CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION!

The controversy swirling around the new Weiss country ratings just keeps getting more intense …

Within minutes after Weiss Ratings announced that Uncle Sam’s credit rating is just two notches above junk, most in the media began howling that WE’RE BEING FAR TO HARD ON HIM … implying that we had lost our minds.

At the same time, our readers began telling us we AREN’T BEING TOUGH ENOUGH!

Meanwhile, this blog is buzzing with questions:

Frank and Mike want to know why we haven’t assigned credit ratings to India and Singapore.

Answer: Assigning these credit ratings is a very rigorous process that requires very important data points that are in some cases in dispute or unavailable. We are working diligently to acquire the missing data series on India and Singapore and as soon as we have them, we will issue their ratings.

Ganesh, Wasl and Bernard want to know why China — with less than total economic transparency and its state-run banks — could possibly top our list.

Answer: The numbers on China are readily available and are strong across the board, even if you factor in some exaggeration. If that changes, China will be downgraded accordingly. Moreover, our rating of China is in the tradition of Weiss Ratings: We never allow our own personal opinions or political bias to influence our ratings. We crunch the numbers and let the chips fall where they may.

Eric, William, Soren and many others ask how we could possibly have rated Canada “so low.” After all, our Northern neighbor has less debt and is a major world producer of gold, oil and other tangible assets.

Answer: Canada scored OK across the board. The U.S., on the other hand, scored low in three categories and very high in one: The dollar’s advantage as a world reserve currency and the U.S. capacity to borrow readily in global markets.

Here’s a metaphor that might help: Imagine a student who gets OK grades in four subjects; while another gets bad grades in some subjects but good grades in others. Their overall GPA could be the same, even though their strengths and weaknesses are very different.

Today’s Question of the Day:
“How would the bursting of the bond market bubble
impact the U.S. economy in 2011 and 2012?”

Yesterday, we asked you to tell us if you believe global investors will trash treasuries and crash the U.S. bond market THIS YEAR — and your responses are enlightening to say the least!

Some of our readers commented that the U.S. dollar is ALREADY crashing … but U.S. bonds are not. Their explanation: The Federal Reserve is buying up most of the new bonds being issued!

But many readers believe that the world’s central bankers and investors will get fed up with huge losses as the value of their dollar holdings continues to crater and begin stampeding out of the dollar AND out of treasuries within the next eight months.

So now, our question to you is: If the U.S. bond collapse scenario DOES unfold as they say, how will it impact the U.S. economy this year and next?

Just click this link and leave a comment to give us your thoughts. We’ll be standing by to answer any questions you may have about our new country ratings … what they mean to you and your family … and what you should be doing now to insulate your wealth.

{ 184 comments }

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION!

This is not the first time I’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest with my ratings. But this one seems like it could be bigger.

Within minutes after we issued our first ratings on the credit worthiness of major nations yesterday, CBS News MarketWatch picked up the news with our headline:

United States gets sovereign rating of ‘C’

Next, Yahoo! Finance hit the wires with the headline:

“U.S. High Debt Rating ‘Unfair’: Weiss”

Philip van Doorn, bank analyst for TheStreet wrote, “Weiss Ratings on Thursday released its initial sovereign debt ratings for 47 countries, rating the United States a C (Fair), and ranking the U.S. 33rd on the list.”

Almost immediately after, CNNMoney.com jumped in with the headline:

“U.S. debt: Riskier than Bulgaria’s?”

Evidently, this reporter felt that our rating for the U.S. was far too low, especially compared to countries like Bulgaria. It’s silly and shocking, goes this reasoning, since Bulgaria is such a small, East European country.

Our view: Yes, it is! And it’s especially shocking when you realize that the Weiss Sovereign Debt Ratings do take into account the advantages the United States has — a far larger economy and far broader acceptance for its debts in global markets.

What most people don’t take into account is this sad reality: The U.S. government has used — and abused — those advantages to dig itself into a far deeper debt hole than Bulgaria. In fact, Bulgaria, like several other smaller countries, is doing a pretty good job of managing their finances. They have no other choice.

And later in the day, more controversy: MarketWatch expanded its coverage of our announcement under the headline:

“U.S. gets C credit rating, lower than Mexico”

The article quotes Sean Egan of Egan-Jones who says our rating for the U.S. is too low and that it’s not “appropriate” to rank the United States alongside countries like Mexico.

Mr. Egan’s reasoning: The United States is big and advanced. “The U.S. is the largest economy in the world, home to most industry-leading firms and maintains the reserve currency of the world,” Egan comments. “That provides significant support beyond credit metrics like debt to GDP.”

The crux of the problem: We do consider a country’s size, but size alone is not enough to prevent disaster. As we saw with AIG, Bank of America and Citigroup in 2008-2009, sometimes, the bigger they are the harder they fall. Except now we have a critical difference. As former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker has remarked, no one is big enough to bail out the United States of America.

Meanwhile the action
was hot and heavy
on my personal blog.

The #1 comment:
Our rating for the U.S.
is TOO HIGH!

John H. says that our “C” rating — just two steps above junk status — is “a bit optimistic.” Don P. called it “quite generous.” Tiro wrote that we are “letting the U.S.A. off way too easy.” And many other readers asked me to explain why we had given the debt-ravaged U.S.A. such a “high” grade.

There is one key factor that gives the United States a higher rating than it would otherwise deserve:

The U.S. can still twist the arm of central banks and large global institutions to buy our treasuries whether they like it or not. So it has broad acceptance for its debt in global markets.

You see, the U.S. dollar is still the world’s dominant reserve currency — the currency that’s most often used when central banks accumulate reserves … when international companies conduct transactions with each other … and when just about anybody purchases global commodities like oil.

That means governments and corporations all over the world have no choice but to hold dollars — and the majority park a big chunk of them in U.S. government treasuries.

Do they all like these facts of life? Absolutely not. The plunging dollar is costing them a fortune.

Are some folks bound and determined to revoke the U.S. dollar’s reserve currency status at the first opportunity? Absolutely!

But we don’t base our ratings on threats or forecasts — just on hard numbers. Mark my words: If the dollar loses its status as a reserve currency, it’s likely to have a major impact on the key numbers we use to rate the U.S. sovereign debt, leading to a prompt downgrade.

In the meantime, remember this: The fact that the U.S. government has currently earned a “C” rating does NOT mean that global investors won’t decide they’ve had enough and begin dumping treasuries. They already ARE dumping U.S. dollars with both hands.

Today’s Question of the Day:
“Will global investors trash treasuries
and crash the U.S. bond market THIS YEAR?”

Say you’re a central banker in China for a moment. You have $3 trillion in reserves. And since last June alone, the dollars you hold have plunged nearly 18% in value.

What would you be doing right now? How much longer would you want to own U.S. treasuries and U.S. dollars?

Do you think global investors will get fed up with their losses and begin dumping treasuries in the next eight months? If not, when do you think that could happen?

