A Humbling Experience

Being in Canada, we seem to be feeling the pinch more mildly than in the USA - BUT _ as the old saying goes, “when the USA sneezes , Canada catches a cold” - SO - I am reading all of the many opinions and trying to skate in between- I guess you could say that I am a risk taker (even at 79) - so I try to choose investments (shares) which I feel are NECESSARY , even in bad times, and hope I made the right decisions ( always trying to keep some cash - +/- 15% , just in case ) I do not feel comfortable with mutual funds nor bonds ( I have limited knowledge) so I don’t go there - RAC.

I have recently read three books: “The Great Crash of 1929,” “Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds,” “The Ultimate Depression Survival Guide.”

These three books have taught me much about the markets.

Regarding the stress tests and real estate, the above books suggest that this current bull market will turn bear. When and by how much though is the million dollar question. It amazes me that with every bit of bad news comes a rise in stock prices.

Luckily I did buy GE and BAC under $10. But I also have bought SRS and shorted CMG which has killed me… so, really, I have no idea!

How on earth can Bof A need 34 Billion and still have gone up in the market? Wouldn’t that news tank the stock?

Who knows how long the charade goes on. But acknowledge that it can’t go on forever. I don’t trust what they will release with the stress tests results. The leaks have not been good but the release may be a bit better than the leaks thus far. This managed so the spin will be “better than expected”. Then Geithner can give a speech once again for the umpteenth time saying he sees organic green shoots in spite of the need to raise capital for the banks. Thank you Martin Weiss

@Martin:

First, and most importantly, I wanted to take a moment to personally thank you for your tireless efforts, and for offering the American public (those who are willing to listen!) the best advice one could get… and at no charge!

Response to Your Questions:
You asked several questions, each of which I will respond to. But first, I’ll say this:
basically, I am in near total agreement with all of your suggestions and all of your forecasts about the economy, the CRE market, the residential real estate market, the downward spiral in employment, the commodities markets, etc. The one exception is the US Dollar; while I believe it will “hold” for a while (i.e. bounce around as it has been doing for the past 3 months), I believe that the eventual debasement and devaluation of the USD is inevitable.

Q1: What do YOU think will happen in the stock market when the full results of these bank stress tests are released?
I believe the market will soon fall hard, but somewhat independent of these stress tests, since most informed investors KNOW that they were rigged anyway. In no way will their results reveal the true picture of insolvency among these banks.

Q2: How will Real Estate Crash II — the collapse of the commercial real estate industry impact the banks that now hold these mortgages?
I believe this coming CRE collapse, coupled with all the other terrible truths about our economy (largest banks being insolvent, large and continuing unemployment stats, etc.) will drive the banks to their knees… until they capitulate and reveal “a little more” of the truth behind their insolvency. This will drive the stock market to new lows.

Q3: What investments do you see GOING UP as the next phase of this crisis begins?
Tough question to answer!
In a nutshell, I believe that gold, though being manipulated by our government (via JPM) will hold; then eventually will go up. Second, commodities in general will do well. As we move into 2010/2011, I believe gold & commodities will then start to shine even more.
On a related matter, I believe that the best investments for summer of 2009 are shorts on financial stocks (or inverse ETFs), and shorts on CRE stocks such as SPG (or inverse ETFs). SPG is outrageously high, considering their precarious position, and the fact that they issued more debt (and diluted their stock!) a month or so ago.

What early warning signs should we look for that this rally is ending (before it does)?

Bank of America needs three times as much $ as thought. Result: BAC up 12%. If Edelson is right, and this fake market reaches a DOW of 10000 or more, I won’t have to worry much about my ‘investments’, they’ll be wiped out :-).

hi chaps, this is England being dragged down with you plonkers, but house prices here in east devon have hardly moved down yet, i sold all of my real estate by the april 2004[i got caught back in the late 80s/early 90s.] i have been waiting for it all to go pear shaped ever since. i don’t know what is keeping the prices so high. renting has increased 15% for i think 3 bed houses over the last few years though. investing: with buying forwards when the pound reached 1.02 euros and 5.25% on anz bank in nz 24 months is my bet, also a few bs accounts in england only a little , up to £50,000.00. gerald. p.s. i don’t trust companys.

I think this dead cat is still going to bounce higher before it falls. Perhaps it will stay in the air for another month or two. Hard to predict tops or bottoms accurately. I have a question. Recent #’s show our gold reserve is 8000 tons which is about 80% of our currency reserves. China has about 1000 tons which represents about 1.6% of their currency reserves. Does currency reserves represent the “savings or capital” a government has and if so it seems right now China has 7 times as much savings as we do. It would seem prudent for our government to devalue the dollar and pump gold up to narrow that gap. Any thoughts? Bruce

The Fed is treating us as though we are their “puppets”; pulling our strings one way and then the other way. Geithner says one thing; the next day or so Obama says something else and so on. Somewhere in the mess of Congressmen there has to be someone or a few who will rise up and stand for the American People instead of for their next election/their jobs. Also, let’s limit their terms to ONE and OUT. A 30-year career politician has lost touch with the people and will cater to his/her own cronies. Mr. Weiss has been correct for many months that I’ve been reading Money & Markets, but still it is difficult to gauge the future with so many opinions. And, with interest rates so low, how does a retiree cope with limited funds? Where can one get a 5% safe return….not asking for much, but at least to keep up with costs of the basics of life.

Hi
Thank u for your advice it has help me much im not in the market at this time only in gold and taxi s ,im serious about buying gold companys , big question where will the australian dollar go
trevor taylor

Hi Martin, I have been in cash since the rally has started.I am following your advice and looking to short the market some time soon.With all of Govt intervention it is hard to pick a entry point.I would like to get in Faz at some time.Martin do you think they will sell this rally after the jobs#.In the safe money report you and Mike say the housing market has bottomed [I hope not i live in S Calif-renter with alot of cash to buy] isnt that a positive for the market? We need your help to profit in this madness.

Thanks for all of your help.

Sincerely, Steve Heil

As for the next shoe to drop, ( Commercial Real Estate Market ) I just read an article that our fearless leaders in Washington are in the process of bailing them out as well.

Apparently there is no end to their madness. I guess the only way that Washington will ever begin to listen is with a mass public outcry/revolution.

They have proven to be above the law.

I have concerns about holding a lot of US dollars in cash or treasury only money market accounts when some of your own experts predict a crash or devaluation in the dollar soon. Just because the dollar rose with the 2008 stock market crash doesn’t mean it will be strong during the next crash. Would it be safer to hold cash in foreign currencies? Which do you advise?

I have read and subscribed to about 15 different newsletters the last 30 years. Collectively, they have taught me to be careful, and of all of the newsletter and books that I read, Martin Weiss always seems to have the best concept of the future. I just finished reading Martin’s book “The Ultimate Depression Survival Guide”, and it was very eye-opening for me. The only question I still have is “will printed paper money be valuable until the economy does begin a re-growth?” I don’t have much confidence left in our Congress in Washington.

re: What investments do you see GOING UP as the next phase of this crisis begins?

Short term - businesses that cater to downgrading of life-styles as we’ve already seen. So I look for McDonalds, Walmart, General Foods(?) etc. to do well. Also, in the 30s parts of the entertainment industry thrived as people needed some cheap escapism to survive. Which industry will that be in today’s world? Not sure yet … online videos like iTunes? youtube of course, home entertainment on a budget? … Over the next year or so, industries that build infrastructure as projects begin to move on the promised government funding - engineering and construction firms especially those with international scope (and especially China - cautiously…). One thing I’ve seen in past recessions is that well run, well financed companies use recessions to expand their infrastructures and plants etc., while labor is cheap and they won’t miss any “downtime” caused by construction. I’ve noticed several McDonalds’ restaurants in my area re-newing and expanding their restaurants for example. Likewise my grocery store. The local EA Sports video game producer is consolidating two facilities into one - more good management. I get the feeling from good management decisions like this that these might be companies I’d like to own shares in. And I’ve also decided that I will strive to KNOW what I own in my funds, and make sure they are things I can live with as an investor and citizen of the planet (i.e. way beyond “ethical” investing). Consequently, I probably won’t invest in companies producing oil in the Alberta oilsands as they are causing a world-class environmental hazard along the way. I’m “out” for that. As an investor I now realize it is my responsibility to participate only in things that will produce the kind of world I want my grandchildren to grow up in.

The current rally is being led by 2 groups of stocks…..those that fell entirely too far and in many cases were selling from 1/3 to 1/2 of book value. These are companies like Temple Inland, International Paper, Alcoa, Dow, Tata Motors, etc. The second group is the banks/financials who are reporting fictitious earnings based on accounting rule changes and not much else. Companies such as Coca Cola (KO), Proctor and Gamble (PG) and Wal Mart (WMT) have not participated in the rally in any meaningful way.

That tells me what I need to know. Without broad participation by the bedrock of American industry, this rally will inevitably fail and those who are invested will be hurt yet again. I am saddened that our great country is being run (and has been run for some time) by a bunch of opportunistic thieves. Seeking help from the government is a bit like taking poison to cure a cold. It’s better to stay sick.

We will eventually climb out of this hole, but not before each and every American takes a hard look inward and decides that he or she is going to pull himself up and, if he has any strength left over, pull his neighbors up as well. That’s where the solution will come from, not Washington DC or Wall Street.

Martin: I am one of many holding ‘business investments’ that I’d sell if I could even break close to even! I want to just say “THANKS” for trying to open eyes in Washington and other key places. Very few of “us” have had ANY LUCK GETTING TO THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPOSTO BE REPRESENTING US!! I’m pretty upset about Bank of America using taxpayer $ to make offshore investments, then ask for more!! Our government needs to get a grip and let things settle out as they naturally should! Y0u can’t “force” this issue to go away!

Please address insurance companies and insurance premiums. How is this disaster affecting both? As a personal and commercial real estate policy holder, I’ve seen rates skyrocket over the last ten years. Will there now be pressure for them to come down?

Dear Martin
I was wondering how safe you think US Bank is?I have CDs there and a rather large Checking account?
GARY

Martin you are so genuine and sincere, I truly appreciate all your wisdom and insight. The diligent WILL rule… and there is a way to soar and prosper in this dying market, it’s in being the diligent, be the ‘honest’ and the one who goes beyond and over delivers. You are a model of that! Thank you thank you! More marketers would do well to over deliver and walk in honesty, for that is what will rise when all of this settles.

Martin,

GO FOR IT!!!!! I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE MANY, MANY LIKE MINDED PEOPLE STANDING WITH YOU AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.

GORDON GOODMUND

A huge THANK YOU to MARTIN WEISS and EVERYONE involved in your organization for all of the economical information you present each day.

What worries me is the fact that when money is put away into a safe haven like Gold or whatever and the price of that safe haven increases due to inflation, the government will tax that increase when we convert it to legal currency. Now suppose that hyperinflation sets in and your safe haven price goes through the roof. The government can tax your savings as though the whole amount is income. Is that right? Are our savings in danger of being taxed in this way?

HI
thanks for your insights
I was 10 in 33 and remember the Great Depresion
My sense is that a step function will surprise all
Could be an order of magnitude devaluation of dollar?
It seems to me we about to loose America USA and it’s been in progress
a long time.
I feel we have lost everything we won in WWII
I’m an 86 year old WWII veteran of the Pacific Aircraft carrier war.

it’s amazing ,but so many small stores have closed down in the city, and larger commercial ones like FORTUNOFF -a favorite of mine-gone! I understand that some of the banks want more bail out to give the bonuses ,so as to retain employees! But where are those employees going to get jobs if they leave?
What they are doing in the market, is alternating things each week-bulls week,then bears week, its good for the psyche. They say there’s ALWAYS opportunities in the market no matter
what! Thank you for looking out for us and keeping us informed.
Oh ,I understand that GOLD will take off again,so we should own gold,only thing I cant afford it,and dont know what i woul d do with gold bullions.Having said that maybe those who are more fortunate should think about it.
Alvarene M

Mr. Weiss,

I have no comments but I would like to ask you an important advice.
Should I paid off my $92,000 30 years-fix mortgage at 5.375% interest.
I have $130,000 in 13 weeks T-Bill and 6 months CDs. We have $350,000
in our Thrift plan. I am 75 years old and my wife 68.

I am confused about my investment in this “recession” and the massive bail-outs.

Pls. help us by saying Yes or no I should oay off my mortgage.

Thank you.

Martin, you and your staff have been a source of calm and reassurance for the past 10 years. My father always advised me to invest my money in what I know. For the most part I have and have done fairly well. I carry term life insurance to cover business asset purchases (level 10 years) but at some time that will become relatively expensive to carry. What insurance product do you recommend?

I am planning to dump my mutual funds once my sell target is met. Hopefully the recent temporary bounce will allow me to do this. Until then, my weekly contributions are continuing hoping to take some advantage of cost averaging. Gees, what a pain in the posterior this all has become.

A general malaise doesn’t have the same affect on all investments, even though it does affect nearly all investments. I tend to look at individual companies, many of which are severely underpriced but perceived to be just another generic part of the bubble economy we’ve been living with for the last forty years and not simply another statistical dot in the trouble caused by the destruction of the regulatory apparatus designed to protect us from the Supply Side Scam.
Also, I think you ought to explain how these leveraged inverse etf’s work. They aren’t for casual or not fully informed investors. You should explain that what people are buying are credit default swaps that are settled DAILY. If you were to look at a daily chart you will see that the last thing you want to do is buy them without being FULLY aware of the kind of derivatives they are playing with. These should be used only by full-time professionals or at least fully informed people.

I rhink this whole market is being manipulated by Government and that this stock market truly has not bottomed out.. How can the recession be over; when Chrysler is in Bankruptcy??. They will shut 8 plants completely. No consideration has been given to all the suppliers who are also not going to be needed. My opinion is that Gold will go up as opposed to go down based upon the current economic environment. The DOW though really only evaluates the top 30 companies so I dont really think it a very accurate predictor of Long term

Dear Mr. Weiss,
I am so glad I have bought your book, The Ultimate Depresson Survival Guide. I might say that I trust your guidness in ths mess. I am 54 years old and me and my wife’s
401k have lost a great deal. I am trying to get my ducks in a row so maybe I can have a retirement some day. If you could give me some information about the home based business you had on one of your e-mail you sent out. You talked like it could me started with little money and the possibility could be great. I need to find something to help me through this time till I can retire. Again thanks for all your concern for just normal people out here trying to find are way through this mess.

May the Lord bless your work,
Gary J. Sellers

I believe the stress tests being performed by government regulators are simply a mechanism by which the current administration can take control of the financial industry without using the “N” word. Like so many other policies they are pursuing that are unpopular and unwise, Obama and his cronies are coming in through the back door. The early unofficial results of this clearly support my assertion - or is it merely coincidence that the Bank of America shortfall conveniently matches the dollar value that would make the U.S. Taxpayers the majority shareholder if the preferred stock were converted to common stock? The results of the stress tests will be bogus, and the government will use these results to socialize the industry by force.

A number of years ago a senator (Proxmire?) said that “a billion here and a billion there, and soon it begins to add up to real money”. How about a trillion here… etc. I don’t think most Americans really have a handle on the taxpayer’s obligations in the future. As a wild estimate, there are 300 million citiizens and I’m guessing that about 100 million are taxpayers. Of these, the top 10% pay the majority of all taxes (about half of all Americans pay no taxes at all, so from a taxpaying point of view the $4 trillion isn’t an obligation). However, for the 10%, their obligation is a whopping $400,000 each!! It would be interesting if someone on your staff with better knowledge could come up with the real number. This of course seriously bites into the wealth of those taxpayers (those who create jobs, businesses, …). As another wag once said, you don’t go to work for someone that doesn’t have any money. Just my two cents worth. Perhaps with this perspective, our President wouldn’t be so willing to spend other peoples money.

