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

In this month’s issue I focus on the effects of Hurricane Katrina and what it means for your investments and for the U.S. economy. No matter the outlook, your investment strategy need not be altered, as I have been guiding you in the direction of a fully counterbalanced portfolio capable of riding out even catastrophic events like Katrina. Remember a conservative approach to investing wins. I devote the bulk of this issue to review our portfolios and what kind of return you need to plan for. And as promised I’ve included my end-of-summer “Mostly Stocks” section, which provides intelligence on many of our Monster Master List names. You must act now to take care of your portfolio as I have been stressing for the past few months.

Tags: AA, AL, Alcan, Alcoa, ALEX, Alexander & Baldwin, artom Whitman values Fund, BHP, BHP Billiton, BPL, Buckeye Partners, CAG, CAT, Caterpillar, Cleveland-Cliffs, CLF, coca-Cola, ConAgra, ConocoPhillips, COP, Delta & Pine Land, DLP, Enerplus resources fund, ERF, ExxonMobil, FAL, Falconbridge, FDG, Fording Canadian Coal trust, harley-davidson, HBC, HDI, Hormel, HRL, HSBC Holdings, ITW, J.M. Smucker, JOE, JPM Chase Capital XIV, Katrina, Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, KMP, KO, Legg Mason, LM, Mandarin Oriental International, McCormic, MCD, McDonalds, Microsoft, MKC, MOIL.SI, MSFT, Natural resource Partners, NRP, O;;onois tool Works, PCL, PDG, PEP, Pepsico, PFE, Pfizer, Piedmont Natural gas, PII, Placer Dom, Plum Creek, PNY, Polaris, Rayonier, RGR, Rio Tinto, RTP, ruger, RYN, SJM, St. Joe, Sturm, T. Rowe Price New Era, Teck Cominco, Third Avenue International Value, Third Avenue Real Estate Value, Third Avenue Small-cap value, Third Avenue Value, Third Avenue values, Valero LP, Vanguard GNMA, Vanguard Precious Metals & Mining, Vanguard Short Term Investment Grade, Vanguard Wellington, VLI, XOM