Just click this link to leave a comment and give me your thoughts. And if you have any other questions about our ratings or what they mean to you, please feel free to ask me. I’m standing by to help in any way I can.

Good luck and God bless!

Martin

{ 294 comments }

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION!

I am about to send out the single most important press release of my lifetime, and I want you to be among the first to get this vital information:

Starting today, Weiss Ratings is issuing ratings on the credit worthiness of sovereign nations. And we have given the U.S. a rating of C, just two notches above junk.

We rank it 33rd among the 47 countries we cover. China, Thailand, and Malaysia get much higher ratings. Even the government finances of the Philippines, Indonesia, Bulgaria, and Mexico are stronger than ours.

Only a handful of countries get a lower rating than the U.S., including, as you might expect, Ireland, Greece and Portugal.

In a moment, I will give you the ratings. Then, I’ll invite you to leave a message on my blog or my personal Facebook page to give me feedback, ask questions and get my responses. But first let me tell you what you must do about it — urgently:

• If you own medium- or long-term government notes and bonds, dump them immediately.

• If you have your cash in short-term U.S. Treasury bills, be sure to surround them with investments that go up when the U.S. dollar falls.

• And if you wish to profit from this crisis, consider adding still further to those contra-dollar investments.

• Most important, get ready for turmoil in global markets caused by the Fed’s follies and Washington’s inaction.

We Are Taking This Action for Four Vital Reasons:

First, the AAA/Aaa assigned to U.S. sovereign debt by Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch is fundamentally unfair to anyone who invests in U.S. government securities. It fails to warn you of real dangers. And it helps keep your yield far too low to compensate for the risks you’re taking. Investors urgently need a more honest rating.

Second, their AAA/Aaa U.S. debt rating is also unfair to you if you rely on interest income to help meet daily living expenses or finance your retirement. Since nearly all U.S. interest rates — including rates on bank CDs, annuities and other instruments — are tied to U.S. Treasury yields, you and millions of other investors are being severely underpaid, virtually across the board.

Third, their recent commentary regarding the future of their AAA/Aaa rating is ambiguous and unclear. As long as they continue to reaffirm their triple-A ratings, any statements they might make are entirely inadequate to warn or protect you.

Fourth, their AAA/Aaa U.S. debt rating has helped foster political resistance and gridlock in Washington. If they had only issued a fair rating years ago, it could have played a pivotal role in helping lawmakers and policymakers take earlier remedial steps.

Today more than ever, we need an honest rating for U.S. government debt to help provide public support for the political compromises and collective sacrifices we must make in order to restore our nation’s finances.

Big Risks for Washington

Our C rating signals grave risks for U.S. policymakers. Unless they make an about-face in a timely manner, a further deterioration in the nation’s finances will trigger a series of events beyond their control:

The dollar will lose its status as a reserve currency.

Global investors, already dumping the U.S. dollar, will dump U.S. bonds in panic.

They will demand draconian cutbacks in U.S. government spending. And these cuts, in turn will bring a vicious cycle of economic declines, larger deficits and further investor demands for even greater cutbacks.

It will be very ugly. We must not let it go that far.

But our C rating also means that, while investing in U.S. treasuries is far riskier than you’ve been told, the ultimate crisis I have just described is NOT here yet! And until it is, our leaders DO have an opportunity to take action.

For the Weiss Sovereign Debt Ratings on the 47 countries we cover, go here.

Then click here and leave a message on my blog or my personal Facebook page to give me your comments and questions. I will do my very best to answer as soon as I can.

Good luck and God bless!

Martin

{ 210 comments }

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION!

I’m at my home office this morning, poring through hundreds of comments from readers like you.

Indeed, it’s been a fascinating week for me here at Weiss Research.

All week long, we’ve used my blog to discuss the consequences of the massive debt crisis now threatening America’s states, counties, cities and towns.

Thousands of readers logged in to answer our questions of the day — including …

What cuts in government services are you hearing about in YOUR area?

How do you think these cuts in spending and huge tax increases are likely to impact the U.S. economy in 2011?

Will they be enough to prevent a massive implosion of state and municipal bond markets in the year ahead

Given these realities, how long do you think this stock market rally will last? Is it safe to buy stocks now?

If leading analysts are correct and this great state and municipal debt bomb detonates in 2011, how will it impact the value and buying power of THE U.S. DOLLAR?

Every single day, the vast majority of our readers — about nine out of ten — told us that it could be next to impossible for our state and local governments to paper over or even delay this crisis.

America’s Day of Reckoning has finally come!

What’s more, the vast majority fully expect this great debt crisis to cripple this fledgling economic recovery … ultimately END the recent rally in stocks … and leave Wall Street a smoking ruin.

Most disturbing of all, many expect the first dominoes of this debt crisis to fall early THIS YEAR. Some predict it will happen as early as February — just over two weeks from today!

In another day or two, my team and I are going to offer you our answers to these questions and more importantly, we’ll give you our recommendations for protecting yourself and profiting.

In the meantime, though, I need to ask you one, final question:

How do YOU plan to keep your money growing
as this new debt crisis impacts the U.S. economy?

Just click this link and leave a comment to and give us your thoughts. And while you’re there, check out the other readers’ posts. You’ll probably find some great investing ideas there!

Good luck and God bless!

Martin

{ 719 comments }

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION!

If you haven’t joined the discussion we’re having right now, you’re really MISSING something!

Our topic is the great debt crisis that is now impacting nearly half of all U.S. states and thousands of our counties, cities and towns.

All over America, critical services are being eliminated:

• Police, fire and other emergency services are being cut.
• Health care services are being limited or eliminated altogether.
• Schools and universities are losing funding and being forced to raise tuition costs.
• Maintenance of roads, bridges and even electrical grids is being curtailed.
• Thousands of state, county and city jobs are being cut.
• And to add insult to injury, state and local taxes are being raised.

All because state and local governments can’t pay their bills!

And still, prominent Wall Street analysts are now warning that up to 100 MAJOR U.S. cities and states will go bust in 2011.

As you might expect, our readers’ opinions pretty much cover the waterfront …

A handful say not to worry: They believe these problems will somehow be resolved — they will not be allowed to impact the overall economy and that the current stock market rally will continue indefinitely.

Others are concerned, but taking a wait-and-see approach: Staying in stocks and other dollar-denominated investments for now, but keeping an eye on the exits and ready to dump everything the minute they see this crisis deteriorating.

But the vast majority — I’d have to guess at least nine out of ten of your fellow investors — are saying that this is no time to be deep into typical U.S. stocks or even U.S. dollars and they’re suggesting other investments that should explode in value as this crisis continues to unfold.

How about YOU? Where do you come down on this all-important issue? And what’s your answer to today’s Question of the Day:

How is this crisis likely to affect
gold, silver, oil and other
natural resource investments?

