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

Where do you put your money today? This month, I still have gold at the top of my list. In fact, there is a new offering from the U.S. government that I think you should buy. Also, the long-term increase trend in the Canadian dollar bodes well for our Canadian investments so I have two new funds from Canada that I want you to add to your equities positions as well. Plus, in my Monster List, I am bringing back one of my favorites, and I have breaking news that shows a strong future for this company’s new product line. Make it a good month.

Tags: AA, ABER, aber diamond, Al Qaeda, Al-Zaeqawi, Alcoa, ALEX, Alexander & Baldwin, Alpha Natural Resources, American Century Global Gold, ANR, Archstone-Smith, ASN, Bank of America Capital trust X11, BlackRock Enhanced Dividend Achievers Trust, BlackRock Global Opportunities Equities trust, BTU, CAG, Canadian General Investments, Cleveland-Cliffs, CLF, coca-Cola, ConAgra Foods, DD, DEL, Delta & Pine Land, Deltic timber, DLP, Dow Diamonds, DuPont, EQR, Equity residential, FAL, Falconbridge, FDG, Federated Investors, Fidelity Canada, FII, Florida rock, Fording Canadian Coal, FRK, harley-davidson, HDI, illinois tool works, Inco, Iraq, ITW, JOE, KO, Kurds, Marvel Enterprises, MVL, N, NOC, Norfolk Southern, Northrop Grumman, NSC, PD, Peabody Energy, Pentair, PEP, Pepsico, Phelps Dodge, Piedmont Natural gas, PII, PNR, PNY, Polaris Industries, Retirement Compounders, RFID, Smart Dust, Smart Rocks, St. Joe, streetTracks Gold Shares, Sysco, SYY, Teck Cominco, trinity Intustries, TRN, VNO, Vornado, Xstrata, XTA.L, Yankee Candle, YCC