Our economy is definitely struggling, but it has not yet entered a recession—although the job loss report from Friday has me concerned. In this month’s issue, I have added 10 charts; eight of these charts do not yet indicate a recession. In fact, two of the charts hint at continued economic expansion. During these tough economic times, it is important to find investments that offer fairly predictable returns with sustainable and growing cash flows. In this issue, I give you two infrastructure plays that fit the bill—one is an ETF and the other a U.S. based company with an attractive 7.2% yield. I also have added a new timber ETF and two closed-end funds to my Monster Master List. Make it a good month.

Tags: airport, ALCO, Alico, Alliance Resource Parters, American Express, American Society of Civil Engineers, ARLP, Awakening Councils, AXP, BHP, BHP Billiton, BlackRock Asset Equity, BTU, Canadian Pacific, Chavez, Chinese Internet use, chvy volt, Claymore/Clear Global Timber Index, coca-Cola, CP, CUT, depression, ECF, economy, employment, Federated Investors, FII, Forbes, Higway Trust Fund, infrastructure, Iran, Iraq watch groups, iShares S&P Global Infrastructure ETF, J.M. Smucker, Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, KMP, KO, Macquarie Infrastructure company trust, MIC, murder rates, Natural Resource LP, NRP, Obama, oil prices, omega-3, Peabody Energy, Pfizer, Phillip carret, public infrastructure, recession, Rep. Mike Pence, Republican Study Committee, Rio Tinto, RTP, Saudi Arabia, Senator mcCain, SJM, Tortoise Energy, TYY, Walter Schloss, Xstrata, XTA.L

It’s a presidential election year here in the United States, and elsewhere in the world, there are some nasty conditions arising in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and China. Given all this, it’s very important that we stick to my core investment strategy — dividends, income and compound growth. And there are also some great international investments. This month I discuss one of my international favorites–it has become a world-class knowledge-based economy.

Tags: AA, Achievers Trust, AL, Alcoa, Alico, American Century Global Gold, American Express, Anadarko Petroleum, Apache, APC, Australlian dollar, avoid, AXP, Bank of Florida, Barron's, BDJ, BDV, BGEIX, BHP, BHP Billiton, BlackRock Dividend Achievers Trust, BlackRock Enhanced Dividend, BlackRock Global Opportunities, BlackRock World Investment Trust, BOE, BOFL, BWC, C, Canadian dollar, citigroup, Clinton, Companhia Vale do Rio Doce, Cresud, CRESY, CVRD, DIA, Dodge & Cox International, Dow Diamonds Trust, Dow Jones, Dow Jones Iindustrials, DUK, Duke Energy, election, EWA, EWH, EWL, EWS, FDX, Federal Express, Federated Investors, FICDX, Fidelity Canada, Fidelity Select Natural Gas, Fidelity Select Natural Gas Fund, FII, Franklin Mutual Series Financial Services � -Z Class, FSNGX, general electric, Giuliani, GLD, harley-davidson, HBC, HOG, HSBC Holdings, Illinois Tool, Investment Trusts, iShares MSCI Australia, iShares MSCI Hong Kong, iShares MSCI Singapore, iShares MSCI Switzerland, ITW, JOE, McCain, NAREIT, National Association of Real Estate, Obama, PCL, PEP, Pepsico, PLD, Plum Creek Timber, PPP, PRJPX, ProLogis Trust, purchasing power parity, RDS.A, Rio Tinto, Romney, Royal Dutch Shell, RTP, Singapore dollar, St. Joe, streetTracks Gold Shares, Sysco Corp, SYY, T. Rowe Price Emerging Europe & Mediterranean, T. Rowe Price Japan, TAREX, TAVIX, TEFAX, the Wall Street Journal, Third Avenue International Value, Third Avenue Real Estate Value, Transports, UL, UNG, Unilever, United States Natural Gas ETF, Vanguard GNMA, Vanguard Value Index, Vanguard Wellesley Income, VFIIX, VIVAX, VNO, Vornado Realty Trust, VWINX, Xstrata, XTA.L, yuan

Oil and gold prices are skyrocketing. The housing slump, along with the sub-prime write-off mess, has nowhere near run its course. Manufacturing employment is falling. And all this is occurring in the ever-important election year. But despite my jaundiced view of the U.S. presidential candidates and the storm clouds advancing over the U.S. economy, there are still promising investment opportunities to ride out the turbulence — you just need to stay focused, patient, and objective. This month marks my annual Q&A issue, so along with discussing the economy and the potential for a recession, I answer a number of the questions weighing on your minds.

Tags: AA, AAUK, ALCO, Alcoa, Alico, Anglo American, BA, Bank of Florida, BHP, BHP Billiton, Boeing, BOFL, BTU, Cameco, CCJ, China, China Panda, coca-Cola, coins, Dodge & Cox income, DODIX, Enerplus Resources, ERF, FDG, Fording Canadian Coal, GE, general electric, GLD, global economy, gold, Harry Winston Diamond Co., inflation, JOE, KO, manufacturing employment, municipal bonds, natural gas, NEM, Newmont Mining, NILSY, Norfolk Southern, NSC, oil, PBG, PCL, Peabody Energy, Penn West Energy, PEP, Pepsi Bottling, Pepsico, PG, Plum Creek Timber, president, presidential cycle, PRJPX, PRNEX, Procter & Gamble, PWE, Rayonier, RDS.A, recession, Rio Tinto, Royal Dutch Petroleum, RTP, Russia, RYN, Southwest Water Company, St. Joe, streetTracks Gold Shares, SWWC, Sysco, SYY, T. Rowe Price Group, T. Rowe Price Japan, T. Rowe Price�New Era, TAVIX, Teck Cominco, TEK-SVB.TO, terrorism, Third Avenue International Value, TimberWest Forest Corp., TROW, TWF.UN, UL, Unilever, United Parcel Service, UPS, Vanguard GNMA, Vanguard Growth Index, Vanguard Precious Metals & Mining, Vanguard Precious Metals & Mining Fund, Vanguard Short Term Investment Grade, Vanguard Value Index's, Vanguard Wellesley Income, Very Light Jet, VFIIX, VFSTX, VGPMX, VIGIX, VIVAX, Vladimir Putin, VLJ, VWINX, W.M. Wrigley, WWY