When up to 100 major U.S. cities default on their debt, how will it impact natural resource prices? Will they skyrocket due to a sudden collapse in the U.S. dollar? Or will they plunge as investors panic, fearing that crisis in the U.S. will spread to the rest of the world?

My team and I are preparing to answer ALL of these crucial questions in great detail — and we’ll also give you our plan for protecting and even growing your wealth as this debt crisis inevitably implodes. But before we do, I again want to give YOU the opportunity to share your ideas with us.

Just click this link to jump over to my personal blog and join the discussion!

Good luck and God bless!

Martin

{ 985 comments }

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION!

If you haven’t checked out the action here on my personal blog this week, you really should. We’re discussing the impact that the massive debt crisis striking America’s states and cities is likely to have on your investments and financial security.

Yesterday, for instance, our question of the day was, given the realities of this great debt catastrophe …

How long do you think the stock market rally will last?
How do you feel about buying or holding U.S. stocks today?

As you might expect, the answers run the gamut.

Mark G., for example, is optimistic enough to stay in stocks for now: “With quantitative easing and other stimulus programs, the market rally may last longer than most people think,” he says. “Keep a close eye on the markets and one eye on the exit.”

Mark continues by citing investment proverbs his father taught him: “Markets are like a giant pendulum that swings in one general direction. Don’t you get in the way. The trend is your friend. Markets can stay irrational longer than you can stay solvent.”

Al N. says, “The strength in stocks continues to fly in the face of reality, as does general consumer confidence. Apparently much of the money flowing into the stock markets is coming from oblivious investors and investors located in even weaker economies. For those reasons, the markets are capable of holding up longer than logic would predict.”

Daniel M. seems to agree: “A lot will depend on the attitude and perception of the Baby Boomers,” he says. “They have never experienced anything like the Great Depression. Many will base their response on the last 30-40 years, where the markets always bounced back rather quickly. They will stay in until it is too late and lose a lot of their capital.”

Melissa G. seems to be more bearish: “I may be proven wrong,” she writes, “but the rally will last three to six months at most. I have no long-term holdings in the market at all right now except gold, silver, and shorting the S&P, euro, and the dollar itself. I have ZERO faith in our economy at this point.”

Marion M. is expecting the end of this stock market rally to come even sooner: “Through my reading of stock reports, a bear market rally can last at least two years. The bear market rally that started March 2009 will be two years old March 2011.”

And Pat B. writes, “I think the stock market rally could last through February but I’m not buying and I’m paring my portfolio down to gold and natural resources.”

Fascinating answers! Thanks to EVERYONE who posted their ideas on my blog!

Now, let’s look at another possible consequence of the debt crisis among our states and cities.

Today’s Question of the Day is …

If leading analysts are correct and this great state and municipal debt bomb detonates in 2011, how will it impact the value and buying power of THE U.S. DOLLAR?

My team and I are preparing to answer ALL of these crucial questions in great detail — and we’ll also give you our plan for protecting and even growing your wealth as this debt crisis inevitably implodes. But before we do, this is my way of giving YOU the opportunity to share your ideas with us.

Just click this link and leave a comment to join the discussion!

Good luck and God bless!

Martin

{ 166 comments }

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION!

It’s the #1 question most investors are asking now:  “With America’s massive debt crisis now reaching critical mass, can the U.S. stock market continue to rally in 2011?”

On Monday, I reported on how top experts like Meredith Whitney — who accurately warned of the credit crisis well in advance — are now forecasting that up to 100 major U.S. cities will go bankrupt THIS YEAR.

That’s right: 100 MAJOR U.S. cities could go broke and default on their debt in 2011. And that doesn’t even begin to count the dozens of U.S. states and thousands of counties and smaller towns that are also within a hair’s breadth of financial failure!

So far, close to 2,000 readers have visited my personal blog to report on how state and local governments are gutting spending programs and hiking taxes in their areas. And as you might expect, we received a blizzard of answers to yesterday’s Questions of the Day:

How will these cuts in spending
and huge tax increases impact
the U.S. economy and stock market in 2011?

— and —

Will they be enough to prevent
a massive implosion of state and
municipal bond markets in the year ahead?

Richard S. didn’t mince words: “Without a doubt,” he said, “the worst is yet to come!”

Don M. believes “ … we are in for a major crash.”

Cliff B. writes, “Bonds are going to tank just like the Titanic.”

Fred says, “Government will keep spending until there is an absolute collapse. Thus it has always been, thus it will always be. Now, ‘let loose the dogs of war,’ because all hell is about to come forth.”

Al L. agrees: “If we do not cut government spending and government WASTE, we are all going to be bankrupt!!”

Phillip W. writes, “The US economy is like a man on the high wire with no balancing pole. One unexpected gust of wind will send him crashing to the ground.”

Brian M. puts it this way: “Make no mistake, we are currently in the next ‘great depression’. We are in the midst of a debt implosion caused by the society’s inability to heed the lessons of history. Financial Armageddon is the result.”

According to Tim S., “A massive default on debt servicing and obligations by states and localities will trigger a run on the banks. The credit inflation that has been growing over the last two decades will reverse in a nano-second and leave people who have money in the market, CDs, bonds, and savings accounts with nothing.

“The FDIC, the Fed and the Treasury Department will be unable to stop the bleeding. We will see rationing, price fixing, wage controls, seizures, mandates and nationalizations.”

William B. sees an accelerating downward spiral: “The massive cuts in spending have to reduce the moneys flowing into the economy,” he says, “which in turn will be counterproductive to government revenue. This, in turn, will lower the vitality of the economy and lead to greater deficits. A classic example of the stupidity of the federal brain(?)trust.”

Joanne F. sums it all up nicely: “If we cut spending, we may have deflation with all the bad consequences. If the federal government continues to print money and gives that money to the states, we will have higher interest rates, which will wreck the housing market or what’s left of it, with another banking crisis. Checkmate. No solution that I can see.”

Now, let’s get more specific on how you see this crisis impacting the U.S. economy, the dollar and the stock market THIS YEAR. Today, our Question of the Day is …

Given these realities, how long do you
think the stock market rally will last?
How do you feel about buying
or holding U.S. stocks today?

My team and I are preparing to answer this crucial question for all of our readers in great detail — and we’ll also give you our plan for protecting and even growing your wealth as this debt crisis inevitably implodes. But before we do, I want to give YOU the opportunity to share your ideas with us.

Just click here and leave a comment to join the discussion!

Good luck and God bless!

Martin

{ 669 comments }

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION!

Yesterday alone, nearly 1,000 readers logged in to to answer our questions of the day!

Our topic: The budget catastrophe in America’s cities and states.

The questions:

What cuts in government services
are you hearing about in YOUR area?

and …

How do you and your family
plan to cope with them?

And as you might expect, our readers are angry and their posts are red hot!

Jody F. from North Carolina notes that the state’s Mental Health agency went bankrupt. And worse: “One of my friends who worked there had just had surgery for breast cancer,” she says, “and the health insurance was bankrupt and could not pay her bill.”

