Simple is Sophisticated is my theme for you this month. In this issue, I offer you a new one-stock program that I think may appeal to those of you interested in a shorter timeframe than my usual buy it and forget it strategy. Also this month I cover a lot of ground on mutual fund investing and where you should put new money today. Plus, I talk about some of our Monster Master List companies and what recent news stories mean for your investments. Make it a good month.

Tags: ABX, American Century Global Gold, Barrick Gold, BGEIX, Burton Malkiel, coca-Cola, DayJet, Delta & Pine, DIA, DIS, Disney, DLP, Dow Diamonds, DRAM, dynamic random access memory, EWS, FAL, Falconbridge, FCEa, FICDX, Fidelity Canada, forest City, GE, general electric, General Electric Capital 6.45%, General Thabit, George Tomsco, GG, GLD, Goldcorp, Goldman Sachs 6.20%, harley-davidson, HDI, HOLBX, Holland balanced Fund, HSBC Financial 6.36%, Inco's, iShares MSCI Singapore, Jack Bogle, Japan, Jeremy Siegel, JNJ, johnson & johnson, KO, magnetoresistive random access memory, Marvel Eneterprises, mcCormick, MKC, MRAM, MVL, N, NEM, Newmont Mining, Norman Petty, PEP, Pepsico, Piedmont Natural gas, PII, PLD, PNY, Polaris Industries, Prologis, Retirement Compounders, Saudi Arabia, Simple is Sophisticated, stretTRACKS Gold Shares, Teck Cominco, TEK-SVB.TO, terrorism, The Fireballs, Vanguard Wellington, Vanguard's Value Index, VIVAX, VLJ, VWELX, Wrigley, WWY, Yankee Candle, YCC

In 1959, I started studying the stock market. Since then there has not been a single stock market downer in the year leading up to a presidential election. In fact, stocks usually make big gains-more so than in any other year of the election cycle. In this issue, I cover the impact of the presidential election cycle on the stock market, especially the year preceding the election. But the bulk of the issue is spent discussing my investment strategy. You need to read what I have to say about Japan versus South Korea. I also discuss fixed income and what you can expect in 2006 with regard to my Big Idea — the impending retirement of 76 million Americans. I have some new funds and some old for you to consider as well as some new stock offerings. Make sure to read this month’s issue; it will help you prepare for 2006.

Tags: AA, ABX, AL, Al Qaeda, Alcan, Alcoa, American Century Zero Cupon, Archstone-Smith, ASN, Barrick Gold, BHP, BHP Billiton, BlackRock Dividend Achievers Trust, BlackRock Global Energy & resources Trust, BP, Cameco, Canadialn General Investments, CCJ, China, Commodity Real Return, COST, Costco, Dodge & Cox income, election year cycle, ExxonMobil, FAL, Falconbridge, FCEa, Fidelity International real Estate, Fiduciary/Claymore MLP Opportunity Fund, forest City, GDP, General Jon Abizaid, Iraq, iShares MSCI Australia Index, iShares MSCI Singapre Index, jazz, Katrina, MCD, McDonalds, Microsoft, MSFT, Mutoual Series, NEM, Newmont Mining, Norfolk Southern, NSC, PCL, PDG, PEP, Pepsico, PIMCO, PIMCO All Asset, Placer Dome, PLD, Plum Creek, President Bush, PRJPX, Prologis, Rayonier, RD, Rio Tinto, Royal Dutch, RTP, RYN, streetTracks Gold Shares, T. Rowe Price Japan Fund, T. Rowe Price New Asia Fund, T. Rowe Price New Era, T. Rowe Price Teck cominco, Third Avenue International, Third Avenue International Value, third Avenue Real Estate, Third Avenue Small-Cap, Third Avenue Small-cap value, Third Avenue Value, Third Avenue Vanguard Precious metals & Mining, Union Pacific, UNP, Vanguard GNMA, Vanguard Inflation Protected Securities, Vanguard Intermediate Term Treasury, Vanguard Precious Metals & Mining, Vanguard Short Term Investment Grade, Vanguard Wellesley Income Fund, Vanguard Wellington, VWELX, XOM