Discipline, patience and preparation made the Boston Red Sox 2007 World Champions. My goal with Intelligence Report is to give you the same kind of strategy to help you get ready to relax and enjoy your retirement. So in this month’s issue I discuss how to set up the draw from your retirement portfolio to ensure that yours is an enjoyable one. I also revisit last month’s railroad picks and why they are attractive businesses for your investment dollars. And guess what? We’re not the only ones jumping on the railroad bandwagon — someone famous is picking up shares of one of my new recommendations. In this month’s issue, I also do a quick review of our Agricultural Commodities portfolio — they all remain buys on my list. Plus, I give you an update on a fund covered by the WSJ that you should stay far way from. Make it a good month.

Tags: agriculture commodities, Alico, Argentina, Berkshire Hathaway, boston red sox, burlington northern, Canadian Pacific Railway, Poor Man, Rich Man, Richard Russell

As the month of July was coming to a close, the Dow fell by over 300 points in one day. On a day like this a fortress-like portfolio mix of 50% high-grade fixed income and 50% dividend-paying stocks, allows a prudent and astute investor to not only sleep well but perhaps even gloat a little. This month, I talk about what’s best for your portfolio if you’re about to retire in the next 5 to 10 years. Plus, I cover the six positions I am adding to that are in our portfolio. If you are looking to smooth out your portfolio, check out my fixed-income strategy. I discuss the potential of zeros and how my Young Research Valuation Indicator can point out buy signals for you. And I have one new stock for you and one stock to sell, plus a new list of blue-chip preferreds and an update on our Agricultural Commodities portfolio. Make it a good month!

Tags: Alcan, Alcoa, Alexander & Baldwin, Alico, American Express, BHP Billiton, BlackRock, Boeing, Cresud, DB Agricultural Commodities Fund, Deutsche Bank, Dodge & Cox International, Federated Investors, Fidelity Canada, general electric, harley-davidson, ING, iShares Singapore, johnson & johnson, JP Morgan, Merrill Lynch, Microsoft, New Era, Pepsico, Piedmont Natural gas, Plum Creek Timber, Powershares, retirement, Rio Tinto, ruger, Sturm, Syngenta, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Japan Fund, Tiffany, treasury, Vanguard GNMA, Vanguard Wellesley Income, Wal-Mart, withdrawal rate, Wrigley, Xstrata, Young Valuation Indicator, zeros

Of the more than 8,000 mutual funds in existence, only a handful are worthy of consideration for your investment options. The majority are just closet index funds masquerading as something unique. But there is a growing segment of the investment industry that has overtaken mutual funds and they are ETFs. ETFs have caught on in a big way. So big, that this month I am adding nine to my Monster Master List. With these additions, you can now construct a diversified ETF-only portfolio. Along with the ETFs I have one new stock, and four A-rated Preferreds to help you avoid the leveraged buyout industry taking over many BBB-rated firms. Plus, I have changed the layout for my issue to include a full two-page update of my Top Ten Countdown stocks. I’ve also added my What’s Up & What’s Down column to the main issue. I believe you’ll find these enhancements very informative and useful. Make it a good month!

Tags: Alexander, Alico, American Express, assets, Australia, Baldwin, barclays, Barrick Gold, benchmard, BHP Billiton, capital gains, citigroup, Dodge & Cox Balanced Fund, ETFs, Federated Investors, GE Capital, income tax, iShares MSCI Canada Index Fund, iShares MSCI EAFE Value Index Fund, iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund, iShares MSCI Sweden, iShares S&P Global Materials Sector Index Fund, Jardine Matheson, johnson & johnson, land, Market Vectors Gold Miners, Market Vectors Russia ETF, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Nazis, Newmont Mining, Nomura Small Cap Japan, Norilsk Nickel, Plum Creek, Precious Metals & Mining, Preferreds, rifle, Rio Tinto, Southwest Water, SPDR DJ Wilshire International Real Estate, SPDR Russell, St. Joe, Sweden, Swiss, Switzerland, Tiffany, Unilever, Vanguard GNMA, Vanguard Short Term Investment Grade, Vanguard Value ETF, Wells Fargo, Whole foods

1967’s Monterey International Pop Festival was a catalyst for a financial tidal wave in the pop music industry that lasted an entire decade. My 2008-based Big Idea hitched to the luxury goods supercycle is much the same, if not a whole lot more. Read this month’s issue to find out more about the impact this will have on babyboomer retirements. Also this month, I have a special guide on high-yield investing, along with quite a few new Monster Master List stocks and an update on our agricultural commodities portfolio. Make it a good month.

Tags: 2008, Alcan, Alcoa, Alico, American Express, AMEX, aquarius, barclays, Barrick Gold, Big Idea, Black Army, Black Hills, Bombardier, catalyst, citigroup, Coke, Cresud, default, Dodge & Cox income, ExxonMobil, Federated Investors, Fidelity, First National Bank Shares, Garmin, General Dynamics, general electric, harley-davidson, high yield, iShares, Japan, jet, Newmont Mining, peaks, Pepsi Bottling, Polaris, pop music, Powershares, Retirement Compounders, Royal Bank, ruger, St. Joe, Sturm, supercycle, Syngenta, Tiffany, Unilever, vanguard, yield spread