Tim W., a resident of California, says “Fresno CA has released hundreds of prisoners in an early release program. Many of those released are rearrested within days on new charges. Makes us feel safe and warm all over to know that you can now commit crimes in Fresno and be released with a hand slap.”

Linda C. writes that, in her area, they’re closing libraries, reducing bus schedules and jury-rigging the property tax rules in ways that overstate the value of each home in order to pump up revenues.

Al is worried that, in his state, budget shortfalls are seriously interfering with infrastructure upgrades and threatening to leave citizens in the dark sometime in the next three years.

His reaction? “I’m upgrading my property with a 4.1 KWH solar array with battery back-up to provide power in the event of a shutdown in the grid.”

Marvin J., a retired police officer in Kansas, reports that Wichita has eliminated Community Police Officer positions and removed all uniformed officers from public schools.

“I’ve been receiving retirement checks for the past 18 years,” he says, “but I’m beginning to wonder how long that will continue.”

Robert L. says that “Colorado Springs has turned off many street lights and gotten rid of its police helicopters.”

Ken writes that New York City is avoiding any real cuts like the plague. Instead, “The government has increased property taxes, the water bill, mass transit, tolls on bridges and all sorts of fees, including a recent rise in the sales tax.”

George B. reports that in his area, they’ve seen city attempts to get the local fire and police — both unionized — to take 2%-3% pay cuts, but they are fighting it tooth and nail.

“I suspect we will see slowdowns and ‘sick outs,’” he says.

George also says his family is preparing by keeping funds in precious metals and short-term bonds — and by having enough food and water in the event of civil unrest — which he thinks is very likely in some areas.

We also got an earful from readers who live in Illinois
— one of the states analysts believe is most
likely to be among the first to go bust.

Jack E. writes, “The [Illinois] state legislature is using a lame duck session to pass massive tax hikes to pay for their past sins.

“On the local level, we have seen firefighters and police officers laid off. Public works budgets and employees are suffering. By far the most ominous layoffs are in the ranks of teachers.”

Dean H., who also lives in what he calls “the disaster-zone otherwise known as Illinois” — reports:

 “Over the weekend, the speaker of the Illinois house — and one who is considered the most powerful politician in Illinois — Mike Madigan — held ‘closed-door’ meetings with other top politicos said to be addressing the budget shortfalls (mildly put).

“The bitter irony of the outcome of these meetings is that NONE of them included belt-tightening, or any reduction in funding of state services. What has been leaked is a planned SEVENTY-FIVE percent increase (yes, that’s 75%!!) in state income taxes to help cover the shortfall.

“Notice again that not a SINGLE plan that’s come out of the meetings have suggested CUTS of anything!!!”

So what happens next?

As you can see, our readers are telling us …

Yes, this crisis is REAL!

And they’re citing draconian spending cuts and tax increases that would have had politicians summarily thrown out of office just a few years ago.

So today’s questions are …

How do you think these cuts in spending
and huge tax increases are likely to impact
the U.S. economy and stock market in 2011?

— and —

Will they be they enough to prevent
a massive implosion of state and
municipal bond markets in the year ahead?

My team and I are preparing to answer this crucial question for all of our readers in great detail — and we’ll also give you our plan for protecting and even growing your wealth as this debt crisis inevitably implodes. But before we do, I want to give YOU the opportunity to share your ideas with us.

Just click this link and leave a comment to join the discussion!

Good luck and God bless!

Martin

{ 445 comments }

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION!

With so many major cities and states now on the brink of bankruptcy, I have two very urgent questions for you this morning:

What cuts in government services are you aware of in YOUR area? And how do you and your family plan to cope with them?

Just click here to give me your comments.

And over the next few days, my team and I will do everything in our power to give you feedback and guidance. Unfortunately …

This Crisis Is Turning Into a Greek
Tragedy in More Ways Than One!

In recent years, the Greek government was so deep in debt, it had no choice but to borrow heavily from bond investors just to pay its daily bills.

Then, in late 2009, the Greek debt crisis reached critical mass. Fitch downgraded Greece’s credit rating. Despite radical reforms and spending cuts, the crisis deepened.

By April 2010, global bond investors were stampeding for the exits. Short-term interest rates exploded to 18 percent, making it virtually impossible for Athens to continue financing its operations.

Greece was on its deathbed.

The World Bank and the European Union agreed to an 11th hour cash transfusion — but only on one condition: The Greek government would have to perform radical budget surgery, slashing expenses like never before.

By May, the entire nation was in chaos. Thousands of government workers were rioting in the streets. Blood was shed.

And today, Greece’s economy is still bleeding; its very survival still in question.

Meanwhile, 5,133 miles to the East — in Washington, DC — the most pressing question on our leaders’ minds now is:

Which State Will Be
America’s First “Greece”?

There is a disease in America — the same sort of disease that mortally wounded Greece and Ireland … hobbled Portugal and Spain … and has started to spread to other nations.

In America, though, it’s a double-edged debt crisis which is now poised to crush the economy — on both a FEDERAL level and a LOCAL level.

Indeed, at EVERY level of government, debt and deficits are now exploding, or on the verge of exploding.

The debt crisis at the federal government level is the one everybody talks about. The massive $14 TRILLION debt bomb that Washington has built — and the $1.4 trillion in NEW debt that Washington is still piling up each year.

The second debt bomb is not quite as large, but it’s far more dangerous because it’s on a hair trigger: the debt-and-deficit disaster at our nation’s states and cities.

As you read this, our state and local governments owe as much as $2 trillion more than they can pay. They owe STILL more to pension funds — a whopping $3.5 trillion. Plus, they also owe health benefits of more than $500 billion.

For the past couple of years, the states have been scraping by on billions of dollars in federal stimulus funds. But now, that money has been spent and is nearly gone. Bottom line:

The Day of Reckoning Is Now at Hand!

There’s no overstating how serious or how pressing this crisis is.

Unlike the federal government, the cities and states cannot print money to pay their bills.

Unlike Washington, they are bound BY LAW to balance their budgets each and every year.

But too many cities and states simply cannot balance their budgets. Decades of gross mismanagement … insane concessions to government workers’ unions … and unrealistic promises to voters have left them with only once choice …

To cut their budgets to the bone and then pray for the best.

Consider how desperate U.S. cities and states already are:

Many states and cities are cutting their police forces. Newark, for example, just laid off 13 percent of its police officers in November.

Others are releasing prisoners early because there isn’t enough money to house them.

Philadelphia, Baltimore, Sacramento, and many other cities are laying off firefighters and emergency medical personnel, shutting down firehouses.

Many states — including New York and New Jersey — have attempted to stop the bleeding by refusing to pay their pension funds, which are now collectively underfunded to the tune of $1 trillion.