I am looking over notes written to banks such as WMAU, INDYMAC, LEHMAN BROS ETC. and they were written for 13%, 9%, some 6.5% surely all over market. These banks issued tons of money to borrowers who really didn’t intend to pay anyway. then I suppose these notes with “secured” mortgages, were tranched and then sold to unsuspecting pensions funds etc. No wonder it all happened. Fraud from buyer to seller to title companies, to mortgage brokers, to appraisers, to banks etc. How short sighted they all were. time in prison for a few dollars!! Now I have read that those NY investment people and wall street traders and bankers could be a target of an unruly mob, like houses unprotected in Connecticut. I am fearful of civil unrest.

Since you are afraid of stocks and the stock market, how safe are gold and silver stocks?
should they be converted to cash? I enjoy all you write.

Dear Mr. Weiss’
Near total dependence upon your Safe Money Report and daily e-letters for the past 12 months or so. THANK YOU. At the moment I am well under water with SKF and manageably down with PSQ, EUM, DOG, etc. I know you have warned about these holdings in an up market. But at this point with your renewed caveats should I hold or get rid of these positions?
I hope these questions are appropriate to your blog content!
Thanks again.
VS

My input is very Direct due to the fact that I am a TIME TRAVELER, I’ve seen this play coming since last
year April ‘08. This Admin Strategy will not only fail, but lead to unfortunate civil unrest World-Wide.
I tried to inform the Biden-Obama Candidates last year and they ignored it.
It will be very unfortunate for all of us. I’ve already seen what Economic Foundation will work, and will last through the year 2,500 on Auto-Pilot. It will even avoid the two WARS just ahead. They’re afraid of the SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION COMING to all Mankind after the GREAT CLEANSING from now through 2016. The change that’s coming post 2016 in Science alone is Mind Blowing. Thanks for your
great work and concern Dr. Weiss.
Alfred.

We would be most interested in how you would view the effects on the economy if, as we think most probable, the community of petroleum geologists, unlike the economics community, are correct in their view that oil and natural gas production has already or will very shortly peak and then enter an irreversible decline, and given that oil and natural gas are absolute necessities for the production of almost everything else we use or consume, particularly food, clothing and shelter.

In common with many of your posters, we as children lived through the Depression of the late 1920’s and the 1930’s, and we see entirely too many similarities for comfort.

Thanks Martin:

At least you are trying to save the day and the country. The clowns in DC have no idea they are bringing this country down to its knees. Can that be Obama’s grand plan? And make us an easy target for the terrorists?
I bought four of you latest book for people close to me. I wish there was a way to give them fee on the street corners, because that is where many will be with the Obama/Pelosi/Emanual shenanigans.
I also bought four copies of Capital Contacts distributed by the Washington Times. This great catalog has all the names and contact information for all the congress. Now my messages will be going en mass.

Maurice Rampone

Dr Weiss

Would appreciate your views on when the market is going to make a turn south. This market is on its way up since the last 2 months and anyone with exposure on inverse ETF’s have lost money!! Do you really think the market is going to go below the low it established a few months back?

With regards

I’m admit I’m uninformed when it comes to commercial mortgages. How are they typically structured? Are they different from home mortgages? What are they renewing?

Thanks Martin for your patriotism and hard work on our behalf.
When this depression/crash really unravels, what hardships will Americans face beyond the loss of their wealth? Are we looking at a police state and marshal law in a nation ruled by the Administration in Washington?

Martin
After reading your book and suscribing to your newsletter I am much more educated. It appears the fundimentals that run the market are eroding. I am following you very closely. Thank you again for standing up for the hard working Americans. These are unpresidented times and I am thankfull for people like you.

What I like about the free market is that the rules are so simple: get it right and you make money, get it wrong and you lose money. What I do not like about it is that the players do not play by the rules. What I admire about USA today is that there are a few people like Sheila Bair who know this and say so, while most Americans are welded to the free market system and still require the government to fiddle the rules. “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” If it is broke you had better fix. Is the world free market system broke?

I have a bridge to sell you if you believe in the veracity of the stress tests. It is painfully obvious that the government has its own agenda and it is equally dangerous to assume that the people’s interest will be looked after here.

How is it that Ken Lewis remains on the board of BofA after admitting to NY Attorney General in a sworn statement that he allowed himself to be manipulated in going through with the Merrill Lynch deal after prodding from Paulson and Bernanke? You would think he was some naive teenager. He knows his responsibilities. He should have refused and gone public or at least resign rather than commit his company to this lousy deal. He should be in a jail cell for violating his fiduciary responsibilities to shareholders, yet he only lost is chairmanship. Unfortunately, all this is further evidence of the growing crony capitalism infecting the US economy. The individual investor better think twice before believing firms with kangaroo boards and governmental agencies more concerned with financial entities than the people. We all see where our government is coming from when it is revealed that Paulson and Bernanke didn’t want financial data on ML released to the shareholders before the deal was consumated. Shame on the them + Lewis for the losses they caused BofAs shareholders. They should all be sued or at least slammed in the court of public opinion.

The American public better wise up on what is going on around us.

Apple pie,USA and Chevrolet. I simply can not imigine My America without a GM and chevrolet cars. what do you see happening to GM

Sonny

Martin, I am trusting you for guidance. At this point I am in a desperate attempt to just preserve the little I have left. I have lost over 60% of my meager $2000 I had. All my eggs are now in one basket… DOG.

I am at a loss as to what the market will do on any given day. Even really bad news like the one today about BofA needing tens of billions more, yet the DOW is up over 140 points!

I have read The Ultimate Depression Guide and I will work on getting out of debt but its going to take years to do it. Regrettably, I don’t see how I would be able to invest in the real bargains when the bottom is in.

Thank you Martin for helping me manage my portfolio over the years. You have helped me avoid many of the pitfalls and traps in the market place. I wish you well and pray that the powers that be listen to you and read your white papers. We all need you to represent us in Washington. We need a return to sound money as specified in the Constitution of the USA. As Allan Geenspan has stated in 1968, “In the absence of a gold standard there is no way to protect our savings from confiscation thourgh inflation. Deficit spending is simply a scheme for the unlimited confiscation of wealth. Gold stand in the way of this insidious process. Gold protects our property rights. Once one understands this concept, on has no difficulty understanding the satists (librals) antaganism toward the gold standard”.

It is obvious that the Federal Reserve, congress and bankers have soild us out to support their self intrests!!!! God help us all.

It seems like the housing crisis reached a peak when ARM’s were up and people had to refinance. They were paying their mortgage up till that point, why didn’t the feds roll back rates to that level?

Rather than bailing out the Auto Producers they should have taken that money and given every taxpayer a $20000-$30000 tax credit to buy a GM, Chrysler or Ford product. Solution to the problem and probably would have saved money and jobs. It would have created more taxable income and consumers would be happy.

The politician’s are way too irresponsible. The Air Force 1 flyby of New York could have been accomplished with Photo Shop and saved the taxpayers a big chunk of change. All of these boneheads should be voted out.

I would like to thank you Martin and your colleagues for the time and effort you spend feeding us with the knowledge and power to make appropriate decisions. I have been saying for the last two years wait till commercial takes a hit and then begins the real journey for our economy. I have only question for the people that call themselves “Goverment” why not distribute these dollars and pay off the mortgages on each individual’s primary residence, that way the banks will have their loans paid off, people homes to live in and rather than selling their loans at a loss and kicking people on the curb they can start lending once again, which is their only job and they don’t seem to be performing it anymore.

Good afternoon Martin:
I warned friends for months on what was coming in the economy starting back in the summer of 2007. I was a senior nat’l review appraiser for GE in the retail, subprime mortgage division and we saw what was happening. GE finally did too but not before it cost them billions and me my job. The warnings I gave my friends was based on information from you and your associates. It has also helped me rethink my business and change course toward REO appraisals and consulting.

Regarding the latest shoe to fall, commercial real estate, don’t you think the gov’t is going to twist accounting and reporting rules to cover up the collapse of this market and continue to try and save the big banks, (the ones that created this mess in the first place).
Thanks again for looking out for us “little people”.

How in the world does anyone expect the economy to improve when the same guys are in charge - Dodd, Frank and others?

They got us into this mess, and now they are pretending to be trying to get us out. The guys and gals we send to Washington seem to be dumber than bricks, but they - like puppets - will perform for the big money (pocket change for their handlers) their handlers arrange for them to enjoy.

Dear Martin,
Thank you very much for your emails.
As I had told, I would like to tread shares in FTSE100, would you please guide me about this market and give me some information aout London stock market please?
Yours sincerely
Reza Paknejad

Just received your book “The Ultimate Depression Survial Guide” today and am looking forward to finding my way to safety. With all the media hype so up beat I am again being referred to as the editor and chief of the “Doom and Gloom”. Your advise has been forwarded to others by me and I hope they take heed. I have not been so frightened about the economy since the S & L melt down. We face a troubled future and our financial gruru’s are trying to get us to safety via inflation and then a pull back that probably can not work. Banks of all sizes need to be allowed to fail and liquidate as do Chrysler and GM. The congo line of failed firms knocking at the door will lengthen.

Keep up the good work and let the world hear from you often!

Who the heck knows what will happen when the stress test results are released & if the momentary rise or drop will fall.

I do not understand, how people can not understand the fundamental fact that more & more people are losing jobs every month… that means more mortgage & credit card defaults and less money to spend in the economy. The market jumps up because the monthly unemployment number goes down a little one month … still less money for people to spend, not more money!

Fasten your seatbelts!

thank you so much weiss.love your book ultimate depression survival guide

i am a charter member of safe money & real wealth. i am a retired WW11 vet & i bless you every day. abe cooperman

I feel you’re 100% correct. I’m just pre social security age but doubt I’ll ever collect any.
Couple of questions…..I farm….is this a good place to be? Seems farm prices are at least decent, but costs are rising like there’s no tomorrow also….so we just handle lots more money that buys less….and pay more income taxes and SS.
Next question…..Is NLY a safe stock to own? Is any bank “really” safe?
Third question….the fence they started building in Texas….is it to keep the Mexicans out or US citizens from leaving?
I enjoyed your book and hope we’ve helped out some homeless person or people….thanks, Daryl

FORMOST, THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR YOUR INFORMATION, AND GUIDANCE.
CONFESSION, DID NOT FOLLOW YOUR EARLY ADVICE, HOWEVER YOUR CONSTANT PROVIDING OF FACTS, THANKS TO YOU, [AND STAFF], WAS NOT CAUGHT IN THE OCT. / NOV. 2008 MELT DOWN. YES EARLIER DID TAKE ABOUT A 15% LOSS, BUT WAS SAVED BY YOUR REPORTS THE 50% DROP AS MENTIONED, OCT., NOV., 08,
OUR YOUNG DAUGHTER, [17, EARLY GRAD.], PURCHASED AT NEAR THE 08 BOTTOM, [WAS IN ALL CASH AT THE TIME], WORKING JUST $35M OF HER PORTFOLIO, USING YOUR PROMPTS, SINCE AN. 09, HAS EXCEED $15M, ACTUAL RETURN. MARY WILL BE ENTERING BAYLOR U. FALL 09. HEALTH AND SAFETY TO YOU, YOURS, AND STAFF. J.R.

I’m impressed and happy that you sign off saying God Bless! That in itself lets me know what kind of man you are! The rest of the US has pretty much denied the existence of God and no longer wants him involved in anything. Pretty soon, we wont even be allowed to type the words God or Jesus on the internet, because it will disturb an atheist/nonbeliever. Thanks Martin for everything you are doing and I hope to read your book soon.

I am looking at all this from the Great White North: Canada, things are not as bad as in the US, but we feel the pinch as well, job loses, government deficits, lower house values (which are good for some). I have lost about half of my portfolio in the stock market and I have had enough, that is why I am turning to the forex market. Currency exchange is the way to go, but you need to educate yourself before making any trades or you can lose as well.
As far as bailouts the less the better, so much has been spent and the banks are still drowning in debt, the fed should have pulled the plug much sooner, it is like trying to fill a bucket full of holes.

“WHAT EVER THE MIND CAN CONCIEVE AND BELIEVE, THE MIND CAN ACHIEVE”
Napoleon Hill

Your mind is unquestionably your most valuable possession. You may lose every material thing you own, but knowledge can never be taken from you. With it, you can earn a new fortune, build a new home ,and buy anything you truly desire. No one else can control your thoughts; even the cruelest tyrant cannot force you to thnk about something you refuse to accept. When you make a deliberate decision to take control of your mind and feed it positive, constructive thoughts, you are on your way to taking control of your life. The thoughts you allow to dominate your mind will determine what you will get from life.

” THOUGHTS ARE THINGS” (becareful what you think about)

SRS will go up I hope so far I have lost money on the inverse ETF which invests in the Comm rela estate market.

Dr Weiss
I have not read your books, but one thing is for sure if we don’t under go a complete overhaul of our Country and soon we’ll be a third world country in 15 yrs, Dr Robbie Bontra a professor of economic at SMU has been preaching for years that supply eco. only works for short time and Dr Greenspan aggreed.
The only way for our country to stay afloat is to go back to demand economic. where you import raw materials and export finished products. The Neo Cons put our country in the red with Reagan. He tripled our defense buget doubled our SSI taxes. The Neo want a two class society. We must change health care and the banking industry, now

If commercial real estate market is still to burst, you would think that inverse ETFs such as SRS and perhaps, those that play the inverse side of REITs might do well in the near future. Also, with the shortages of oil inventory and the upcoming driving season, perhaps, some oil stocks might do ok. But who is to say? The markets are irrational. Recently, the markets have been soaring on negative data.
Thank you Dr. Weiss. Please let us know YOUR thoughts.

Thanks for all of your great advice, I purchased 3 ultimate survival guides for gifts for pre- fathers day. I am keeping on for my self and am almost thru reading it. I did have question. I just bought 500 shares in Vangard Ginnie Mae mutual fund. The yield has been 5-7% and they seem to be as safe as treasurys. What is your opinion. this represents only 3% of my portfolio and the rest is in Cash.

P.S. I am now reading The Ultimate Depression Survival Guide.

The banks will tumble and crash. Also be broke and have to close their doors.

What can we do clear our name and to have the Home Land security believe that us pro-lifers aren’t terrorists?

This question is personal on the hate speech bill; that will take away the rights of Catholic Priests to teach on the sins and everything else. What can we do to fight that bill?

Bank tests. Will hurt the market as commercial real estate failures show up and add to the misery.
Next investments. Expect GOLD to shine after some more backfilling at the 800-900 level.*
DOW and NAS . Being bolstered by the big fund managers (only). Will see 4000-5000 level before we see 12000. We are seeing the normal 40-60% bounce in a BEAR market. Do not be fooled. Take any profits and hide them.
Corporate Bonds. Should continue to do well until inflation starts rising (ala 2010 or ?). Returns are 8% plus capital gains 5-20%.
Oil will rise on China and emerging market strength.
The dollar is doomed to fall before the end of 2009.*
We are in a depression and that will last thru 2010 at least. China will be the only shining light as far as GDP goes.

