Many successful capital management firms and hedge funds took a scalding bath in August. In fact, Jeremy Grantham believes that up to half of the hedge funds and many of the private equity firms “will cease to exist.” But taking investment risks isn’t our method. Rather, my consistent advice to you over the years has been to rely first and foremost on adding cash to your retirement account through interest and dividends. The more you focus on compounding, the better you will sleep. This month I have a bank stock and three other companies that I am adding to my Monster Master List for you to invest in, as well as updates on my Top Ten Common Stocks. Also this month, I cover a mutual fund with a large stake in big bank stocks and what they are doing to make sure that shareholders have a reliable source of income. Make it a good month!

Tags: American Century Global BGEIX, Andarko Petroleum, Anglo American AAUKF, Apache APA, APC, BA, BAC, Bank of America, BDJ, BDV, BlackRock Dividen Achievers Trust, BlackRock Enhanced Dividend Achievers Trust, BlackRock Global Opportunities Equity trust, BOE, Boeing, boton globe, butterfly effect, C, Chevron, citigroup, compound interest, Corp. SYY, CVX, DODBX, Dodge & Cox balanced, Dodge & Cox income, DODIX, EWJ, Garmin, GDX, general electric AAA-rated 6.45%, GRMN, iShares MSCI japan, JM Smucker, Long-Term Capital Management, Market Vectors Gold Miners Index, mutual funds, NEM, nestle, Newmont Mining, NSRGY, PBG, PEP, Pepsi Bottling, Pepsico, PG, PRJPX, Procter & Gamble, RGR, ruger, SJM, Sturm, Sysco, T-bills, T. Rowe Price, T. Rowe Price Japan, TROW, United technologies, UTX, Vanguard GNMA, Vanguard Precious Mining & Mtals, VFIIX, VGPMX, wall street journal

This month I talk about jazz great Thelonious Monk, his sense of rhythm and mastery of space. Successful investing and Monk’s music have one thing in common—space. For you, the investor, space is about what you do not want to do. In this issue, I offer you a program to help you develop your own rhythm and balance along with an overview of some of our investments and a special section on 10 Reasons to Love the Outcome of the November 7 Elections. I also talk about the bull market in precious metals and oil and why I believe there is still room to grow. Make it a good month.

Tags: Boeing, Brazil, compound interest, defense, dividends, Duke Energy, election, ExxonMobil, Federal Express, FedEx, gold, Hormel, HSBC, income, jazz, McCormick & Company, Microsoft, Minton, patience, Pepsico, Piedmont Natural gas, platinum, rhythm, risk, ruger, silver, space, Sturm, Thelonious Monk, tolerance, United Parcel Service, Vanguard GNMA Fund, Vanguard Precious Metals & Mining