Governor Chris Christie slashed New Jersey’s budget by 26 percent, laying off thousands of teachers … firing 1,300 state workers … and drastically reducing funding to New Jersey cities and counties. Yet he’s still facing another $10 billion deficit next year.

In Illinois, state Comptroller Dan Hynes says there are tens of thousands of people — if not hundreds of thousands — in queue waiting for their checks, which are now up to six months overdue! Social service groups have laid off hundreds of workers while waiting for checks. Pharmacies are closing for lack of Medicaid payments.

Also in Illinois, state officials are being evicted from their offices for nonpayment of rent.

California now faces a deficit of $28.5 billion over the next 18 months and annual deficits of AT LEAST $20 billion for the next five years.

Before leaving office, Governor Schwarzenegger proposed $7.4 billion in new spending cuts in welfare, health care, and child care. But after three years of budget cutting, there is little left to cut.

Analysts generally agree that the only solution would be for in-coming Governor Jerry Brown to scrap virtually everything related to Proposition 13, which caps real estate taxes and which he himself championed the last time he was governor, 36 years ago. But that’s legally and politically impossible.

Meanwhile, California’s credit rating is approaching junk status, the lowest of any state in the Union.

Arizona is so desperate that it sold off its state capitol, Supreme Court building, and legislative chambers. And now it leases the buildings from the new owner.

The state also eliminated Medicaid funding for most organ transplants.

The demand for food stamps has been rising significantly in Idaho, but tight budgets led the state to close nearly a third of the field offices of the state’s Department of Health and Welfare, which take applications for them.

Wondering why the jobs report was so disappointing this Friday? Now you have the answer! It was almost entirely due to this crisis, according to the data released by the U.S. Labor Department last week.

But the Biggest and Most
Immediate Threat Is DEFAULTS!

Time has run out.

The first major state or municipal defaults are now just a few months or even weeks away.

Even The New York Times recently reported that Illinois, California, and several other states are at increasing risk of being the first states to default since the 1930s.

That’s not just my view: According to Meredith Whitney, who accurately predicted the global credit crunch, 50 to 100 MAJOR American cities are likely to go bankrupt THIS YEAR!

If Ms. Whitney is right — and I believe she is — those 100 American cities will default on hundreds of billions of dollars of loans and bonds. Up to one million public employees could lose their jobs.

How Bad Could It Get? Consider
This Possible Sequence of Events …

A state or major city announces that it is unable to pay the yield on its bonds.

Panic grips the entire bond market.

Investors dump nearly ALL tax-exempt instruments.

Scores of other cities and states find it impossible to refinance their debt or sell new bonds without offering sky-high, double-digit yields.

Many MORE defaults follow.

The U.S. dollar folds like a cheap suit.

Interest rates launch into double digits.

Soaring interest rates hit America’s businesses like a ton of bricks.

Earnings crater — and along with them, stock prices.

Dozens of government entities declare states of emergency and demand billions of dollars in immediate bailouts from Washington.

What Happens Next?

Will our new, fiscally conservative Congress surrender to political pressure and save the states and cities? Or will it surrender their principles to these realities and step into the gap?

Consider the latest news …

• Late last week, Fed Chairman Bernanke formally declared that the Federal Reserve cannot and WILL not bail out the local governments.
• At the same time, the new Republican leadership in Congress has also drawn a line in the sand, foreswearing any bailouts of cities and states.

Moreover, this is not just political posturing. Far from it! These pronouncements reflect the inescapable fact that Washington has truly exhausted the political will to embark on a whole new round of bailouts.

What If Washington DOES Decide to
Pile Up Billions More in Federal Debt
To Save the States and Cities?

Then, the question will be an even MORE ominous one: WHO IS GOING TO SAVE WASHINGTON when the next shoe in this great debt crisis — the implosion of federal debt — drops?

Could it happen?

“NO!” say Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s — the two bond rating agencies that got everything wrong in the housing collapse.

My answer is quite different: The federal day of reckoning is ALSO imminent!

That time could come a lot sooner than you might think …

No more papering over the debt monster with phony-baloney accounting tricks!

No more borrowing from Peter to pay Paul!

No more time for the United States of America to stay on the dole from overseas creditors like China and Japan!

Look. Regardless of what happens on a federal level, it’s only a matter of a short time before news of the first city and state defaults explodes into the headlines — and then, it could be too late for you to protect your wealth.

There’s no way I’m going to sugarcoat this: To get through 2011 with your wealth intact, you will need to (1) FULLY understand the danger and then (2) ACT to insulate yourself.

For the next several days, I’m going to use my personal blog to do everything in my power to help prepare you for this rapidly unfolding crisis. And in a few days, my team and I will give you our solutions for protecting your wealth and even profiting as this dire situation unfolds.

Each day, I’ll pose a critical question and meet with you on my blog to discuss your answers.

So let me repeat today’s questions of the day that I posed at the outset:

What cuts in government services
are you hearing about in YOUR area?

and …

How do you and your family
plan to cope with them?

Just click here, give me your feedback and make your voice heard!

Good luck and God bless!

Martin

{ 933 comments }

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION!

JUST 7 HOURS LEFT FOR YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION!
OUR 2011 FORECASTS TO BE RELEASED TOMORROW!

This is your final reminder.

Tomorrow is the day we release our independent forecasts for 2011.

And TONIGHT, at 11:59 PM, is when the Weiss 2011 Forecast Challenge CLOSES. That’s less than 7 short hours from now.

If you don’t click here and share your forecasts with our readers now, you will miss your opportunity to win a free subscription just for entering.

You’ll be turning down a free subscription from Mike Larson’s Safe Money Report … or Larry Edelson’s Real Wealth Report … or Nilus Mattive’s Income Superstars … or Sean Brodrick’s Crisis Profit Hunter … or Tony Sagami’s Asia Stock Alert.

What’s more, you will miss the chance to win one of ten great prizes:

Grand Prize (one winner): A luxury 7-day cruise for two with Royal Caribbean.

First Prize (three winners): An Apple iPad with Wi-Fi and 3G capability, packed with 32GB of memory.

Honorable Mention (six winners): A 64GB Apple iPod Touch that holds 14,000 songs or 80 hours of video, including earphones, remote control and microphone.

Remember: There is ZERO cost to enter … NOTHING for you to buy … NO OBLIGATION whatsoever on your part … and best of all, there’s still time to enter before the deadline at 11:59 PM tonight!

Just click this link now and use the handy form to give us your forecasts for 2011. We’ve made it easy for you — participating only takes a few seconds.

Then, watch your inbox for the email inviting you to grab a free subscription to any of our investment newsletters — and if you like, click here and leave a comment to join us in a lively and enlightening discussion on the financial threats and profit opportunities ahead.

Simply by participating, you’ll be taking a giant step towards preparing yourself for the greatest financial dangers and profit opportunities of 2011. And later, if you’re one of our challenge winners, I’ll personally contact you to tell you what you’ve won.