Dr. Weiss:
Thanks for all you have done and continue to do to educate Congressmen and Senators about all they continue to do wrong. The over powering push of the Oval Office toward socialism is a big worry for myself, my children and grandchildren. The Democrat Party with their long term programs of entitlements to so many have pretty much bought any election that comes up in the future. One can only hope their are democrats that will start moving in a market economy i.e. conservative direction rather than toward socialism.
Re. investments, inverse ETF’s sound interesting but I can’t get my mind around how they work and how to use them for gains to prevent losses.
Again, thanks for all you do.
Arlin

The Big Takeover
The global economic crisis isn’t about money - it’s about power. How Wall Street insiders are using the bailout to stage a revolution
MATT TAIBBIPosted Mar 19, 2009 12:49 PM

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/26793903/the_big_takeover/1

The eight blunders are:
• Wealth without work
• Pleasure without conscience
• Knowledge without character
• Commerce without morality
• Science without humanity
• Worship without sacrifice
• Politics without principle
• Rights without responsibilities.

Dr. Weiss,
I want to add my thanks and appreciation the guidance you have provided in your survival guide. I have implemented most of your recommendations and feel much less stressed knowing that I have taken preventive action to cushion myself for whatever happens.
Thanks again. I’ll be following your daily blog.

Dan M

I believe the Dow and the economy will ultimately fall crashing down. Thanks for your book Dr. Weiss “The Ultimate Depression Survival Guide”, it was well worth the price and a keeper. I highly recommend 2 books 1) Published 1998 “America’s Last Call” On the Brink of a Financial Holocaust” by David Wilkerson and 2) Published in 1999 “God’s Plan to Protect His People in the Coming Depression” also by David Wilkerson. I believe the economy will get much much worse with ultimate runaway inflation.

In those books he warned of a coming crash in bonds and the US dollar.

I have several apartment buildings with other investers.Do you feel apartments will do just as bad as commercial real estate?Thanks for everything you have done.You have been great.

I appreciate the sound advice and insight that is consitently shared by Weiss Research. However, recently, several experts in the group have indicated that residential real estate prices may have reached bottom. Clearly, the easy access to debt played a major role in the residential bubble. Yet, I would argue that historically low mortgage rates have further inlated the run-up in home prices and that when these rates return to historical norms, prices will fall even farther … not convinced we’ve seen the bottom

I have disagreed with practically everything this administration has done, foreign and domestic. Some will wreak havoc now; the rest will “kick the can down the road” for later (and greater) havoc. As an 83-year old, I “have been there & done that” and dread that our children and g-children are going to go thru that.

I want you to know that I read everything you and your associates write very avidily.
I am 80 years old and didn’t loose anything yet.I may get some money from friends and I am happy to know you.I shall soon have a lot of questions to ask you and may like to meet some of you.I live in Columbus (ohio) .Thanks for all you do .JJR

1. BAC has already been cleared by the Treasury today for their $34B reserves by using their TARP allocated funds to do so. Wells F, Citi, JPMC are all going to survive this process with BAC, and the Stock Market will lurch on Thursday and by early next week, rely on the Goldman Sachs report published today that has our Biggest Banks outperforming their miserable market image and a sound Investment Bet for the Long Term.
2. Back in February when BAC,JPMC, Wells, Wachovia were all drastically reduced in share price, I bought 20K shares of these including Merrill Lynch, FPL, Ford as Individual Stocks. I would not smack a Dog in the Butt with Mutual Funds, ETF’s, Bonds of any Kind, Treasuries et al because they are all losers…yes Losers. Pick single stocks of highly reputable Companies that pay good Dividends and sleep soundly each nite.
3. I just purchased Energy Stocks like Conoco and Occidental and thus far have reaped $$$Thousands in Share Increase valuation during the past 10 days alone. Oil and Natural Gas have only one future direction…raise your eyes to Heaven and you will see the future price of Oil and Gas, both non-fungible commodities.
4. Purchase Selective Bank’s Preferred Shares, Oil Stocks Individually, Minerals/Metals, Consumables, Food, and Retail all of which who pay good dividends consistently, and you will prosper in the present and the future.
5. Martin…we all owe you an enormous debt of gratitude for your tireless efforts to take the Washington Meatheads and open their eyes to common sense and sound policies.

I am particularly concerned that our elected representatives in Washington (from the President through both the Senate and the House) have the bit in their teeth and will not listen to us. You might say that my trust bucket is about empty. Thank you for carrying the message to Washington. Now, using you contacts, see that they pay attention.

Thanks, Harvel

Whats most dispicable about this is that the Govt, in an effort to buy time is dangling all these imfo carrots in front of us knowing full well its all a charade. They are trying to confuse us all because the truth will cause economic panic if it is ever released.I hope Martin is wrong about all this, but I dont think he is. Thanks for telling us the truth,

R Murphy

I think the stock market will go up to 10,000, just long enough for people to start reinvesting, then it will crash, hard. More people will lose more money. Gold and Silver will have to go up someday, since the banks can’t hold it down forever.

I am totally concerned about National health care akin to Canada. This just can’t happen. I am also concerned about the decaying moral culture we are heading into. I am so afraid that the politically illiterate of this country have chosen a Socialist style President who is narcassistic and looking out only for his legacy. He talks a great game but has lied and deceived his way into the hearts of illiterates. THIS MAN AND HIS ADMINISTRATION MUST BE STOPPED. Keep up the good work!

The news media reports that JP Morgan and American Express have passed the stress tests. Since the stress tests are statistical tests and have little to do with the value of the mortgage and other assets on the bank books, I do not think the finance stocks or stock market will fall when the stress tests are released.

It seems to me Martin that sanity has left us in its wake. Hasn’t anyone in office realize the danger we are in? If they do, why aren’t they doing what should be done to get this ship where it should be heading. Like the good ship? Titanic, we have a captain and crew asleep at the ship’s wheel. The iceburg is clearly in sight yet the crew continue sleeping. We are all doomed if it were not for you Mr. Martin Weiss. Good job that your post yelling at us down below to put on our life vest. The water is cold and choppy below.

James

Obamanation or Abomination time will soon tell

Is there anything more that we can do to stop this reckless explosion of the national debt? I have worked hard and sacrificed my entire life(I am now 55) in order to build something, and now these politicians, and their “grand ideas”(the road to hell is paved with good intentions), are probably going to end up destroying everything that I have worked for! How can they do this to me? Who will now be the beneficiaries of all my hard work? What will become of me now?

Bob

Martin - great job presenting the petitions and at the press conference. Keep fighting and reporting. You are my eyes and ears on the Hill.

I visit Jupiter Island a couple of times a year; it’s a beautiful area. My major concern is that Obama’s unprecedented spending spree will cause rampant inflation and what little money we have left will be worthless. We won’t discover this until Obama’s grandiose social experiments have destroyed our country. Please keep providing us with current information so that we can make wise decisions.

I am concerned about our nation’s morality, economic decline, national health care, tax increases, lay-offs, national security, immigration, one world order and Obama’s attitude toward this great country and we as Americans. I am also concerned about closing Gitmo and treating the detainees like they are the victims while he is ready to prosecute members of the Bush Administration and put them in jail. What’s that about??? I’m concerned about all the different conflicts over seas. I am concerned that Obama feels it necessary to go seek out a relationship with the bad guys and apologize for the Americans. I feel he did know about Air Force One buzzing NYC and he probably thought it was funny to terrorize them once again.

Mr. Weiss Thank for your “and God Bless” God has been excluded most other places, but only Martin Weiss has what it takes to acknowledge the source of all wisdom. “If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God.

Martin, ” Are you aware of a thing called Shadow Housing?” The homes are vacant but not on the market because the the lender does not want to take the loss in order to sell them. We have two on our street back to last Aug. and Sept. They are not for sale yet.

Hello Martin,

From what I understand, the Obama group has raised the stress tests so high that no bank could pass. B of A has plenty of money according to business news. The bar is set high for a purpose. Obama wants to control everything in the U.S. I believe this is his first steps toward one world order. Remember, he bowed deep to the Saudi King. He has been in office over 3 months and still has not found a church he can call home. This man is a muslim, in my opinion, but can not truly show his colors as yet. Even prayer day, which every president has honored, he wrote a memorandum only and invited not one person to the White House.

The true tri lateral agreement will be the opening of all borders between Canada, Mexico and the U.S. Then we can really become a 3rd world power. Obama is duing everything he can to criple the U.S. Hey Martin, everything in his prior life before becoming president is sealed. Why? Transparancy my ass. This is the most dangerous president we have ever had………………………..

Chris

I am changing many things and checking many more because of your book….great job!!! thank you for giving me more insite!!!

Dr. Weiss,
My strategy right now is to ride the rally. The weekly stochastics have not turned over yet we may still have more upside. I have switched some equity mutual funds to fixed income. I intend to sell individual stocks to raise cash soon. Then I will use the inverted ETF’s to short the market on the way down. What do you think of this strategy?

Thanks for all the forthought and sharing of information. I think I am more prepared than before to weather the coming storm.

As a sailor I know that without a rudder we are doomed to sway with the wind helpless to land on whatever shore. The first sight of storm clouds should have been warning enough to head for the security.

At least when storm clouds are heeded we have a choice.

I do hope that my boat isn’t stolen while on shore.

MJH

What can one say? I’m a late comer to your advise and ruefully so, but at least I can raise my own garden and hope the multitudes of have-nots will bypass my home on their way to take what the government can no longer provide; Food. A man will go to great lengths to feed his hungry family and just because it’s your family’s livelyhood makes little difference to him.

Let me answer your question with a question. Which would you select? All the wealth you desired or a place to keep your loved ones safe from the ravages of the homeless and starving. That’s the question, what’s your advise.

Thank you for what your doing,

Bob

The Obama administration agenda shows no concern for the voters to resolve the financial condition of this country. At times like these, Americans must resolve to respond differently than the Germans did to Hitler’s rise to power. Obama must be defeated if he is allowed to stay in office this term. Thanks for your awaking people to this catastrophe.

To watch your nation flounder and fall flat on its face is disheartening to say the least. The American people seem to have lost the will to fight for our Constitution and our heritage. It is the 1920s all over again and the people just want to have fun and worry about tomorrow only when they are forced to. Having been born in 1933, I started life watching people trying to climb out of the Depression. It took the Second World War to turn our economy around, twelve years after the explosion on October 29, 1929. Thanks to the reckless spending now, we may never climb out of this one. Our children and grandchildren will curse us and the ones responsible will more than likely go unscathed happily on their way. How many civilizations have fallen due to reckless abandoning of their founding principles?

I wish this would show Congress it’s not doing its job, let alone representing legal law abiding citizens. I like the idea of petitioning the 16th Amendment under The Constitution, and have a State by State petitioning to Washington that WE NO LONGER WILL PAY STATE INCOME TAXES. That would send a pucker up Congress & Obamanomics 101!

I have 2 CD’s w/ Everbank, and all of my investments are in China stocks. Do you think I am safe? I also have a checking accn’t and money market funds w/ BAC. Should I get the heck out of BAC???????? Thanks or your reply, Bob

Stop the bailing out. Insist on stopping the paying of the exorbitant salaries or incentives that are given to the banking executives and boards. Make them show progress in solving the problems before receiving rewards.

How long before this administration will come to terms with this, that their policies are actually doing more harm than good?
We are a free enterprise nation and as such, only free enterprise can pull this nation out this predicament. The longer this government tries to fix things by taxing and transfering wealth, the longer and deeper the recession is likely to remain.

What can the legislation do to try and get a handle on the out of control costs of health care?
That is probably on of the most vexing issues facing our country and I don’t believe that govenment run health care is the answer either.

Fuel prises are on the rise again. Few things will have the impact on our economy as the outragous cost of fuel which just transfers down to the end user. THere are so many problems.
E.S.

We just had a hugely successful Tea Party ll Rally in Hamilton, Mt. on May 1st and about 500 validated signatures on a petition to our Senators Baucus & Tester, asking them to explain their disastrous voting pattern. We are basically promising to begin collecting the required signatures to start RECALL against them and get it on the ballot to RECALL THEM and REPLACE them. I wonder why other states voters are not doing this too? Don’t you think that we could stop the spending party the current legislature is having BEFORE the next round of elections?? Any thoughts out there? If the representatives are not voting according to the wishes of their constituents they need to be replaced. They do work for us after all.

What amazes me is that both Bank of America and Citi stocks were up yet again today, the day before the “stress results” supposedly are released. What in the wide wide world of sports is a goin’ on here! Does Wall Street exist on the same planet as the rest of us, or they playing by a different set of rules? I wouldn’t touch any of these banks with the proverbial 10-foot pole, yet I somehow have the feeling that when these zombies inevitably crash, the rest of us will somehow get caught holding the bag for their recklessness and greed. Why do we continue to reward stupidity!

It appears that the bailout money to Chrysler and ultimately GM, when they file Bankruptcy, will be nothing more than payback to the Unions by the Dems for the Union support during the election.
I heard that the Chrysler workers are drawing 80%of their normal salary whie the bankruptcy goes through the legal process. Sweet Deal!
The taxpayers need to know about this !

I’m very concerned about another bank, a major one, still not being able to “get it together” after the American people have bailed them out! Bank of America holds my mortgage & I’m very concerned what will happen if they collapse. Will any other bank be in a position to buy out all these mortgages they hold in an economy that is so weak?? I pray every day that we all survive this disaster, that we keep our jobs so we can stay in our homes. My house is my only investment, if I lose it, I will have to work the rest of my life!

I am so thankful for people like you to speak for me, i work the phones to Congress and I sign all petitions to stop this nut and congress. We are in big trouble with this administration ,socialized health Care,Fairness doctrine, Hate Crimes Act,releasing memos and pictures of the way we treat our enemies. I think we may could get this presdient for treason, for giving aid and comfort to our enemies.

Martin,

I believe our current government is not able to function effectively any longer. It really does not work. Career politicians have destroyed the essence of how this country should work. We need to clean out the current group of politicians and replace them with ones who care more about the country than winning the next election. Right now, you would be lucky to find a handful that can qualify under that last description. Even the ones who do care about the country more than their own political career are virtually helpless to bring change. Liberals have most of the media propagandizing their positions 24/7 (and I do not use that term lightly…progaganda is what they do).

As Dick Durban said a couple of days ago, the “Banksters” are in charge of the government. They have perpetrated a giant fraud on this country and I fear the end result is already baked in the cake and it won’t be pretty. The politicians have played ball with the big money people and the big money people have their surrogates strategically positioned all through the government.

Honestly, I believe it is too late to effect any changes which will alter what I believe is going to be a very terrible phase of our countries history. Benanke and his minions continue to paper over the fraud and cover for the fraudsters. What they should have done was let the weak ones fail, and throw the many who have perpetrated the fraud in jail. But, as they say, the inmates are in charge of the assylum. Americans now know that were in a heap of trouble, and they also know that their representatives in Congress know it as well, yet Americans know that these representatives will not do the right thing. They still think it’s business as ususal. The tea parties indicate to me that we are now in the end game. The politicians won’t figure it out until it’s too late. They will keep playing their games until the lights go out.

Thanks for trying. I also will do what I can do, but it really looks futile at this point. The corrupt structure must be torn down and rebuilt. Hopefully, this can be done with minimum disruption to the county and without violence. I personally will never resort to violence and will speak against any who indulge in it. I feel the most effective activity now is to pray. Nevertheless, thanks for your efforts and I hope you keep on keepin’ on. I will pray for you and others who are doing what you are doing.

I am sickened by the depth of the financial mess we are in, to no fault of our own. Our Government and Financial leaders must stop the bailouts and allow the market to do it’s thing before it is too late!

How do we take advantage with the probable severe drop in commercial real estate? Inverse ETF’s?

