. Owning and testing Apple’s newest products helps me to keep tabs on the world’s largest company. This obsession with Apple and its stock is shared by millions of consumers and investors. At the start of 2016, there were more than 1 billion Apple devices in active use… Read More

I consider myself an early adopter of technology, and when it comes to Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), I’d say I’m borderline obsessive. In fact, my obsession goes back to the early 1980s, when I first laid my hands on my Apple II home computer.  But it isn’t just about having the latest and greatest. Owning and testing Apple’s newest products helps me to keep tabs on the world’s largest company. This obsession with Apple and its stock is shared by millions of consumers and investors. At the start of 2016, there were more than 1 billion Apple devices in active use around the world, and AAPL is one of the most heavily traded stocks in the world. #-ad_banner-#Apple’s cult-like popularity, unique products and sheer size make it a target for pundits, fanatics and haters alike. For the past year or so, it’s been the haters who’ve controlled the stock. The bears’ major argument is that Apple will struggle to grow in the future because it is a one-trick pony that lacks innovation now that Steve Jobs is gone. And it’s true that two-thirds of Apple’s revenue came solely from the iPhone in 2015, while new products have been slow to develop. … Read More

I can’t believe more people aren’t taking advantage of this… For the past few years, my colleague Amber Hestla and her readers have been “skimming” from Wall Street. And the best part: it’s all perfectly legal. In fact, it’s one of the safest methods of earning extra income to be found in any market environment. Allow me to explain… With bond yields near record lows and traditional income securities like savings accounts and certificates of deposit earning next to nothing, we’re regularly finding “instant yields” as high as 9.2%… 13.7%… and even some as much as 19.8%. In the past,… Read More

I can’t believe more people aren’t taking advantage of this… For the past few years, my colleague Amber Hestla and her readers have been “skimming” from Wall Street. And the best part: it’s all perfectly legal. In fact, it’s one of the safest methods of earning extra income to be found in any market environment. Allow me to explain… With bond yields near record lows and traditional income securities like savings accounts and certificates of deposit earning next to nothing, we’re regularly finding “instant yields” as high as 9.2%… 13.7%… and even some as much as 19.8%. In the past, our research is showing opportunities to collect a $1,575 cash payment from Visa (NYSE: V) for a 7.8% yield… a $980 cash payment from Starbucks (NYSE: SBUX) for a 12.8% yield… and, as I’ll show you today, we’ve even identified an opportunity to earn a $1,608 payment from International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM) for an 11.5% yield. —Sponsored Link— The Rare Chance to Build Unbelievable Wealth is About to Occur… ​When the stock market crashed in 1929, millions were devastated. But a savvy few used the crisis to catapult themselves into unprecedented wealth and fortune. Read More

Last week, investors apparently “bought the dip” to support at 2,121 in the S&P 500, which I discussed in the previous Market Outlook. However, the rally was led by the small-cap Russell 2000, which gained 2.4% and is now up 10.5% for the year compared to just 5.9% for the benchmark S&P 500.  In this new era of concerted monetary stimulus by central banks around the world, investors have been trained like Pavlov’s dog to fearlessly buy every minor stock market decline because they are confident that central banks — including our Federal Reserve — “have their back.”… Read More

Last week, investors apparently “bought the dip” to support at 2,121 in the S&P 500, which I discussed in the previous Market Outlook. However, the rally was led by the small-cap Russell 2000, which gained 2.4% and is now up 10.5% for the year compared to just 5.9% for the benchmark S&P 500.  In this new era of concerted monetary stimulus by central banks around the world, investors have been trained like Pavlov’s dog to fearlessly buy every minor stock market decline because they are confident that central banks — including our Federal Reserve — “have their back.” #-ad_banner-# This complacency in the marketplace has certainly kept stocks from going down over the past few months, but the lesser-known fact is that it has also capped the market’s upside. The S&P 500 finished last week at 2,165, almost exactly where it was two months ago.   Investor Complacency Cuts Both Ways This week’s first chart is one that I have brought out on several occasions this year to remind readers that too much complacency can be a bad thing.  The Volatility S&P 500 (VIX) index finished last week at 12.29, a… Read More

Its value has fallen 98% in the last 113 years. Yet, despite that incredible decline it remains one of the most valuable and sought after assets in the world. I’m talking about the U.S. dollar. #-ad_banner-#Since 1913, the value of the U.S. dollar has fallen more than 98%.  This is the reason gold is delivering its best return in five years and showing signs of a long-term reversal in 2016. After hitting a new all-time high above $1,900 in 2011, gold fell into a nasty bear market. From 2012 to the end of 2015, the price of gold fell almost… Read More

Its value has fallen 98% in the last 113 years. Yet, despite that incredible decline it remains one of the most valuable and sought after assets in the world. I’m talking about the U.S. dollar. #-ad_banner-#Since 1913, the value of the U.S. dollar has fallen more than 98%.  This is the reason gold is delivering its best return in five years and showing signs of a long-term reversal in 2016. After hitting a new all-time high above $1,900 in 2011, gold fell into a nasty bear market. From 2012 to the end of 2015, the price of gold fell almost 50%. In 2016, gold is on the rebound. The price of gold is up 26%, more than a 300% premium to the S&P 500’s 6% return. That puts gold on pace for its best return in more than five years. Gold’s sudden reversal is being driven by the same trend that’s driving the U.S. dollar. After surging in 2014 and 2015, the U.S. dollar is back to its losing ways in 2016, falling 4% on the year. Take a look below at the U.S. dollar’s big surge in 2014 and 2015 and decline in 2016. The… Read More