But you need to hurry — The 2011 Weiss Forecast Challenge closes in just a few hours: Click this link to enter while there’s still time!

Good luck and God bless!

Martin

{ 45 comments }

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION!

FINAL DAY to get your share of $250k in free prizes and Weiss subscriptions just for entering The 2011
Weiss Forecast Challenge!

My team is set to reveal our 2011 forecasts TOMORROW! That means our 2011 Weiss Forecast Challenge MUST end TODAY!

Click this link NOW to share your forecasts with our readers … to grab a free subscription just for entering … and to qualify to win an Apple iPod … iPad … or a free Caribbean cruise!

In just a few hours, your chance to enter and win The 2011 Weiss Forecast Challenge will END.

More than 11,000 readers have already entered and have been invited to receive a free subscription to one of our five investment newsletters. And those whose forecasts prove the most accurate are set to win valuable prizes!

The best news is, there is ZERO cost to enter … NOTHING for you to buy … NO OBLIGATION whatsoever on your part!

But this forecast contest must end today
so our team can give you OUR forecasts
and investment recommendations TOMORROW!

Immediately after you give us your forecasts, you’ll receive an email thanking you for your input and inviting you to grab a free subscription to any one of the FIVE wealth-building newsletters we publish:

• Mike Larson’s Safe Money investment service — to identify and shield you from financial dangers and to help grow your wealth with TWO powerful portfolios: Others pay at least $98 per year for Safe Money; you get three months free just for entering The Weiss Forecast Challenge for 2011!

• Larry Edelson’s Real Wealth Report — to help you cash in on this historic boom in natural resources: Others pay at least $98 per year for Real Wealth Report; you get three months free just for entering!

• Nilus Mattive’s Income Superstars — to help you go for high income and stellar total returns — not only with dividend-paying stocks but also with other high-income vehicles. Others pay at least $78 per year; you get three months free for entering!

• Sean Brodrick’s Crisis Profit Hunter — to help you protect and grow your wealth in treacherous times. Others pay at least $89 per year; you get three months free for entering!

• Tony Sagami’s Asia Stock Alert — to help you profit from the best-performing U.S.-traded stocks of China, India, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and even Vietnam. Others pay at least $199 per year; you get three months free!

And if your forecasts prove to be
among the most accurate, you could
win one of TEN valuable prizes:

Grand Prize (one winner): A luxury 7-day cruise for two with Royal Caribbean.

First Prize (three winners): An Apple iPad with Wi-Fi and 3G capability, packed with 32GB of memory.

Honorable Mention (six winners): A 64GB Apple iPod Touch that holds 14,000 songs or 80 hours of video, including earphones, remote control and microphone.

You can reap the rewards of entering
The Weiss Forecast Contest
in three, easy steps:

STEP #1: Click this link now and use the handy form to give us your forecasts for 2011. We’ve made it easy for you — participating only takes a few seconds.

STEP #2: Sign up to receive your free three-month subscription to one of our flagship investment services.

STEP #3: Click this link and leave a comment to join us in a lively and enlightening discussion on the financial threats and profit opportunities ahead.

Simply by participating, you’ll be taking a giant step towards preparing yourself for the greatest financial dangers and profit opportunities of 2011. And later, if you’re one of our challenge winners, I’ll personally contact you to tell you what you’ve won.

But you need to hurry — The 2011 Weiss Forecast Challenge closes TODAY: Click this link to enter while there’s still time!

Good luck and God bless!

Martin

{ 9 comments }

HEADS UP:
Tomorrow is your LAST DAY to enter
The 2011 Weiss Forecast Challenge
and to claim your free subscription!

We must close this contest TOMORROW so my team and I can give you OUR 2011 forecasts and recommendations later this week!

That gives you just over 24 hours to CLICK THIS LINK … take our simple survey … win a free subscription just for entering … and to grab the chance to win other valuable prizes — including a free Caribbean cruise!

Dear Investor,

This week, my team and I are going to give you our own, independent forecasts for 2011.

First though, I want to make absolutely sure you have the opportunity to win valuable prizes by sharing YOUR forecasts with our readers BEFORE The 2011 Weiss Forecast Challenge closes tomorrow!

Nearly 9,000 readers have already entered — and the forecasts they’re giving us are fascinating, to say the least:

• A solid majority — 59.7% — see interest rates rising substantially in the year ahead. And 13.1% say 10-year Treasury note yields will explode through the 5% barrier!

• A whopping 60.8% say gold will continue breaking records in 2011. An impressive 14.4% say the yellow metal will blow through the $2,000 per ounce level before the year is out!

• According to our readers, the two hottest stock markets in the world will be China and Brazil!

The best news is, there is ZERO cost to enter …
NOTHING for you to buy …
NO OBLIGATION whatsoever on your part!

Immediately after you give us your forecasts, you’ll receive an email thanking you for your input and inviting you to grab a free subscription to any one of the FIVE wealth-building newsletters we publish:

• Mike Larson’s Safe Money investment service — to identify and shield you from financial dangers and to help grow your wealth with TWO powerful portfolios: Others pay at least $98 per year for Safe Money; you get three months free just for entering The Weiss Forecast Challenge for 2011!

• Larry Edelson’s Real Wealth Report — to help you cash in on this historic boom in natural resources: Others pay at least $98 per year for Real Wealth Report; you get three months free just for entering!

• Nilus Mattive’s Income Superstars — to help you go for high income and stellar total returns — not only with dividend-paying stocks but also with other high-income vehicles. Others pay at least $78 per year; you get three months free for entering!

• Sean Brodrick’s Crisis Profit Hunter — to help you protect and grow your wealth in treacherous times. Others pay at least $89 per year; you get three months free for entering!

• Tony Sagami’s Asia Stock Alert — to help you profit from the best-performing U.S.-traded stocks of China, India, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and even Vietnam. Others pay at least $199 per year; you get three months free!

And if your forecasts prove to be
among the most accurate, you could
win one of TEN valuable prizes:

Grand Prize (one winner): A luxury 7-day cruise for two with Royal Caribbean.

First Prize (three winners): An Apple iPad with Wi-Fi and 3G capability, packed with 32GB of memory.

Honorable Mention (six winners): A 64GB Apple iPod Touch that holds 14,000 songs or 80 hours of video, including earphones, remote control and microphone.

You can reap the rewards of entering
The Weiss Forecast Contest
in three, easy steps:

STEP #1: Click this link now and use the handy form to give us your forecasts for 2011. We’ve made it easy for you — participating only takes a few seconds.

STEP #2: Sign up to receive your free three-month subscription to one of our flagship investment services.

STEP #3: Click this link to jump over to my personal blog to join us in a lively and enlightening discussion on the financial threats and profit opportunities ahead.

Simply by participating, you’ll be taking a giant step towards preparing yourself for the greatest financial dangers and profit opportunities of 2011. And later, if you’re one of our challenge winners, I’ll personally contact you to tell you what you’ve won.