The way our goverment is taking the mation says to me that we have crooked leaders in
high places that is void of any wisdom. They want to leave god out of everything and
GOD is in control of everything but they are a bunch of power hungry leaders who are
very gready and on the way to destroying the $ and our nation as we know it today.

Thank you so very much for taking the responsibility upon yourself to get this grass roots action going. What concerns me most at this time is the government’s insistence on interjecting themselves into almost every aspect of every industry. Right now, the Senate Finance Committee is deciding how (not if) they are going to impose their will on how health care will be delivered across the nation. How on earth can they honestly feel that a government run “public plan” will benefit us - look at the shape the current government programs are in - reducing Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement levels to providers to the point they have to cost shift the difference between reimbursements and actual cost (40+%) to those of us who are through insurance carriers thereby driving up the premiums to the insured - don’t they get it - somebody has to pay! If they institute a government run plan, of course with no financial oversight, we will be paying out of both hands if we elect to keep our current plans through our employers - taxes to fund the government plan which will unfairly compete with open market plans driving us to socialized medicine - regardless of what they want to call it!

I get so disgusted that more people will not write or phone their Senators and Congressman.
i do it all the time but feel my words are lost when I ask my friends and family to also contact to fight all the excess government we are obtaining ar break-neck speed.

My current concern is moniizing the damage that may well be done by this current administration. Socialism hasfailed around the globe, yet so-called elected represenatives in America appear to have failed to see that.

I am also concerned that the demographics are changing to the point where near future population seeks greater support and handouts from the government. This administration is playing on fear to maintain power. This has been the democratic play-book for the past 30 years.

All I know is that Bank of America was suppsed to be the healthiest of banks a few months ago and now they too have their hands out. What about all of us who owe money on our credit cards. Do our debts get forgiven??? I sincerely doubt it and yet our banks have wrecked our ecomony as sure as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Where is the justice.

Thanks for your thoughts and activity. It gives me some hope. God bless you.

Former Fed Chairman Arthur Burns use to ask his students at Columbia University on the opening day of classes

What causes inflation?

When no-one replied, he would state- “Government deficits cause inflation.”

So what do you think will happen with gigantic government deficits?

Guess we all will learn the answer in the coming years.

P.S. Alan Greenspan was one of Arthur Burns’ students. Greenspan told Bill Clinton when Clinton was elected President, and Greenspan was chairman of the Federal Reserve,
“The best thing you can do to restore the economy, is to reduce the deficit.”
Clinton reduced spending and raised taxes (without support from any Republicans) and we had 10 good years.

You asked for my opinion as to what we must do now. IMO, there is NO stopping the total collapse of our economy and the snowballing of the same to most other economies. We are approaching A PERIOD of choas, riots and eventually anarchy by the end of 2009 that will be taken advantage of by the FACISTS waiting in the background to implement martial law. Yes, it will be a real NATIONAL EMERGENCY. CREATED A GREAT DEAL BY THESE SAME FASCISTS.

What we lovers of liberty and free markets MUST do NOW is to PLACE TOP PRIORITY ON organizing LOCAL HOMELAND SECURITY UNITS IN EVERY COUNTY OF THE USA, HOPEFULY LINKED IN WITH THE ELECTED SHERIFFS. THESE UNITS MUST BE WELL ORGANIZED, WELL EQUIPED, AND WELL TRAINED IN DEFENSIVE GUERILLA TACTICS. THEY MUST BE TOTALLY COMMITTED TO RESTORING THE CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC AND NEVER ALLOW GUN CONFISCATION OR TAKING PATRIOTS TO FEMA REEDUCATION/DETENTIOIN CENTERS. IF NECESSARY, DEFENSIVE FORCE MUST BE USED.

THE FASCIST SEDITIONISTS ALREADY IN CONTROL IN DC MUST KNOW 100% THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY AND COURAGE TO STOP THEM. IMO, ANYTHING ELSE WILL FAIL!!!!

All of these negatives keep upsetting me. I think we all keep saying, “what will happen next?” It seems we’ve had total chaos since Obama is in the White House.

Where do we find fiscally responsible leaders, who have the vision to lead the country to a balanced budget?
How can America be a world leader when it has & continues to make such a mess of it’s own financial affairs?

I live in the Indiana county with currently the highest unemployment rate (18.9%) in the United States. Many manufacturing plants have closed their doors or severely cut back production. People are still very optimistic that it will get better very soon. I heard of people that were in fact called back to work. But only a few… what will it mean for the 18% who have no income? Only time will tell whether or not desperation sets in, and people will begin taking any work available, even if at only the minimum wage of a little more than $50 per 8 hr. day. At this point most of those working at $30.00 to $40.00 per hour cannot visualize themselves working for $10/hr, let alone minimum wage.
So they work nothing “for nothing”, plus their unemployment check! Some of them do literally work without pay doing some type of volunteer service labor to stay busy…which is great!
I cannot see how those with substantial mortgages will survive another wave of mortgage problems if employment does not pick up this summer.

What good is a Stimilus package, when the govt is going to take it right back in your 2009 taxes. This is like robbing Peter to pay Paul. If Mr. Obama want’s to stimulate the economy, he is going about it, as if he was giving it to the rich and greedy, and forgetting about the American citizen. I didn’t like his stimulus plan in the beginning, as I felt AIG, the giant Financial Houses, and Chrysler and GM, would take advantage of this, and their CPO’s, CFO’s would be the one’s who will fly out with the “golden Parachute. Let the big three go into Chapter 11 Bankruptcy (as Chrysler is doing now), and in the long run it will come out a beetter managed company, and establish itself back into a top operation. Mr. Obama, stop spending the taxpayer’s money, and concentrate on bringing jobs to America, so our economy can finally go forward.

I call or email my one Minnesota senator, Amy Klobuchar, around once a week. her staffers don’t like to hear from me. I call my state senator, Tom Anzelc, with concerns about spending also.

I’m received with barely contained contempt and with sarcasm when I tell them that I am a small business owner, a conservative, who curbs my spending when I don’t have the money. I’m fed up. I’M FED UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks so much for Your candor. The most inexpensive but potent peace of mind I have found is Silver / specifically CDE.. It is the only reason I can sleep at night… Back then Nov/ Dec you could buy a share for .60….

Thanks again for all You do!!

Glenn A. Melcher

I’m sick and tired of the government freely giving away money that doesn’t belong to them in the first place. Mr. Obama is creating a never-ending debt that our children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren will have to repay. He is showing no respect or regard for all the hard working citizens in this once great nation, and his efforts at changing the United States into the Socialist States of America should be giving all of us great concern. Obama wants to be worshipped as our fuhrer, and not only take away our freedom of choice, but make sure that “his” government has total control over all the companies, banks, car makers etc. in the entire country! Obama’s enormous ego and the unbelievable power trip he’s on should be making us all wake up before it’s too late. I can see my dirt poor grandchildren in the future paying a 75% tax rate, if not even higher. Enough is enough! I’m also extremely upset that his power hungry and mentally ill government is planning on giving my hard earned Social Security money to illegals who never even paid in to the system to begin with! This is a complete outrage!!! How dare he give away my money without asking all of us on Social Security what we think of his insane idea!!! The Democrats in the House and the Senate have all lost their minds under the leadership of a very dangerous man - a man who wasn’t even born in this country to begin with - a man who was stupid enough to bow to the King of Saudi Arabia, and who had the utter gall to apologize for our country’s supposed mis-deeds. Is anyone awake out there America? Has everyone turned a blind eye to this man’s grab for total domination and control over all of us? We are all in such trouble! God help us all!! Oh and by the way, Bush got blamed for just about everything that ever went wrong in America, whether or not he was even guilty. With all these bail-outs from that idiot Obama, he is already at the top of the list of America’s worst Presidents!

I took 500,000 dollars out of the stock market December 23, 2007, based on the advice of your web site. Everything was rocking and rolling and I got out just before the crash. Without the internet aperson wouldnt know what was going on. Cnbc is a bunch of propaganda and rigged government statistics. Thanks, Rick in Houston

The only thing I am worried about is what is going to happen to Social Security and Medicare and getting Obama out of the White House

I am concerned that we are becoming a nation led by the nose for our Presiden’ts personal agenda and that bail outs, bankruptcy and take overs only allow for the same poor management to continue. Failure can be a positive thing. We can not grow unless we fall. We have to stop pointing fingers and waiting for someone to make things better. We are being led by so called “leaders” that are not listening but bent on “changing” just for the sake of change.
We have seen so much corruption in Illinois and it is only getting worse. Once people realized that they could vote in hand outs, this country was lost. I really am afraid that we are going to be a has-been nation and will never recover from the decisions being made today.

Judy

Where is all this money coming from? There has to be an end to all this spendning!
Thank you and all the wonderful people who are working to let the people’s voices be heard, if not for you, WHO?
God Bless!

We, the people of the United States of America, deserve exactly what we are getting. WE voted in BO. Unfortunately we also voted in Democrats and Republicans who basically think alike. What great joy we had when the conservatives took over Congress. And what great joy was smashed when we found the conservatives had their hand out like the liberal agenda. This two party system is a fraud. This is a congress that is out for itself. I just read where a one term congressman can retire on $15,000.00 a month! Now think about who allowed that to happen. Those representatives, in and about themselves, are about themselves. They can bring down our country. Why is it that a school child cannot bring an asperin to school without being suspended but a child can get pregnant and get an abortion without parental consent. WE allowed that to happen. We need to take our country back.
As a conservative, I did attend the Tea party in Cleveland. The weather was not good but a few thousand folks showed up. I found most people upbeat and energetic. No one asked if they were Republican or Democrat. You could feel the energy in the crowd. These people are concerned and wanted their opinons heard.
Now both sides are offering town meetings where you can vent. But that is where it ends. The Tea parties are grassroots events that offer more hope for you than a town meeting.
We need to find people at these events who are willing to represent US and the U.S. We need tp take back our country. We need to do it NOW!

If Obama and Pelosi are allowed to continue government control of our companies,the Dow Jones going down will be the least of our worries.

I want to thank you Martin, for representing us, we definitely need a voice. While I am concerned that my (presently retired) savings will be eaten up by taxes, and government takeover, my main concern is for the future of this once GREAT Country. I fears that our freedoms are being taken away by the present administration and his cohorts in Congress, solely to benefit the few at the top. Control of banks and business should be privately operated, without restrictive government control. I understand the need for some oversight, but this direct control is completely opposite of what our Founding Fathers envisioned and set forth for us.
The freedoms of our future generations is seriously in peril.
Thank you again, for helping make our voices heard.

Our fight needs to be on government run health care. If they ever get this entitlement passed and implemented we will be stuck with it forever. Debt hurts, but it can be overcome, and entitlement never has been reversed so we must stop the govenment run healthcare now.

Stop the madness of more and more spending……….stop the jump for a “comprehensive Illegal” Amnesty program….NO Amnesty EVER. Stop trying to overturn the 2nd Amendment through legislation…it gives me the RIGHT to Keep and Bear Arms and I shall never relinquish that right.

Go after Obama for being the Usurper that he is………Dua; Citizenship is not a right to be able to run for President, it is a disqualifier. Get behind all the Citizen Grand Juries and help get their indictments into the courts.

Everything President Obama, the Obama administration, and the Democratic controlled congress is doing bothers me. They are changing America, but for the worse. In addition, the Republicans have yet to find a voice, someone with appeal to lead, or take a stand on conservative principles and push them hard and often.

I am totally bewildered how the DOW can keep running to the upside. This is madness!

Thanks to you and your team we feel educated on our countries financial crisis but have a complete helpless feeling on the direction our dictator like government is using our money ( taxes ) to take control for their selfish ends. Soon we will have no choices and we will be told what we can own, when & where we can doctor etc. It’s a scary time and I fear money and financial wealth isn’t going to count because the government will cease what they want/need. PMA is hard to keep! Bless you all for your efforts and help.

I received this as an email and thought why not….
You can call it the Patriotic Retirement Plan:
There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force.
Pay them $1 million apiece severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:
1) They MUST retire. Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.
2) They MUST buy a new American CAR. Forty million cars ordered - Auto Industry fixed.
3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - Housing Crisis fixed.

It makes better sense than what Obama is doing. Give the people the money as a tax rebate and let us become consumers again and we will get the economy going real fast.
Why is it so hard for the President to see this?

Thanks for all you do on our behalf. May God Bless our Country once again.

Marti
I’ve been a fan for a long time. It’s guidance like yours that will help save some people from devistation. We rescued some during 2008 as we had our clients out of the market for most of it and also 2009. Our clients are fully invested now but I think some of your readers got your message. It is likely the Dow could go to 10,000 but then Katy bar the door. The debt is killing us already. If the senate gets veto proof control then the total power will corrupt absolutely. Watch the Dow go to 3400!

I cannot think of ANYTHING of an economic nature that government can do as good a job of performing as profit-oriented non-government entities can. Someone name one for me, please…

Just listened to your webcast of 1-2 days ago. It convinced me. I’ll write schumer, maybe otehrs.

how will the stock market respond…???…….i don’t think that is the question now. It has already been ‘leaked’ out that 10 of the 19 banks failed the stress test and others are in real trouble. What happened yesterday and today after that ‘news’ was leaked? Not much. They are all drinking the coolaid, singing the same song, and they are all self-serving. The media is putting lipstick on the pig, and she’s as pretty as can be!! No one seems to notice its a pig, and it stinks like a pig. Our representatives aren’t listening to their constituency, they’re listening to their party ‘boss’ and anything he says goes.

i am tired of government stcking it’s nose in business. if a busines cannot run sucessful, then there are bankrupt laws to abide to.

Dear Sir,

I feel two pivotal bills needed to stop the madness are H.R. 1207 the Federal Reserve Board Transparency Act (to create aaccountability, Congressional oversight and expose the crime committed by this private company); and H.R. 450 the Enumerated Powers Act (to return us to the Constitution and sane government that protects freedom).

My son works for corporate law firms that counsel mortgage/investment firms in NYC. He said they are laying people off like wildfire; offices are closing; not too many deals going through. But a lot of Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae Multi family transactions. But, most of the tranactions are coming out of DC, VA and Atlanta, and CA.

I heard any kind of stocks in security/technology, survival equipment, water,purifications, transport. Makes sense if people are getting ready for a show down.

I don’t own any, so I imagine most stocks are a risk

Thank you for keeping us posted on all you do . . . and may God Bless you as you work so hard on our behalf.

DEAR SIRS;
ARE THESE PEOPLE NO LONGER ACCOUNTABLE TO ANYONE? THIS SPENDING AND GREED ARE RUINING THIS GREAT COUNTRY.WE NEED LESS GOVERMENT NOT MORE CONTROL
FROM WASHINGTON.IF A PERSON WOULD GO TO MEXICO AND COME BACK ACROSS THE BOADER,THEY COULD GET MORE FROM THE GOVERMENT THAN THE ONES THAT HAVE WORKED HARD AND PAID TAXES ALL THEIR LIFE.I DO NOT BELIEVE IN ABORTION AND I DON’T THINK MY TAXES SHOULD PAY FOR IT.IF THINGS DON’T CHANGE THIS SHIP WILL SINK.
THIS IS JUST A START,BUT I WILL NOT GO INTO THE OTHERS NOW. DL.DAUGHERTY

I am concerned about the future of my retirement savings as well as being able to secure adequate insurance for health care. It seems that Medicare as we now know it could be a thing of the past. I worked in public education and was not allowed to contribute to Social Security. After retiring from school work, I worked for minimum wages in the hopes that I would be eligible for Medicare Parts A and B. Now that I am unable to continue working my Social Security is not enough to provide Medicare and I have to pay quarterly for health insurance. I try not to worry because my faith carries me through everything.

