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

Today’s sub-prime lending mess has many institutional investors wringing their hands. So, this month I give you updates on all the hedge funds that have been clobbered by the sub-prime fiasco. Plus, many investors are worrying about a possible recession, but if you’ve been following my advice and set up a counterbalanced portfolio, a recession is a nonevent for you. Check out why I why I don’t think a recession is in the cards. Also, I have two new additions to the Stock Monster Master List, and I give you some insight into why I’m taking a huge position in a utility fund that you should be investing in as well. And I also have updates on our Top Ten Common Stocks and a new preferred that you should add to your portfolio. Make it a good month.

Tags: AAUK, AL, Alcan, American Century Global Gold, Anglo American, BDJ, BGEIX, BHP, BHP Billiton, BlackRick Enhanced Dividend Achievers Trust, BlackRock Global Opportunities Equity trust, BNI, BOE, BTU, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Canadian Pacific Railway, coca-Cola, CP, DEO, DIA, Diageo, Dodge & Cox income, DODIX, Dow Diamonds Trust, Fed, Fidelity International real Estate, Fidelity Natural Gas, FIREX, FSNGX, GE, general electric, harley-davidson, hedge funds, HOG, ING Group, KO, Microsoft, MSFT, PCL, Peabody Energy, PEP, Pepsico, Plum Creek Timber, PRASX, PRJPX, Rayonier, Rio Tinto, RTP, RYN, T. Rowe Price Japan, T. rowe Price New Asia, UL, Unilver, United technologies, UTX, Vanguard GNMA, Vanguard Precious Metals & Mining, Vanguard Value Index, Vanguard Wellesley, VFIIX, VGPMX, VIVAX, volatility, VWINX, Wal-Mart, William Wrigley, WMT, WWY

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 balance. Just like you need a balanced diet, you also need a proper balance with your investments. The proper balance is achieved
through diligent research and perspective, as well as the patience to achieve your goals. In this month’s issue of Intelligence Report, we
review the basics of our portfolio to create this balance and how well my current recommendations are succeeding for us. I also discuss an old favorite
on the Monster Master List, as I think now is the time to buy it since it is a likely takeover candidate. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Tags: American Express, AXP, BA, BACprC, balance, Bank of America Issue, BDJ, BDV, Black Rock Dividend Achievers Trust, Black Rock Enhanced Dividend Achievers Trust, BOE, Boeing, CAG, Canada, CAT, Caterpillar, coca-Cola, ConAgra, DIA, dividends, Dodge & Cox Income Fund, DODIX, Dow Diamonds Trust, Enerplus, ERF, FDG, Fording Canadian Coal, Franklin Mutual Series Shares, GE, general electric, Global Opportunities Equity Trust, GNMA Fund, Halloween, harley-davidson, HOG, illinois tool works, ITW, JOE, KO, MCD, McDonalds, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley Cap, MSFT, MUTHX, omega-3, Omega-6, Penn West Energy, PRJPX, PRNEX, PWE, Retirement Compounders, RGR, ruger, Sell harley, Simple is Sophisticated, St. Joe, Sturm, T. Rowe Price Japan, T. Rowe Price New Era, TAREX, TAVFX, The Omega Diet, third Avenue Real Estate, Third Avenue Value, TimberWest Corp, time warner, Toronto, TWF.UN, TWX, United technologies, UTX, Vanguard Equity Income, Vanguard Precious Metals & Mining, Vanguard Short Term Investment Grade, VFIIX, VFSTX, VGPMX, WEIPX, Wrigley, WWY, Yankee Candle, YCC

This month, I talk about the impact of terrorism on our economy and what that may mean for our economic outlook. The outlook looks great for our gold holdings
and I think you should add to them. There are other commodities that are cheap right now, which I think you should look into. Plus, I have some good ideas
for new money and a new addition to the Common Stocks Monster Master List. Also, since the issue went to print, one of my buy recommendations is no longer
a buy based on our updated charts. Don’t miss this update in the November issue. Make it a good month.

Tags: ABER, Aber Diamonds, agricultural commodities, AIPAC, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Anheuser Busch, BDJ, BOE, BUD, CAG, Clinton, coca-Cola, ConAgra Foods, Defense spending, Delta & Pine Land, Democrats, DIA, DLP, DODBX, Dodge & Cox balanced, Dodge & Cox income, DODIX, Dow Diamonds Trust, Enhanced Dividend Achievers Trust, Federated Investors, FII, Franklin Mutual Shares, GE, general electric, Global Opportunities Equity Trust, gold, hard-liners, harley-davidson, HOG, Hormel, Howard Dean, HRL, Iran, Israel, Jim Talent, JM Smucker, JNJ, Joe Lieberman, johnson & johnson, Kerry, KO, Lt. Col. Patterson, Massoud, mcCormick, MCD, McDonalds, MKC, MUTHX, NATO, Netanyahu, Patriot Act, PEP, Pepsico, Piedmont Natural gas, PII, PNY, Polaris, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, RGR, ruger, Salafi jihad, SJM, Sturm, TAREX, TAVFX, TAVIX, terrorism, Third Avenue International, third Avenue Real Estate, Third Avenue Value, TimberWest, TWF.UN, Vanguard Equity Income, Vanguard Precious Metals & Mining, Vanguard Value Index, VEIPX, VGPMX, VIVAX, VWELX, VWINX, Wellington, Wellsley, Wrigley, WWY, Yankee Candle, YCC