But you need to hurry — The 2011 Weiss Forecast Challenge closes TOMORROW, just one day from today. Click this link to enter while there’s still time.

Good luck and God bless!

Martin

{ 19 comments }

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION!

Hi, I’m having a great Sunday and I hope you are too!

I’m happily giving away prizes and memberships valued at over $250,000 in the Weiss Forecast Challenge.

Here’s how it works …

This coming week, my team and I are going to reveal our forecasts for the next year.

But before we do, we want to give you the opportunity to win great prizes for sharing YOUR forecasts with us — as part of our contest.

There is ZERO cost to enter … NOTHING for you to buy … and NO OBLIGATION whatsoever on your part.

You can enter simply by clicking this link … and there are TWO WAYS TO WIN:

FIRST: You win just by entering!

Just for sharing your predictions for the year ahead, you get a complimentary three-month membership to any one of our flagship investment newsletter services:

You can choose a free subscription to any one of the following …

• Mike Larson’s Safe Money investment service — to identify and shield you from financial dangers and to help grow your wealth with TWO powerful portfolios: Others pay at least $98 per year for Safe Money; you get three months free just for entering The Weiss Forecast Challenge for 2011!

• Larry Edelson’s Real Wealth Report — to help you cash in on this historic boom in natural resources: Others pay at least $98 per year for Real Wealth Report; you get three months free just for entering!

• Nilus Mattive’s Income Superstars — to help you go for high income and stellar total returns — not only with dividend-paying stocks but also with other high-income vehicles. Others pay at least $78 per year; you get three months free for entering!

• Sean Brodrick’s Crisis Profit Hunter — to help you protect and grow your wealth in treacherous times. Others pay at least $89 per year; you get three months free for entering!

• Tony Sagami’s Asia Stock Alert — to help you profit from the best-performing U.S.-traded stocks of China, India, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and even Vietnam. Others pay at least $199 per year; you get three months free!

SECOND: You could win one of ten valuable prizes!

If your forecasts prove to be among the most accurate, you could win …

Grand Prize (one winner): A luxury 7-day cruise for two with Royal Caribbean.

First Prize (three winners): An Apple iPad with Wi-Fi and 3G capability, packed with 32GB of memory.

Honorable Mention (six winners): A 64GB Apple iPod Touch that holds 14,000 songs or 80 hours of video, including earphones, remote control and microphone.

Here’s how to reap ALL the rewards of
entering the Weiss Forecast Challenge …

STEP #1: Click this link now and use the handy form to give us your forecasts for 2011. We’ve made it easy for you — participating only takes a few seconds.

STEP #2: Sign up to receive your free three-month subscription to one of our flagship investment services.

STEP #3: Click this link and leave a comment to join us in a lively and enlightening discussion on the financial threats and profit opportunities ahead.

Simply by participating, you’ll be taking a giant step towards preparing yourself for the greatest financial dangers and profit opportunities of 2011. And later, if you’re one of our challenge winners, I’ll personally contact you to tell you what you’ve won.

Good luck and God bless!

Martin

{ 46 comments }

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION!

Entering The Weiss 2011 Forecast Challenge costs you nothing — and everyone who enters WINS!

Entering is easy: Simply click here and answer a few simple questions about what you see ahead in 2011 … and then claim your reward!

The contest is a smash success so far: Thousands of entrants in The Weiss Forecast Challenge have already been invited to claim their complimentary memberships in Weiss investment newsletters valued, in total, at more than $103,000!

And by the time the contest ends a few days from now, I’m hoping we’ll be able to give away memberships valued at over $250,000 — including one for you!

That’s when it will be our turn — when my team and I will reveal our own independent forecasts for 2011, along with our recommendations for the investments we believe will make you the most money in the year ahead.

But when we do, that’s when …

YOUR chance to participate in
The 2011 Weiss Forecast Challenge
(and to win great prizes!) WILL END.

So, if you haven’t done so already, now is an excellent time to tell us what you see ahead for key investments next year …

To engage in a lively discussion with me on my personal blog …

And to win some great prizes.

The best news is, there is …

• ZERO cost to enter …
• NOTHING for you to buy …
• NO OBLIGATION whatsoever on your part …
• And there are TWO WAYS TO WIN:

FIRST: You win just by entering! Just for sharing your predictions for the year ahead, you get a complimentary three-month membership to any one of our flagship investment newsletter services:

You can choose a free subscription to any one of the following …

• Mike Larson’s Safe Money investment service — to identify and shield you from financial dangers and to help grow your wealth with TWO powerful portfolios: Others pay at least $98 per year for Safe Money; you get three months free just for entering The Weiss Forecast Challenge for 2011!

• Larry Edelson’s Real Wealth Report — to help you cash in on this historic boom in natural resources: Others pay at least $98 per year for Real Wealth Report; you get three months free just for entering!

• Nilus Mattive’s Income Superstars — to help you go for high income and stellar total returns — not only with dividend-paying stocks but also with other high-income vehicles. Others pay at least $78 per year; you get three months free for entering!

• Sean Brodrick’s Crisis Profit Hunter — to help you protect and grow your wealth in treacherous times. Others pay at least $89 per year; you get three months free for entering!

• Tony Sagami’s Asia Stock Alert — to help you profit from the best-performing U.S.-traded stocks of China, India, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and even Vietnam. Others pay at least $199 per year; you get three months free!

SECOND: You could win one of ten valuable prizes! If your forecasts prove to be among the most accurate, you could win …

Grand Prize (one winner): A luxury 7-day cruise for two with Royal Caribbean.

First Prize (three winners): An Apple iPad with Wi-Fi and 3G capability, packed with 32GB of memory.

Honorable Mention (six winners): A 64GB Apple iPod Touch that holds 14,000 songs or 80 hours of video, including earphones, remote control and microphone.

You can reap the rewards of entering
The Weiss Forecast Contest
in three, easy steps:

STEP #1: Click this link now and use the handy form to give us your forecasts for 2011. We’ve made it easy for you — participating only takes a few seconds.

STEP #2: Sign up to receive your free three-month subscription to one of our flagship investment services.

STEP #3: Click this link and leave a comment to join us in a lively and enlightening discussion on the financial threats and profit opportunities ahead.

Simply by participating, you’ll be taking a giant step towards preparing yourself for the greatest financial dangers and profit opportunities of 2011. And later, if you’re one of our challenge winners, I’ll personally contact you to tell you what you’ve won.

Good luck and God bless!

Martin

{ 18 comments }

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION!

The response to The 2011 Weiss Forecast Challenge is off the charts!

Thousands of our readers have already entered … given us their forecasts for stocks, interest rates, gold, oil and more … and are now being invited to join any one of our investment newsletters absolutely free.

PLUS, readers whose forecasts prove to be the most accurate in 2011 will win thousands of dollars in prizes — including a luxury cruise, iPads and MORE!