Thanks for representing your fellow Americans.

My concerns are still about this bail out mess.

New taxes.

The alarming direction this country is headed.

2nd amendment right, 10th amendment rights and in fact the whole constitution.

Our pending rights to hear ALL of the Bible preached in our Churches.

The alienating of just about everybody according to the leaked text of DHS, watch lists, headed by Nepoletano.

I could go on ad nausiem

Thank you

R Doughty

Like most of your readers, I took a major hit last fall, to the tune of 60% of my portfolio. Through a combination of personal research and “Money and Markets” advice I’ve managed to regain about 65% of the loss. Thanks for all your advice.
Spider Rybaak

How far are we from a general tax revolt, where millions of citizens refuse to file their tax return, pay their taxes.
We do not need bullets and guns for the next revolution, just a little disobedience.

As to where the market is going from here, it depends on the time frame. The pros, hedge funds and mutual funds are controlling the market now, as it just makes no sense why we continue to rally on bad news. The old way of buying stocks on the fundamentals seems to have gone out the window. Eventually it has to tank, but in the meantime……..what to do - who knows.

I am worried about the current turn for petifiles and not for our wonderful Veterans who are protecting us. Also, who does the President think he is with his attitudes regarding contract law & bankruptcy and when will the taxpayers get paid back all of the money he is spending? Linda

I am wondering with all the lawsuits being brought forward about Obama’s birth certificate what affect would it have on the stock market if one made it to the courtroom?

Amnesty is the biggest thing, with 491,000 jobs lost in April, we simply can’t let these illegals continue to take jobs that our Americans need so badly. Those idiots in the house need to realize this.

National health care doesn’t work in Canada, why would that man in the white house think it would work here?

Our government CAUSED the mortage meltdown why they first removed the restrictions on banking under Glas-Stegle Act (don’t know if I spelled that right). Then they began FORCING these bank to write mortages to people the banks knew counldn’t pay back. Now, they think they can fix the problem THEY created in the first place by throwing billions of tax payer dollars into a black hole. Do they think the American people are stupid?

The solution is so simple, but leave to a bunch of career politicians to fail to see it: If the government FORCED the banks to write these mortgages, then the government can and should FORCE the banks to suspend ALL foreclosure proceedings immediately for at least a year. The banks should be FORCED to accept whatever payments the mortgage holder can afford to make at least temporarily (with no late fees, penalties or any of the other fees these banks use to really screw over the mortgagee). Problem solved. The banks still have cash flow, even though reduced for a time, they are not going through the expense of foreclosure procedures and they are not stuck with real estate that they can’t sell. Everyone wins and no tax money is wasted.

I’m the same person who always says the same ole, same ole thing. I am 74 and am on a limited income. I really need someone to help me figure out how to get into a safe place. I have my money at Chase. It’s a pension and social security automatic deposit. I have to pay my bills and can’t change banks because I will end up bouncing checks in the move. I am frustrated. I will always read your e-mails and be grateful for the people you do help. You truly are a wonderful, great person for sharing your knowledge. You have helped so many people who know what they are doing and I sincerely thank you.

I say let the chips fall and we’ll pick them up at the bottom. We don’t have enough money nor should we print enough to help them.

I say that we let them fall. We don’t have enough money to help every one.

Martin:
We appreciate all you are doing in Washington to help consumers/investors. I recently received information from Swiss America Trading Corp., in Phoenix, AZ. I am considering a rollover of a 401K into a Gold IRA. It appears this may be a good investment for the future direction of gold. What is your opinion on Gold IRA’s as an investment, and of the Swiss America Trading Corp. The CD/DVD supplied and comments from President Craig R. Smith seem impressive and sincere.

Thanks,
Ron

I’m a small business owner in Lee County, Florida….the “ground zero” of foreclosures. We’re still averaging over 2000 residential foreclosures PER MONTH! Unemplyment at 12.5% in our county. The other shoe to drop is the commercial real estate segment here, big time. Lots of empty strip centers, empty offices and free-standing stores.
Years ago a customer would request 3 proposals before purchasing…….now it’s 6-9 bids. Companies are discounting 30, 35, 40% to get some cash flow, just to cover their direct costs, let alone their overhead and a small profit. Can’t sell your services for $ 1.00 under cost and make it up in volume. Where is the sanity in our economy Martin?

I am concerned that our country is going to end up a socialist state. I am tired of our elected officials NOT listening to what their constiuents are saying. I am sick and tired of the judiciary going above the law and ruling from the bench. I can’t understand why there is not more outrage about this! This is taxation without representation and it needs to be stopped. Thank you for what you are doing in Washington for all of us!

God Bless you!!

I have retired from 39 years of service in the US Army and now must subsist on a modest pension and disability. I would like very much to contribute to your efforts, but my need to eat overrides my ability to make a donation. Perhaps some of those fat-cat clowns in congress can divert a part of those nice fat pay raises they twice voted themselves to your cause. All I got from those bozos was an income tax on my pension, so they can buy more votes from illegal alien invaders.

Gerald G. Fonville
Colonel (r) US Army

I don’t believe them. Doesn’t it seem strange that the banks being told they need to raise more money are the very banks that are trying to pay the Feds back? What approved standard was applied to come to this determination and was the standard applied intentionally to maintain control over these lending institutions? I smell a rat. Personally, I have put a small amount of money in Ford stock. I doubt that I will receive a return on my money but I could not think of another way to reward Ford for rejecting the extortion money offered by the Feds. When it comes time for another vehicle in our family we will only be looking at companies that are not owned by the government.

I do not understand how our elected officials can simply ignore our protests and adament “NO” to these decisions. How is it legal for them to make financial decisions for me and other TRUE Americans, when there is no mention of this funtion in their job description, aka Bill of Rights, Constitution of the US? Why is it so difficult for them to remember they are employees of the American people - not the other way around? Tomorrow, Thursday, May 7th is National Day of Prayer - I will be praying for our Nation, to wake up and stand with you! Thank you for all you do!

Not one single solitary one of these politicians NOR banks has ever extended a helping hand towards me when I became injured and could not work, so why should I or anyone else for that matter continue to bail them out? Why should we work like slaves for the rest of our lives so they can automatically vote themselves lifetime payraises and salaries—I say, when they don’t listen to what we want, DITCH THEM ALL and start OVER!!!! THEY WORK FOR US!!!!! come on, America, get some backbone, stand up for yourselves and STOP THE MADNESS!!!!

your work and effort to change problems by using petitions is great.i hope polititians at least understand some people care even if they dont.if everday a vetern crossed their path ,especially a disabled vetern,they might come to their senses and try to do their job properly in honor of what our servicepeople have sacrificed and use the gift of freedom the veterns have provided them to fight this runaway government and do whats right for our future generation.thanks

Martin, I congratulate you for all your good work and dedication.
One of our pet peave is the 2nd Amendment. Our Consitution says “our rights will not be infringed” Don’t they understand that? Disarming America is the way of communist leadership and we can’t allow that to happen.

We are in a holding pattern - just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Thanks for your book; very interesting. Am about 3/4 way through. Your input is sound!

MARTIN
I am thankful for your efforts and insight into the economic calamity that is coming our way. I don’t feel that the American public has a clue as to how deeply the decisions of this administration is really going to undermine our freedoms and safety. These careless actions will effect our lives for decades unless we stand up and sound off now!
We need to combine all our efforts into a scream so loud that the world will hear our outrage concerning the ongoing actions of this present government. Martin thank you for helping to wake up America, I just hope it is enough to get the attention that we are in serious need of to change our direction before it’s to late. God Bless, were on your team and will do what we can to help. Your book is a great revelation into what to do next.

I married and started a family late in life. I am 62 years old and have a boy 9 years old. My wife and I will somehow get through this crisis but what about my son where will be his future in 15-20 years? We need to let the crisis right it self now! Each month is crippling the future of future generations!

Martin,
I am so pleased about our petitions and all the hard work you have done to get this momentous project accomplished.
I am so “steamed” about all these bail outs with”our” money !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am a 59 year old widow, unable to find work that suits my old fashioned abilities and limitations. I am currently moving from Kansas City, away from my kids and grandkids, into a home with an older woman who is blind . As neither of us wishes to live WITH our kids, this seems to be the best remedy. WHERE IS MY BAILOUT???? I struggle to pay for utilities and am crushed that my life has amounted to so little and “I” don’t seem to matter, just these big banks ans so on ! I’m driving a 16 year old chevy truck and pray to my loving God that it holds up. Where is the help for widows ??? Why are we just ignored, trying to make it as best we can just so we don’t end up under a bridge and all of our belongings in a bag or grocery cart !! What has happened here??

I will not apologize for the ranting, I am crushed and my dignity has vanished.
I will sign any petition you folks feel is on the right track, I support you with my prayers as we do not serve a “dead” God. HE is very much alive & well and He’s paying attention!!!

Sincerely
Elizabeth

Dear Mr. Weiss,
I would love to hear your thoughts about the future for the UK.
We seem to share many of the problems you are suffering in the US + some uniquely of our own as well.

These are difficult times indeed. However, You seem to be negative toward the market yet the market keeps going upward. Somebody’s buying. It is big money or is it the “small-fry.” Investment capital has pushed this market up about 30% in the last 8-10 weeks. What’s going on if the fundamentals haven’t changed.

I don’t want to see the economic system perverted by bailing out poorly managed companies. Let the system work. Let the bad players lose. I am extremely concerned about energy, specifically cap and trade. It is nothing more than a massive tax and will hurt every segment of the economy.

Today i went to Boarders in Tucson and read about 30 pages of your book.
I then brought it.
THANKS
alex

Over the past few months, banks have been getting taxpayer bailout money. So has the auto industry. The toxic debt is still on the books. When will the government force the banks to get rid of the toxic debt at market to market value rather than holding out for days long gone? The interest rates to bank account holders has been constantly going down. I feel that the account holders of bank accounts are getting fleased twice. They are getting my taxpayer money for bailouts, and they are lowering the bank account interest rates. So, I feel that I am getting robbed twice by the big shots running the banks. Obama needs to get tough with the banks now before, the average citizen looses the wealth that we have worked hard for all our lives.

Martin, I read your advice years ago and sold my rentals and paid off my home and got rid of all debt. I have cash now and am just waiting for the botton wherever that is . I am buy no means wealthy but if I hadn’t heard about you I probably would be broke now. Thank you for your common sense views while our leadership has gone mad in Washington. You predicted GM bankruptchy a number of years ago.

Thank you Mr Weiss for doing what you are doing. Please know that it does not go unnoticed. God be with you.

I’ve never had money to invest, except into the State of California for my retirement. As you know, we are in a lot of trouble out here, with Mexicans coming here to live free, and sending their wages back to Mexico. State tax increased to 8.25%. I am 77, and scared. I am worried about my pension and S.S. I have 2 disabled daughters, and one of them has already been told that she will lose $40 each month from her less than $800 check. I had no idea our Governor would stoop that low. I am outraged that Nancy Pelosi spends $300,000 of America’s money every weekend when she flies back to San Francisco. I am outraged that there is a Post Office in Yuma Arizona where Mexicans come across the border every month and pick up S.S. checks, when they have never paid into S.S. I also don’t know why nobody is allowed to say ‘NO’ to Mr Obama. He was born in Kenya. He can’t prove he wasn’t. Since when can a foreigner come to America and spend all of her money, sending most of it overseas? I guess you know that I didn’t vote for him, but I have to suffer anyway. Is there anything you know to do for me and my family?

With the current spending, China and other countries are not willing to buy more of our debts. We are currently buying our own debt - how long can the US treasury sustain this? Will we last until 2010 with printing money and buying our own debt before the dollar collapse completely?

This will not stop until Obama is able to Nationalize the Banks, which is what he set out to do in the first place, he just has to make it look like something different. His big monied backers started this all rolling back in Sept and Oct, know what they wanted to do, but effectively placing the blame on GWB. It is nearly impossible to get a handle on how things will go, as the Market is not able to function naturally. Strings and being pulled………………….

I HAVE TO ASK THE SAME QUESTION THAT Ed Saferite DID. WHAT WOULD THE EFFECT BE OF GIVING THE BAILOUT MONEY TO THE TAX PAYERS? AMEN ED.

From my viewpoint it appears that we are seeing a world consolidation of banking (central banks finalizing control of industry and governments); that many of the “name brands” of banks on the streets may remain, but they will all be subsidiaries of three or four central banking families around the world. Are we seeing a consolidation into a world economic monopoly held by a tiny cabal of bankers?

My major concern is that of the leaders of the American Revolution and the writers of our Constitution and application thereof: Individual rights, respect for individual enterprise, Sovereignty, independence, free market, stable money (gold standard).

Are we seeng America turning to what Keynes described as “industrial socialism” (Mussolini’s “fascism”)?

A. Benton Edmons, newsletter editorialist, The Universal Democrat
Bellflower, CA, USA

You are to be congradulated on taking on this enormous task, as fighting the politicians is a thankless endeavor. I think people who fail should FAIL, and not be propped up and kept on life support at taxpayer expense. Nothing positive will come of it. On the negative side, we appear dangerously close to losing our reserve currency status which would be a death knell for the country you and I grew up in. My solution? ALL elected offices should be limited to two years, as it takes those clowns two years to learn how to steal with impunity, and by then they’d be gone. Secondly, no one elected should be received in Congress until they submit a paper stating that they passed Economics 101.

I just wish the goverment would butt out of the “Free Market” or private sector. I worked for over 40 years in the Dept. of Defense, one of the few that are really needed, but politicians have screwed up even the DOD. Imagine what they will do to the private sector or health care???

Thanks for asking.

When times are tough as they are now, put the illegals on planes and buses lilke Pres. Eisenhower did and put theire butts on their side of the border. Hospitals/clinics/ER patch them up and put them on a bus with ICE. Lock up business owners who hire them. Dump the drug sellers on their side of the border, don’t make us pay $40,000 to take care of them in prison.

Make an example of every Federal Senator and Representative who voted with Kennedy/McCain the last time and be sure every person in the state where those S&R get their votes know they should be voted OUT! If President Obama doesn’t get the message, make sure everyone knows what these trespassers are costing we taxpayers.

The war on drugs is costing us billions. Stop it and tax the living stuffing out of drugs like the Feds and States are with Cigs. Let all the drug sellers out of prison and close the prisons saving us billions.

Thanks for asking.

Dear Martin,
It is troublesome to see the recycling of our currency. The Fed seems to be out of control with the printing presses running rampant and devaluing the Dollar.
Though not an expert in Economics, here is what appears to be the cycle of events over the last 10 years or so.
The Technology Bubble of the late 90’s popped, which led to the lowering of interest rates, which led to a Housing Bubble.
That then turned the Housing Bubble into ATM’s for Home Debtors.
The enormous rise in housing prices led Home Debtors to become enslaved to their mortgage(s).
They appear to have run deeper and deeper into debt, which is dangerous should the economy enter the cycle of a pullback (recession).
The pullback seems to have started to happen the middle of 2007.
Many people started to become strapped for cash and the Credit Bubble started to pop.
Now the Domino Effect kicks in and the banks being leveraged anywhere from 10 to 40 times their assets start to fold.
What troubles me the most is how these Financial Institutions have Created such a Complex system that very very few even have a clue how they operate.
What causes Fear? Last I checked, it was the unknown.
If you ask me, I would say these Bankers and so called Economic Gurus at the Fed are laughing at us all, Behind Closed Doors.
All that the average person knows, is what is coming in next weeks paycheck!
From what I can see, the Financial Institutions have us all at their mercy, because of the complexities of Finance most people just sit on the sidelines with nothing to say about how to solve the crisis because they just don’t understand it all.
Most people are starting to think that the Greenspans, Bernankes, Paulsons and Geithners of the World either don’t understand it either, OR they are just getting ready to stick it to us again!!!
My guess is the later, I mean this is these guys job, right?
I am at 49 years of age and had multiple derailments in my life time (Immigration errors that devastated my family early on and then the premature birth of my son which brought years of financial hardship), and due to constantly battling the current, I have a Disturbing Net Value of $5000 in a 401k and continue living paycheck to paycheck.
I have always tried to be optimistic, but now I have conceded the Hope of ever being able to retire.
I envision that I will be drowned in the Tide of Debt that will be hitting our Country, in the form of MUCH HIGHER TAXES, in the not too distant future.
My wife was a stay at home Mom and then had a stroke a few years back.
She is unable to collect any disability, since she didn’t contribute enough into the system, due to caring for my son and then the stroke.
I was counting on her being able to bring in an income once my kids reached adolescence, now…
I have worked for 31 years, collecting unemployment for 1 WEEK over that period.
What I would like to know from you, is what happens when the printing of this Fiat Money starts to work its way into our hands and causes Hyper Inflation (Without my Paycheck Hyper Inflating), which consumes my purchasing power once again?
Why doesn’t the FED set interest rates at 5% and leave it there permanently.
Let the Markets adjust Naturally.
Any advice for me personally? I make $50K a year but I am unable to save, as money seems to just evaporate…
Thank You for your time,
Sincerely,
John Shaw

My concerns are the Senate and House are out of touch with the people they represent. They are passing bills without reading them and putting our country into terrible financial state. My grandchildren will have to bear the financial burden because of the idiot’s that are in Washington today. I would like to have my old country back. I do not want to live in a socialistic society. As a senior citizen I wanted to retire one day and enjoy my retirement. I am afraid that all of our rights will be taken away. I thought we were supposed to live under our constitution? May we bring God back to America where he belongs and we need to protect our unborn babies. God help us.

You know, when I’m overextended and can’t make my bills, I have to suck in the gut, tighten the belt and make sacrifices to make my obligations. It means something to me to DO that! In the meantime I try to save for the ol’ rainy day. Somehow, going on a spending spree does not help me at that time. How does an overextended government think spending trillions of dollars (that we don’t have) is going to help the matter? This is so fixable it’s laughable. Let those who can’t compete, fall. Restore the regulations the Clinton Administration stripped away and let the market clean up the mess and dispose of the carcases. But it’s not about fixing anything, it’s about control. And the first thing you need to control the people is crisis. Make them so desperate they’ll do anything to eat. This crisis is the perfect storm for those who would throw the yoke of socialism around our necks…and we’re making it easy for them! I hope we’re all waking up now! Mr. Weiss, thanks for your efforts! Keep up the good work!

I’m totally and completely outraged at what’s happening to this country!!! We are losing our freedoms, our Constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence. We are being robbed blind by the international bankers!! I am more than convinced that the Federal Reserve is to blame for our economic problems! According to Bloomberg and Associated Press, 14.8 Trillion have been stolen in these bailouts!!! That’s more than our entire GDP and then we wonder why we’re in a Depression!! No wonder why people are joining the Ron Paul Revolution and joining infowars.com and why they are trying to shut down the internet. A long time ago, our “money” used to be backed up by gold and silver. HR 1207 that Congressman Ron Paul has now 124 co-sponsors to audit the Federal Reserve which has NEVER been audited and they dare to tell the American People to “kiss off” on where the bailout money went.

Thank you for delivering are message. I believe we need a product based economy. I am tried of hearing from are politician that these job are lost for good. It is like Hamilton said no Nation is free without having heavy Industrusty which we have surrendered to the communist government of China and other third world nations. We need politician like are for fathers were. We need tax free zones for new business to start up and low interest loans for business to expand in new equipment so they can compete. We need to promote American made products made in America not over seas. We need to reward people for investing in America not take from them. Lower taxes create job’s not larger government.
Thank you
William Allen

Since I am an IT Professional who has been out of work since mid-January and still am not hopeful of getting back to work anytime soon, I think the Banks and Wall Street will both be disastrous. It is like the true working class is being dealt a two banger… more lost jobs due to the push for Cap and Trade and outrageous taxes. Now the predicted housing crash II will probably finish me off since I’m now behind on my mortgage. As far as investments, you have to have an income to invest.

I don’t think the U.S. can be saved. The Ship of State is below the Bridge and listing badly. Five issues Must be accomplished or the Game of Freedom is over, substituted by Fascism. We’ll be gone however. We’re leaving the U.S. It’s not the country I spent four years in WW II defending. What Must be done? No other issues are even close.

1. Repeal the 16th Amendment to our Constitution.
2. Repeal the 17th Amendment to our Constitution.
3. Bring back the Monroe Doctrine.
4. Throw the U.N. and its trash out of the U.S. and get U.S. out of U.N.
5. Obama is not a Lawful President. Throw him out. Suits are in progress that
will accomplish exactly that, I hope. Any of these likely? Not a one of them, so take
personal measures to protect yourself. The Freeloaders are going to win until
productive people and industriess leave. I guess you can live from Printing Press
Money for awhile, but not forever. Will some sixty trillion debt ever be paid? At age
88, Not By Me. Smile.

I am concerned about so many things the administration is doing, I don’t know where to begin. The bailouts? Idiocy! A lot of small businesses are beginning to recover, by cutting expenses, while the “fat cats”, the banks & AIG will never stop whining for “Moah!”…I resent the fact that Obama says we’ll send millions to treat sick people in other countries, when health programs are being cut here, while there is talk of Universal Health Care, which would be a huge boondoggle, and benefit no one, but the government. The immigration problem! Gitmo! I’m just hoping we can hang on until Nov. 2, 2010, when we can vote all the spendthrifts out of office.

met you and your great dad in a money show in SanFrancisco and your dad and i had quite a visit wow what a wonderful person and your a chip off the old block am disturbed with Obmism and Barney franks dodd et etc want America returned to the people and your leading the way thannks a million sincerely Bill Guilfoil

My concerns are many as our country heads rapidly toward collectivism and the
Marxist redistribution of wealth. Please read Ayn Rand’s classic “Anthem”. All the “tax and spend” by Obama is totally out of control. Eventually, the money will need to be
repaid just as it was in the housing crisis when people spent more than they could repay.
If our govn’t. increases the tax burden on those who drive the market by creating jobs and consuming goods, jobs will be cut, spending will be drastically curtailed, and
charity will certainly begin at home. You do not punish those who have been successful
and in doing so encourage creativity, ambition, risk taking, and great accomplishments.
Our forefathers would turn over in their graves if they saw our blatant disregard for
the Constitution which is to protect us from govn’t. abuse and power. As long as
our country is full of people who are looking to vote themselves free “goodies”,
we do not stand a chance to preserve our capitalist society. I also highly recommend
that everyone read Anne Wortham’s letter “Dear Americans”. It is right to the point.
I fear for our country. This is the wrong kind of “change”. respectfully submitted, m. grosser

Martin: A quote from Russell Long, Democrat, Louisiana regarding Social Security: “Social Security is nothing more than a promise to a group of people that their children will be taxed for that group’s benefit.” What we’re doing now, of course, makes the problems with Social Security and Medicare (5 times the problem) look like Ned and the First Reader.

We need some brilliantly constructive ideas on how to get rid of a fraudulent President who is Not a U. S. citizen. All the laws passed under his reign would then be void. How can we keep Biden and the Demorat Congress from passing them again?

Thanks for your untiring efforts. Your prognostications have proven to be incredibly and substantially accurate for the years I have been subscribing to your publication.
I think our administration is crazy and will lead us into an even more disastrous financial state.
I will follow my fathers advice( I am now 85yrs old ) never to get into debt.
He said if you do not have enough cash, don’t buy. I grew up in South Africa, where the depression lasted virtually until the 2nd world war. That background taught hard lessons, and I am afraid that many modern world citizens will now have to learn the lessons forced on us in the twenties thirties and early forties.

Martin / Grassroots,

I have been trying, without success, to find some lawyers organization that was patriotic enough to file as many lawsuits as possible challenging the constitutionality of most of what is going on with the citizenry’s money AND freedoms. I am not totally surprised since lawyers, in large measure are the problem, not the solution, but it seems like there should be SOME patriotic firms or individuals out there.

Do you happen to know of any I may address my thoughts to?

Wesley J Leake

Joyce Gregory is right, but incomplete. This economic fiasco started in the 1890s (Morgan, Rothschild, Rockefeller), was formally initiated in 1913 with the Federal Reserve practice of “fractional reserves” fiat money, and is culminating now with the 20 years of combined Bush 1, Clinton, Bush 2 and Obama collaboration Administration. The only real change (other than window dressing faces) in administrations has been an acceleration of the agenda of the past 20+ years, regardless of whether Democrat or Republican, “conservative” or “liberal”.

A. Benton Edmons

My concerns are: Our elected officials are completely clueless about anything. We have a problem with illegal aliens in Arizona, yet we have idiots in Washington wanting to grant them amnesty while millions of AMERICANS are out of work, how stupid is that?
When I wrote to a certain Congressman from Arizona asking him to support the “English Only” initiative in the United States, he sent me the inscription from the bottom of the Statue of Liberty, which has nothing to do with English only?
I wanted to retire this past January, but I couldn’t. Only because I could not use the VA Hospital and would not have had Medical Insurance or Hospitalization. I was not injured in VietNam, but I did serve this country HONORABLY and with pride, but yet an illegal alien from mexico can get free Health care, paid for by me and other taxpayers. I am a pissed off American.

Thanks Martin!
Let us audit the Federal Reserve Bank! Let us find where the money from all the bailouts is! Let us get all the crooks who created the mortgage crisis and the derivatives/swaps swindle! Let us get the FBI in action! The Madoff Ponzi scheme is nothing compared to all these three gigantic frauds.

Decisions in Congress should be made for the greater good. Not the greatest greed.
With only 5 or 9% of our elected officials actually doing any good, what is the point?
Put the rest of them in jail with Made Off, and get some bright honest people to do what is right. If not, eat the rich.

I am concerned with the circumvention of the normal processes of capitalism, as we have known it, and the erosion of the value of savings and future savings. Aside from the financial concerns I am concerned with the moral deviation from our classic moors of generations past.

How can our Congress and the White House possibly justify letting the bank and other companies use taxpayer monies to bail out billionaires and millionaires and then face us with the news they will be denying any cost of living increase for the next two years in our social security payments? I thought the money in the Social Security “Trust?” was our money and if they deny us our rightful payments aren’t they also stealing from the poor and giving to the rich. Somebody please ask them this question. Whose money is it in the Trust fund, the governments or the citizens of this United States??Many elderly retirees are now trying to help their families who are out of jobs in addition to trying to keep up with the ever increasing cost of food, drugs, and health insurance.

I’m 87 yrs old. Thank You for delivering my concern petition for my grown children & my grand children. They will have to live with this mess! I wish you success.

Larry Averill

I suggest we start this as a “grass-roots” movement. I believe it reaches across party lines and certainly is, what I believe, most of those swing voters would agree to.

Truly, it’s not a party thing. I believe it is “Common Sense Approach of Governing”.

Candidates would have to support putting these laws/constitutional amendments into place.
• Compensation plan – politicians pay into Social Security and a 401K like the rest of us. Forget about the current retirement plan where they get a government pension. If they run for office, it’s not for the money or power. They do like I am doing right now and like you are doing as you are reading this long freakin’ thing! They invest some of their time because they care. Because they want to keep this the best country in the world. At least they’d be getting a 6 figure income while doing it and would have options when they are done after 8 years! That should be enough!
• Term limits – It’s not about winning re-election. Eight years and you are done! They can stop worrying about getting re-elected and do the job they were hired to do!
• Corporate regulation – rules put into place that will make mergers more difficult. No merger can A) create a monopoly and B) they can’t make themselves “too big to fail”.
• Lobbyists - Outlaw them. Period. Do away with them. Government needs to give their ear to the people (their employer), not the lobbyist. Use the internet to find out what their people want.
• Campaign money – Once the parties choose their candidates for presidency, no campaign money from the private sector. Each has the same amount to spend and it comes from our national budget.
• Fiscal Responsibility – Like our own household – we stay within a reasonable budget – if we can’t afford it, we don’t buy it. If we are over-budget, we cut back.
• Take a position – All candidates who want to have the support of the people who believe in the “Common Sense Approach of Governing” must not only support the 6 issues above. They must also take a position and let us know how they stand on key issues. Those key issues include, but not limited to: Abortion, Abortion late term, More restrictions on Fire Arms, Socialized Medicine, Stem Cell research, Prefer America to be a socialist Nation, Prefer America to remain a Capitalist Nation, E-Verify, Sending illegal aliens back to their country. (Each candidate wanting our support must answer with one of three choices, 1) Support, 2) Don’t support, 3) Not sure. The “not sures” will only have a short grace figure to get off the fence.

I am also concerned about the backdoor approach to gun control. Just this week I received an email trying to sneak this thru. Plase follow up on this.

Hi,

Do you have an advise for people that have only $1,000 available for investments?

Thanks,

Keep up the heat on the bailouts.

Thanks to you I have invested in SRS and SKF (double reverse real estate and double reverse financial ETF’s). They are an even better buy now then when I bought them, but I still expect to them do well once the comercial real estate market tanks and takes the banks with them. I don’t think the government will be truthful with the bank stress tests but that does not really matter as reality will hit all the same it is just a matter of time.

Dear Martin.
Am very gratified that you are willing to beat your head on a stone wall (read congress).
I certainly hope your efforts bear fruit. I am standing by with inverse ETFs when it hits the fan. By the way, I was wondering why no one has mentioned two ETFs that are the equivalent of DXD and SKF; namely DPK and FAZ respectively. They are cheaper and they seem to change at a higher percentage dollar for dollar.

Merrill Markham

I may be wrong but I think we are throwing good money after bad as far as I can see. I say we don’t loan them any more money because the economy will rebound in a year or so.

Martin: Thank you for all of the helpful advice you have given. My husband is very much a skeptic and is still very heavily postioned in cds. A lot of the banks in our area do not have good Texas ratings due to the downturn in the houseing market. We are in our late 70’s and I don’t know how to advise him as to what is the best postion for us to be in at our age. I would appreciate any advise you may offer us at this stage of our lives. Thank you.

I have been trying to get a grant ($500,000.00) to build homes for the Handicap. I sent my Rep. Jerry Lewis a letter with a reply from him to get a Small Business Loan. I faxed Senator Barbara Boxer asking her to find out who I could talk to. No answer. I could put 100 to 125 (including sub contractors & their helpers) people to work for approx 6 months & if I could sell the first few houses I could keep those people & the sub contractors busy longer. Do you know how I could get a grant? I have been in construction since I was 15 (i’m 75) & have been in business (in California) for 32+ years. Please help me do this. Handicap people are left out of everything.

Thank You;
Les hawkins
Les Hawkins Construction
Contact #: 760-961-7215

I am offering an observation prior to asking a question. My observation is that we are heading for a train wreck never before seen in the history of our nation, greater than the great depression because we have known socialist running our nation with out a source to stop them. certainly Republicans are impotent, who else is there? Is there really any thing we can do? I am resigned that all is in God’s hands and God is dealing with America as she should be dealt with based on all that is being done to remove God from every corner of His nation. 50 million plus babies murdered, homosexuality running rampant, immorality never before heard of, schools dismissing students for mentioning God’s name verbally or any other form of overt expression. Is it time to step back and let God do what He has to do to bring America to her knees?

I do not ever remember anyone borrowing their way out of debt & I personally do not think I ever will. Mr. President please do not speak for all America when you do not take time to ask us our opinion? Thank you for reading this! Jake

Where are the defenders of our Constitution? President Obama and his Democrat congress have no use for our Constitution? We the Citizens own this country and they work for us … right? Not respecting the Constitution is grounds for dismissal and I say dismiss them? But how do we do this? No one in the legislative or judicial branches appears to care? This is insanity.

Liberal Democrat Senators and Representatives have yet to acknowledge the fact that they are where they are because the USA was the way it was (November 8, 2008), not the way it is going to be after Obama gets through with it …

Mr.Weis, We in America, who are loyal patriots, are in terrible shock and TERROR to see what is happening in our Nation presently. I have stated back in the early 1980’s when my husband and I were married-”The married Mom’s were taxed out of the homes to pay for the unwed Mom’s”,and believe I was absolutely correct. The financial abuse and cruelty to the American Family, and thus Nation, I believe was an intentional plan to destroy the Family, and Our Nation.(not everybody could be that ignorant), to encourage and pay people to breed-never sounded smart. To enable all that was against honest, citizens,and make us pay for it all, in my mind is criminal. We the PEOPLE,have been financially raped, and discriminated against, by our very own government who is supposed to be there serving US, and OUR NATION! Not making us pick up the tab for the entire world! Our Constitutional RIGHTS for Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness has been shattered by the Greed Mongers, who are in control of the Fed, and World Banks(One Worlders).God help us all, for letting them get away with so much, for so long.

you know i said all along, if the gov. would bail out the people, instead of the fat cats, we would not be in this situation. if they gave every legal resident of us. say $100,000.oo do the math it would have been so much cheaper, and we all could bail outselves out of trouble, and the banks would get ther money from us, by paying our bills , and buying , this would also help out the small business people, ship the ilegals back to there country and enforce the borders , and not give them amnesty and our money from social security.. this doesn’t help any body but the ilegals. but you know the gov. is only here to take from us and give to who ever they want, there is so much more that tics me off , i just get mad thinking about what they are doing, we just have to get them out, this is the worst group of politicians we have ever had, there not for us , just for them selves, thanks for the work you are doing..

I as are others, am depressed and demoralized about what Obama has done to my country. He is an OBAMANATION to us. I will do whatever I can to stop him before it is too late. What about a law suit against the media for not fulfilling their constitutional duty to WATCH the government?
What about AMERICORP. This to me is the Brown Shirts of Germany. I hear very little about that?
What else can I do? Whatever it is please let me know.

Dear Martin,
Thank you for this chance to contact you. Please accept my heartfelt thanks for your continued efforts on our behalf.
My main concerns are:
1. Anything that the Obama administration is doing to us and our country.
2. Total lack of proof that Obama is actually the president and NOT a pretender without proof that he was born in the USA.
3. No more anti-gun legislation - ever!
4. States rights in this shakey economy.
5. Protection for the Constitution from Democrats that are attacking it.
I will stop here, but I could go on and on. I am sick with worry over our plight of our country. Thank you and GOD bless!
Sincerely,
Dick

I am 67 years old, been working since I was 13, Retired from the USAF in 1981 and worked until I was 62 and decided enough was enough. No I stand a good chance of loosing Social Security that I have paid into for over 50 years to Illegal alieans. All taxes are going out of sight, they are being increased on everything we buy and the stupid governments keep on spending like there is no end. Why can’t they be like a family. Stop spending. I could tell you a $27,000 horor story but I’ll save that for another time.

Thank you and good luck in your endevers.

Fay

Our Constitution, separation of powers, and contracts are so weakened that citizens feel numbed. The Obamunists have unleashed a new shock and awe attack on our liberties and responsibilites and surged for a government takeover of many of our freedoms. Where are our leaders who will express our successful, free-market capitalistic, and extraordinary history in terms that we all know and understand through our own personal experience? Thanks for your leadership on behalf on so many citizens who will remain free, informed, and active. Greg Lunde

First of all I think Congress should have their wages cut in half, their health benefits taken away and all pensions taken away. It is about time they suffer for this mess as they are the ones that created it and allowed it. It is the dang rich that look out for only the rich, and until what is left of the middle class does something about it, it won’t happen.

Also in all companies, schools etc. People at the top should be graded from the bottom as well. We would not have executives getting paid whether they did a bad job or not. It is ridiculous what heads of corportions make. Same goes for our schools, the students and parents should have imput into each teachers review.

We have people in jobs that shouldn’t be, and those that work hard and are never rewarded. The company that WAMU bought that created all those bad loans. That previous company and its owners should lose their money. All we have to do is follow where the money went and get it back. Quit bailing out. This money went somewhere and it is all stuck at the top with the very rich. Enough is enough America, we need to take back our Congress. Only people that make less then $100,000. should be able to run for Congress as the majority of the people make less then that in the country and we are not being represented. The rich will never represent us. So lets get them out of control.

All I can truly attest to are things in my everyday life. I am a disabled lady trucker. I was injured on the job back in 1996. Since the I have had 10 back related surgeries. I have a court order that gave me a catastrophic designation. Now, last month (the first time ever)
1.) I get a form from Workman’s comp wanting me to give them medical evidence that I cannot go back to work.
2.) I get a form from Social Security wanting me to give them medical evidence that I cannot go back to work.
3.) My Dr. tells me that it is TRUE that the Government wants Dr.’s to enter every American’s medical information into a central data base for Government to decide if or how we are treated. He advised me to tell everyone to write to Congress, our Senators whoever it takes to reject this.
4.) Two days ago I found out that my bank “Bank Trust” is one of the many backs such as Bank of America who loan money to illegals without knowing “IF” they can even pay this money back.
5.) Went to my bank yesterday and tried to cash some checks, and was told that I could only cash enough checks for the amount I currently have in the bank. Until what I have cashed clears the bank. I then asked that if I can’t CASH them how then can I pay my bills. The teller suggested I could deposit them. (NO WAY) (I already got put on a class action suit last year when a bunch of telemarketers somehow got my account number and they wrote unsigned/unauthorized checks for themselves with thousands of dollars from MY account. The likes of which I have not fully recovered from yet!
6.) Because of all this unnecessary money spending that is going on we need to tell Washington “HELL NO” We should let those who don’t know how to manage take their “lickins” instead of being forced to “Do As We Are Told” by Government that only wants to indenture us for al times. Please do yourselves a favor and find out what the English meaning is to the word Mortgage -Mort comes from the Latin “Death” if that gives you no clue, you’ve got more problems than your mortgage or the Government combined. Look also at CONTRACT -thou shalt have no other God’s before me. (Bible) Who have we all contracted with? Repent, and thou shalt be saved (Jesus)

Happy that somebody is trying to deliver a message to the Govt that Bank & Financial Industry intervention, outlandish printing of money, & unlimited capital injection into these private corps is not appreciated or wanted. They are not too big to fail. The banking & financial industries wanted de-regulation ….. they got it ….. now let them be responsible & reap the consequences of their actions (like everyone else has to do if they don’t have connections in high places).

One question or thing to note: how are so many financial & bank stks rising in price in the mkts when their conditions, balance sheets, write-downs, losses, earnings, etc don’t rationally support the stk-price increases ? Fed Reserve, Govt, financial industry, & media manipulation maybe ?

Dr. Weiss,
There are no words to describe our indebetness to YOU! You are the lone voice of reason, the man of the hour. I would personally hope to meet you someday and shake your hand.
Thanks for all you do, for your father who influenced you to be the man you are, and for your willingness to step up in a spirit of helpfulness to middle classs folks.

As to the banks and stress tests, seems to me that since the government will not let them fail.. no matter the cash required to keep them or the toxic assets they posess.. their stocks will continue to hold up well, meaning rise or at least not crash. I am searching your newsletters for YOUR specific take on this.
Otherwise, I worry about the availability of my other funds or assets that are with brokerage houses when things get even worse. Will the brokerage houses pay off if they are bankrupt? This concern precludes many investments that I might otherwise make through brokerages because I do not know how we can trust ANYONE in a bankrupt economy! What is SUPPOSED to happen may NOT happen.
I continue to monitor your every word and thank the Lord for you! You are indeed an all American hero. Thank you.

I find it apalling to hear Bank of America is wanting more money! Just yesterday i recieved a letter from Bof A stating that they were lowering my credit card limits because I have a “history of delinquency with other creditors”. Never once did I miss a payment with them, however I haven’t been able to pay my mortgage since February due to several car accidents and subsequent surgeries. Although I am currently applying for help through my mortgage company, which I feel is between them and me, BofA steps in and determines that they are basically better than me. Now they are asking to use my money to help them stay on their feet. Ha! I say, “let them eat cake”!
Let them fail! Let them hear other companies have looked at their credit history and found them to be delenquent. If they have any questions they can contact me at IHateBofA.me

You asked what are my concerns..where do I start? Let me say that in my 61 years I have never been so fearful for American and its future!
We don’t need nationalized health care! Ask the countries that have it! I don’t want the government making medical decisions for me. They are encroaching on our lives way too much. They destroy or run everything they touch into the ground (good example: Social Security)
I am concerned about the spending of this president..our grandchildren will not know America as we knew it. It scares me that he wants to remake America..it doesn’t need re-making, it has worked great all these years. It is a land of opportunity and a great place to live. Why do people want to come here if it’s not the greatest place in the world to live and raise a family!
I am mad at the officials we put in office who are not supporting the majority of people’s values and jellyfishing around depending on what political gain they can accomplish and how they can put more money in their pocket.
I resent the government that passes legislation that allows illeagal immigrants to collect food stamps..Social Security and all the benefits of Americans who have lived here and paid into the system. I am not against immigration..but come here legally. My ancestors were German and they immigrated here, but they embraced American tradition, learned the language, worked hard and were successful!
I think it’s time that there are term limits for those in Congress and that they pay and collect Social Security as we do..they would fix Social Security fast.
If we ran our household like the government runs things..we would be in deep trouble..as our nation is now. They should set the example and pay their taxes instead of evading taxes. They should not be above the law!
My only hope is people will finally get their eyes open and realize where we are headed before it’s irreversible.
My husband and I are retirement age and we haved saved and invested all our lives. The money we have lost we won’t have time to recover..there is no help for us. The government is not going to help us..we will be depending more and more on Social Security which is going to run out. The Social Security funds should have never been spent or touched. They have spent it all and now it is failing.
I have expressed most of the things that bother me greatly..you asked.

Martin,

You ask how the markets will respond to more bad news about commercial real estate and the banking industry? I guess the way they have responded to the pre stress test news : by continuing to rise. No matter that WFC, BAC and others need more capital or that their earnings for the first quarter were rigged to reflect record profits only several months after Paulson said we are in the worst financial of our lives. No matter that the government continues to monkey with these markets. It is pure fantasy and there no longer seem to be any investing rules. The government changes the laws, manipulates the markets, changes the accounting rules to their convenience. No matter that Geitner, Barney Frank and friends are in the pockets of Goldman Sachs and a few other Wall Street banks. How does the retail investor have a chance? The markets just keep going up. Today is a good example. The banks need more money and the markets soar.

Robert

Being an accountant for many years as i am going to be 69 on June 28 this year, the bailout is a complete waste of tax payer dollars that have been wasted .Funds were wasted by companies as instead of using this money to build up businesses that the purpose was strictly for, it was given as bonuses to executives that caused business to fail and to unions that have outlived their usefulness. This administration is a disaster and as nature takes its course the job situation has not improved with all this money being wasted that will affect our economy for many years to come.Debt never solves anything but creates bigger problems. Barney Frank blames the past administration which did fail but Frank was told by Bush that there was a problem with Freddie and Fannie and Frank denied it as it was in a video. Now Barney blames the Republicans. I look forward to the next tea party on July 4th that is planned. When you have people out of work , losing their homes and not being able to feed their families the American people will not stand for this. Mort Homer

Martin, The unsophisticated, self-indulgent, self-absorbed, poorly-educated, and (oddly) arrogant American Public have always been their own worst enemies and, for that reason, we have been sowing the seeds of the inevitable meltdown of the American Imperium for almost as long as we have been embarked on the Imperium. Now that the the tectonic forces of our own terrible economic activities, pollution of our air and water, devastating agricultural and mining policies, crumbling infrastructure, rampant drug use (legal and illegal), Peak Oil, lack of immigration control, the rise of the SWAT and secret police mentality, pitiful education at all levels, destructive and futile military adventures, refusal to follow our own laws and demand that our leaders do the same, degradation of the morality reflected in the Constitution, sacrifice of the Bill of Rights and failure to demand even (once-common) civility, have begun to coincide, the Sheeple stand at the Edge of history - whether they know it or not. And, as we go over as a society, most of the Sheeple will still be ignorant of the reasons and feeling the terror of the unknown.

The utter corruption of both political parties (as if there were two) and the presidents and Congress’ they manipulated, the cult of unspecified “Change” that voted the new messiah into office, the incompetence of the federal government at all levels and the venality of the Wall Street/Treasury/Fed/Congress in the looting of America, all have been overcome by the factors listed in the paragraphs above. Today, while it will pay to keep your eye on the ball to manage from day to day, the larger issues and their effects are beyond much control - except, of course, our expensive and deadly military card. Whether it is played or not, we really are at “Game Over” for the Imperium and I’m not sorry to see it.

Dear Sir ,As a resident of Southern Arizona you may or may not understand that this country is in the process of being Invaded by not only Mexico ,But the entire third world ,Every time I hear another Politician speak of Comprehensive Immigration Reform or as we call it like it is !!! Amnesty for criminals that have repeadedly violated our Laws ,I am sick to my stomach and think we as a nation are so completely screwed ,As if living next door to the worlds largest criminal enterprise is not bad enough ,The Liberal Lamestream Media would like people to believe that those poor Undocumented Migrants are just here looking for a job ,But in Fact ,30% of the entire population of Mexico lives in this country illegally ,Not to mention illegal aliens from 40 other country`s ,Janet ( Nappy No ) Napolitano the worst Governor the State of Arizona since 1912 has ever seen ,So Brazenly Declares that it is not a crime to enter this country illegally ???? Has she completely lost her small mind ,I could not imagine a worse person for the position of Secretary of Homeland Security ,Or as we here call it ,The Department of Homeland Insecurity !!! Comrade Obama ( The Exalted One ) will not be satisfied until this entire country is sunk ,I will not even begin to mention his Liberal Left Wing Cronnies in Congress !!! Nancy ( The Witch ) Pelosi and then there is the two faced weasel Harry Reid ,When will we the people get someone in Office that actually has the best interest of this once great nation in mind and the people that are so completely frustrated with being bled to death by Taxes and Bailout after Bailout ,Have these Democratic Worms completely lost their collective minds ,I have to explain to my 3 year old Daughter that your children will pay for the mistakes that these so-called Representatives and slimy Politicians are making today and tomorrow !!!! Comrade Obama has stolen my American Dream and plans to give it to an illegal alien from Mexico !!!!!! Dissatisfied Peasant / Customer of the Government of the Socialist Republic of Meximerica

Hi Mr Weiss, if I may call you Martin.

I am an avid follower and reader of all the emails you have sent to me under the various writers in your Weiss Research.

I want to extend to you a heartfelt thanks for the wonderful insights you have been bringing to myself and many other readers.

I am a Canadian and a great fan of, and friend of America.

I want to encourage you to keep what ever pressure you can on your government and its minions, to get them to change direction from what can only be a dangerous and precipitous route they are taking. The key to any success you country has ever had in peace, war and or finance has always been in the heart of the American people.

Attending only to the loud wailings of the Wall Street ally cats can only lead to the breeding of futher disaster for you country.

The heinous lust for money and the power it brings has left Wall Street bunch bankrupt in more ways than one. The bible reminds us that God resists the proud in the immagination of their hearts. Surely He has see our iniquities and allowed us to reap the fruit of our own follies.

Although I can functionally offer only maoral support for your quest you certainly have it along with my prayers for your success.

I would like to offer a web link for any of your readers to log into and see what was reported up here in Canada. I am certain that you will find it interesting the outcome of a meeting amoung the four main banks here.

Here is the link for any who might be interested.

http://www.cbc.ca/sunday/archive/index.html

If you cut and past this into your browser you will come to an archive list. Scroll down to the report for January 04, 2009 and you will see why I refer to the Wall Street and the Bay Street bunch as having the morals of an ally cat.

Again, Martin, many thanks and may God richly bless your efforts.

Stewart W. Bell
Regina, Saskatchewan,
Canada.

Thanks for all your good work and advice. My immediate concern is inverse ETFs that I hold in addition to the recommended ones. I’m especially upside down in SRS so I hate to sell it now. I imagine it will go up when the commercial real estate tanks. It would be great if we could e-mail one of your reps for basic recos about specific ETFs based on current situations. Obviously these would just be basic recos based on market knowledge. Thanks for your help.

I feel there is a concerted effort by the Obama administration to take over the major engines of commerce, i.e., banking, auto mfg, health providers and the housing market.

Unless I am mistaken, the gov’t already has a voting majority in some of our banks; The union is now majority owner of GM and there is now talk about double taxation for companies with holdings in other countries. Where will it end and where is the conservative voice in all this.

Sincerely,
Mary Sears

Dr Weiss I am new to the investing experience and for this reason i have been doing a lot of research, the etf opportuniy holds great appeal and looking at your reverse index fund picks coupled with the release of the stress test results tommorow Im betting that DOG and SEF will prosper in the near future. I have enjoyed your latest book and will use the information to construct a plan to get myself and my family through the coming financial crisis. I am paper trading untill i gain some insight into the ETF sector. I bought 10 DOG and 10 SEF, looking forward to tommorows financial news. Thank for your insight. Ron Higgins

I just opened my mortgage statement from Bank of America (originated with Countrywide) which shows no changes that reflect the RE-MODIFICATION amounts and interest rates that I signed and Countrywide agreed to. I have sent a Cashier’s Check for the May mortgage as requested to Plano, Texas as Countrywide said it would take a few months before re-mod’s could pay online on the website. It appears that B of A doesn’t have a handle on very much and are not in the loop.

My nephew in California, sister in Florida and best friend in New York all have B of A Mortgages that B of A has REFUSED TO RENOGOTIATE or MODIFY.

I am apppalled at their negligence, disconcern, discourteous and unwillingness to assist their customers in these tough times. They have made many mistakes and taken advantage of us with so much money in mortgage interest, and check overdraft fees etc.

I paid off an equity line with them and never missed a beat until I lost my job and the house of cards started to tumble.

No wonder the B of A is being called many names now!

i have never believed that hank paulson saying the economy will stop if president bush did not open the door to these finacial bailouts.paulson is fron goldman sachs.he used his posistion to better his buddies on wall street.just check the current c.e.o. of goldman sachs,who has been ,since december buying up huge blocks of stock.this is insider trading at the highest level.purchased for penneis on the dollar,it is now up to around $130.00 a share.he currently is about 3.5 million dollars richer in this short time.all on the backs of we the people.bailing them out was a big mistake.i have been in the market for some time and have never seen such blatant insider trading as this.how did he know this stock would go back up if not for hank paulson.fear is what is the driving factor.the people should not accept any of obama’s spending which is beyond out of hand.anyone we some knowledge in the stock market should look this fact up.i say no more money to anyone.the economy always comes back if you just let it work itself out.it would have been hard for awhile but it would have rebounded much faster and without the trillions now owed.just look up goldman sachs and see what went on.

Your understanding of my concerns about the economy is clear as glass and I am ever thankful. But where do I vent my huge concerns and frustrations about Obama’s and this congress’ social agenda? You see, the economy is a huge problem, but if they finish destroying our moral and social fabric, railing about the economy becomes useless. Because it’s upon our constitutional, moral and social foundations that all decisions or assumptions about the economy rest. Yet, no one seems to be making this connection or raising flags on things like rampant abortion, embryonic stem cell butchery and so on.
We are under assault on ALL sides and the economy is not necessarily the most critical part of the problem. Trying to save your attic while your foundation is under siege may be right and necessary, but if you don’t rescue the foundation, what do you suppose will happen to the attic, no matter how much you try to rescue it by standalone efforts?

The banking system is not as complicated as bankers would have you understand. When you borrow money they put a credit to the company you buy from and they put a debit in your account. As long as you keep paying they get to count the whole amount of your “debit” as credit for them. They can then use that credit, leveraged about 10 times to loan more money that they just make up on the accounting books. Only about 15% of the money in the US is paper and coins, the rest is just entries in bank accounting books.
I don’t like too many government regulations,… but we can not afford to have banks with investment housed that are “too big to fail.” Divest the banks of all investment houses and then divide the national banks into regional or state banks. If they are stuipid enough to go broke, then they just go broke and another bank buys their assets. The same is true to Insurance companies…. divide them up into units that can live or die based on the soundness of their business pratices.
Remove IRS and have a Fair Tax only that everyone pays when they buy. Individuals and companies would save millions in overhead without having to keep all the complex tax records.
Finally, I agree with another writer… the US congress is in a large part not representing the majority of the hard working, honest, bill paying (HHBP) people of the United States. Our Declaration of Independence says that when a government stops representing the needs of its people, then it is time to change. The present government does not represent the HHBP people. It is trying to buy power to make us into what it wants and could care less about what we want or think. If Obama wants change,… I think it’s coming, but I don’t think he is going to like it.

I am a 60 year old white male A/P Meacanic/Technician with over 42 years experience. Twenty Two years in defence of our country with the USAF. I spent more than 20 years as an A/P Mechanic/Inspector for Cessna Aircraft Company to see my retirement account disappear and my job cut because the big companies felt it was so important to make so much money than to run their businesses in a manner to keep them out of trouble. I lost my job for them and now my taxes are giving them more money to keep them employed. Sorry, this doesn’t help my situation at all, and I know I’m not the only person who has worked their whole lives to be able to retire. I don’t see that happening now.

I was wonder if investing in gold coins through a company like Goldline would be a going idea. I am earning a meager return in a savings account.

Hello,

We need to bring some sense to the printing of bogus paper money to bail out the very banks and other corporations that got us into this mess. We need to encourage the Chapter 7 bankruptcy of the auto industries, so they can reorganize with a streamlined operation that can move quickly. In my opinion, none of the banks are too big to fail. We need to stop throwing money at these companies and let them fail. They’ll be picked up by others that have managed their assets better. This is the quickest way to getting the economy moving. Cut the bailouts that only increase the IOUs to the taxpayers and get the government out of the business world. They can’t manage the big government bureaucracy they created. How can they take on the corporate world of which they know nothing. Using Europe as our model is economic suicide. Most of these countries have overthrown their liberal leaders and elected conservative leadership to get them out of the mess of the last 40-50 years.

The title of a movie sums it all up “DUMB & DUMMER” Thats the Congress that is in place. The bail out is out and out FRAUD and should have never taken place. The question I. have is, how can a bankrupt Government ball out a bankrupt Company?????

What I would like to see is that ALL those who are corrupting the Consstitution be brought to trial, found guiltly and hang them in front of the Capital building. If we do that a few times they will think twice before destroying any more of our freedoms.

Greetings,
It is obvious to millions of the middle of the road Americans that the oath to Greed and Self-righteousness that so too many of the C.E.O.’s of todays Banks and 500 Fortune Companies sware to is WRONG.
They take the money from Middle American that their buddies in Washington willing gave them without our agreement and ran it in to the ground beause they know no differenceand ask, even expect more of the same!
Way back when I was in college and took simple basic business classes the idea was sink or swim. But, today it seems to be do what you want if millions of Americans are on your payroll,Congress will bale you out!
The true back bone of the American Economy, the family stores and business have been railroaded and run over by these run away conglamarates.
Without a back bone no living thing can stand; guess what our economy is a viable living thing. So Congress needs to wake up, smell the coffee and get off the pot.
They are handing trillions to the wrong businesses and people;
for the vitality of the American economy No More Bailouts for the self-rightious and greedy and start supporting the back bone of America, the ones that made them the life they have; The American Middle Class and their businesses.
GOD BLESS AMERICA,
Pastor Brady C. Harness

Dr Weiss,

The thing that most concerns me about the bail-outs is not that I as a taxpayer am forced to bail out the people who couldn’t get it right the first time and probably won’t get it right the next time and waste trillions in taxpayer dollars, but what kind of country will my grandchildren have to try to suceed in after this welfare state the government is creating where people and companies are not punished for making bad decisions. I appreciate all that you do.

stop all this stupid spending!!!

Mr. Weiss, my wife (Marilyn) and I sincerely appreciate your seemingly tireless efforts searching for the truth in Washington D.C. and Wall Street.
Our concern with the bank report cards is that the government (Treasury along with the President and his Chief of Staff) will alter any results released to the public so as not to indicate any failure to manage on their part. The other concern we have is in regard to certain leaks to certain hedge fund managers (I can’t say his name but his initials are George Soros) in advance of any public releases on Thursday as repayment for his financing certain efforts to ensure Obama’s election. You asked; we responded.
Thanks again Martin for your efforts and your MCP project.
Sincerely

Ron and Marilyn Summers

I would not be worried about this business mortgage issue. Basically, the banks recovered most of those loan through the high interest. Every business in 10 years should have payed in interest more than the loan itself. A simple calculus shows that only a 6% interest will recover the loan in less than 12 years. But the interest was higher, so no worries in my opinion.

The bank stress test does not matter. It is the way the government will force the banks to load additional money, and so the government control will increase. This increase bank control could be finally a matter of national security. Controlling the banks, the government will control the money flow and could prevent any unfriendly act against the USA. In a global economy, the control against the banks should be local, global and coordinated.

So in the stock market will happen nothing worse than untill now. The technology sector should continue to grow, the dollar will continue to weaken, and as a direct consequence the oil will continue to increase. The commodities will increase too, the speculation on gold will exacerbate its price, and the inflation will start.
This will solve the housing crash, because the people will have more money (w/ lower real value) to pay their mortgage. In Eastern Europe for example, in 1990’s, there were 200% to 300% inflation peaks. That way, the people who had high mortgages on their homes, ended by paying the full loan with less than half of their salary on a single month. Could be unbelievable but it was the reality of those times. This is not SF, this happended at the end of 20 century and the beginning of 21st century could be a continuation. In the nature, nothing change abruptly, why to be different in finances.
Any way, the unfriendly attitude of many banks (credit cards included) should be at least stopped if not punished. The next sector will be the services. They already have imposed such terms and conditions which by the end are anti constitutional if somebody will decide to take them seriously. The customer could become the slave of any TV provider, w/ a lot of obligations and NO RIGHTS. I am sure, the Government will not tolerate it.

I think we have to prepare ourselves that the economy has been kept at an artificial level by an ever increasing foreign debt which is now turned off, and GDP may be reduced by as much as 10% for the foreseeable future is many western courtiers.

In addition, the worst of the retiring baby boomer demographics is going to hit us in 2013, so unless administrations start changing retirement ages upwards (I seriously doubt this is going to happen in the short term), 2013 should be the pit of this depression, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. (Just after Obama’s election, this coincidence may be good/bad depending on your political affiliation) I expect to see economic recovery start in 2nd or 3rd quarter 2013

Which investments will go up ?
Since the bailouts seem determined to keep companies ticking over in a state of living death and not properly restructure them, and there is a limit to how much money governments can spend without inciting a revolution (we certainly can’t have a further round of “bailouts” 10x the size of all the ones to date combined), ultimately the competitors of the “bailed out” companies should go up. I will be giving all of them serious consideration.

With the increasing government debts in the USA, UK and others, the security of treasury bonds should be questioned. Will a future administration pay these bonds through printing money causing inflation and devaluing the bonds anyway (if you own them you’re on a looser in this scenario), or will they protect their currencies (I wish they would, but that’s just my wish) and start defaulting on treasury debt (bonds, social security, state pensions are on a looser in this scenario)? I don’t see a third option.

comments appreciated if anyone thinks I’ve got something wrong.

Geoffrey

Martin,
I believe strongly that your assessment of our economic situation is “on the money.” I also follow Prof. Nouriel Roubini’s commentaries, and the two of you seem to agree on the outlook over the next few years. However, he seems to think we need more stimulus, and you believe that more stimulus will only prolong the inevitable. Is it possible that there is a middle ground- that stimulus could be somewhat helpful by increasing confidence? Also, I am wondering what it will take for the bear market balance to end. B of A needs 25 Billion dollars, and its stock goes up as does the market. When do you think reality will kick in? Are investors going to maintain their delusions, forever? Meanwhile, our inverse ETF’s are showing considerable pain and no gain!!!

Dear Mr. Weiss,

Is this a good time to buy duplex or tripllex
multi-unit residential for cash ?

Also what number do I call to subscribe to your
financial subscription, what is the Cost, the Telephone Number,
and do you give a Discount for an 86 year young Senior ?

One of your Admirers
Chris Hicks

Martin, a BIG “Thank You!”

Keep standing with / for us. May the Mercy of God be rendered upon
us in order that we may still have “the freedom, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness” among us. Once that’s stripped away, we have nothing.

“… If a man abides in Me, and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from
Me, you can do nothing” ~ John 15:5

Be Richly Blessed,
Don & Jan Ezelle

Hi Martin:
I’m a 72 year old widow who had the good sense to save money through the years. I own my home and so far have been able to keep it going financially. I’m in good health and would like some sense that I’ll be able to hold on for several more years. I have some investment, but have no financial trust in our government. I don’t know what to do with the money in the near future - I feel it will be important to have a plan. Where are we really going?
There are so many things wrong in this world today it’s hard to know where to start
addressing them. It’s most important that we keep our freedoms intact according to the Constitution - I can’t figure out who these crazies are who want to destroy our country. Did they not benefit from the good things through the years? I object to Mr. Obama being our president in respect to the fact that he didn’t grow up here to have that patriotic feeling most of us have - it’s just another country to him, I’m sure. The changes he’s making are not at all in line with what we the people want. We needed change back, not change forward. I could go on, but I’m sure you get how I’m feeling.

I totally agree with Mary Schumaker, down to the last period! This is so disheartening that you do your best to elect officials to represent you and your morals and what American was founded on, and they get in office and do whatever they want, totally disregarding those individuals that put them in office. We need to make sure we vote them out of office next time around!

I am so thankful for all your efforts on behalf of America.

I am very nervous about the “train wreck” we can all see coming if the financial principles (or lack thereof) that are being used in Washington continue. Please keep us informed as to what we can do in our own little corner of the world to help make things better or possibly change the course of events. (if that’s truly possible)

Keep fighting to stop the bailouts.

Thanks!