What our readers are telling us so far is truly remarkable. Take oil prices, for instance: Despite the fact that crude is trading at around $87 — just over HALF its previous highs …

An impressive 42.5% of our readers now say that oil will soar as high as $149 in the year ahead …

And some even say it will completely blow away its old record highs exploding through the $150 barrier in 2011.

They could be right: Just this morning, JPMorgan released a report saying that oil will advance to $120 a barrel — a 38% increase — in the months ahead.

If so, it would be great news for everyone who follows the natural resource investment services edited by Larry Edelson and Sean Brodrick!

Meanwhile …

My team and I are almost ready
to reveal our forecasts
for the year ahead.

When we do, your chance to participate in
The 2011 Weiss Forecast Challenge
— and to win great prizes — WILL END.

Right now, we are working around the clock, finalizing and finetuning our own independent forecasts for 2011 — plus our recommendations for the investments we believe will enjoy the best performance.

We’ll be sharing our ideas with you shortly. But first, if you haven’t done so already, we want to give YOU the chance to enter The 2011 Weiss Forecast Challenge, so that you can …

Tell us what you see ahead for key investments next year …

Engage in a lively discussion with me on my personal blog …

And have the chance to win some great prizes.

The best news is, there is …

• ZERO cost to enter …
• NOTHING for you to buy …

• NO OBLIGATION whatsoever on your part …
• And there are TWO WAYS TO WIN:

FIRST: You win just by entering! Just for sharing your predictions for the year ahead, you get a complimentary three-month membership to any one of our flagship investment newsletter services:

You can choose a free subscription to any one of the following …

• Mike Larson’s Safe Money investment service — to identify and shield you from financial dangers and to help grow your wealth with TWO powerful portfolios: Others pay at least $98 per year for Safe Money; you get three months free just for entering The Weiss Forecast Challenge for 2011!

• Larry Edelson’s Real Wealth Report — to help you cash in on this historic boom in natural resources: Others pay at least $98 per year for Real Wealth Report; you get three months free just for entering!

• Nilus Mattive’s Income Superstars — to help you go for high income and stellar total returns — not only with dividend-paying stocks but also with other high-income vehicles. Others pay at least $78 per year; you get three months free for entering!

• Sean Brodrick’s Crisis Profit Hunter — to help you protect and grow your wealth in treacherous times. Others pay at least $89 per year; you get three months free for entering!

• Tony Sagami’s Asia Stock Alert — to help you profit from the best-performing U.S.-traded stocks of China, India, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and even Vietnam. Others pay at least $199 per year; you get three months free!

SECOND: You could win one of ten valuable prizes! If your forecasts prove to be among the most accurate, you could win …

Grand Prize (one winner): A luxury 7-day cruise for two with Royal Caribbean.

First Prize (three winners): An Apple iPad with Wi-Fi and 3G capability, packed with 32GB of memory.

Honorable Mention (six winners): A 64GB Apple iPod Touch that holds 14,000 songs or 80 hours of video, including earphones, remote control and microphone.

You can reap the rewards of entering
The Weiss Forecast Contest
in three, easy steps:

STEP #1: Click this link now and use the handy form to give us your forecasts for 2011. We’ve made it easy for you — participating only takes a few seconds.

STEP #2: Sign up to receive your free three-month subscription to one of our flagship investment services.

STEP #3: Click this link and leave a comment to join us in a lively and enlightening discussion on the financial threats and profit opportunities ahead.

Simply by participating, you’ll be taking a giant step towards preparing yourself for the greatest financial dangers and profit opportunities of 2011. And later, if you’re one of our challenge winners, I’ll personally contact you to tell you what you’ve won.

Good luck and God bless!

Martin

{ 54 comments }

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION!

The response to our 2011 Forecast Challenge is amazing — and even after one, short day, some fascinating trends are emerging …

Take the stock market, for instance …

The vast majority of our readers are saying that U.S. stocks will be at the same levels or lower by the end of 2011 …

A few say the Dow will rise modestly — to the higher 11,000 or low 12,000 range …

But the overwhelming majority say it’ll go nowhere … or worse: It could even crash to 9,700 … 8,900 … 7,199 … 5,900 … or even lower.

Another fascinating prediction from our readers:

Gold will SKYROCKET
in the year ahead!

So far only 3.2% of our readers say the yellow metal will fall below $1,000 per ounce in 2011 — but …

More than ten times more — 36.3% — say it will trade between $1,000 and $1,499 per ounce …

Nearly half — a whopping 45.7% — say it will surge to as high as $1,999 …

And an impressive 14.7% say gold will explode through the $2,000-per-ounce barrier and then fly even higher!

Obviously, if the majority of our readers are correct, there will be an enormous amount of money to be made in gold stocks and ETFs next year — and options on those vehicles could multiply investors’ money up to ten times over!

Make the best forecast,
win great prizes!

Right now, my team and I are working around the clock, formulating our own independent forecasts for 2011 — plus our recommendations for the investments we believe will enjoy the best performance.

We’ll be sharing our ideas with you shortly.

But first, if you haven’t done so already, we want to give YOU the chance to enter The 2011 Weiss Forecast Challenge … to tell us what you see ahead for key investments next year … to engage in a lively discussion with me on my personal blog … and to win some great prizes.

The best news is, there is …

• ZERO cost to enter …
• NOTHING for you to buy …

• NO OBLIGATION whatsoever on your part …
• And there are TWO WAYS TO WIN:

FIRST: You win just by entering! Just for sharing your predictions for the year ahead, you get a complimentary three-month membership to any one of our flagship investment newsletter services:

You can choose a free subscription to any one of the following …

• Mike Larson’s Safe Money investment service — to identify and shield you from financial dangers and to help grow your wealth with TWO powerful portfolios: Others pay at least $98 per year for Safe Money; you get three months free just for entering The Weiss Forecast Challenge for 2011!

• Larry Edelson’s Real Wealth Report — to help you cash in on this historic boom in natural resources: Others pay at least $98 per year for Real Wealth Report; you get three months free just for entering!

• Nilus Mattive’s Income Superstars — to help you go for high income and stellar total returns — not only with dividend-paying stocks but also with other high-income vehicles. Others pay at least $78 per year; you get three months free for entering!

• Sean Brodrick’s Crisis Profit Hunter — to help you protect and grow your wealth in treacherous times. Others pay at least $89 per year; you get three months free for entering!

• Tony Sagami’s Asia Stock Alert — to help you profit from the best-performing U.S.-traded stocks of China, India, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and even Vietnam. Others pay at least $199 per year; you get three months free!

SECOND: You could win one of ten valuable prizes! If your forecasts prove to be among the most accurate, you could win …

Grand Prize (one winner): A luxury 7-day cruise for two with Royal Caribbean.

First Prize (three winners): An Apple iPad with Wi-Fi and 3G capability, packed with 32GB of memory.

Honorable Mention (six winners): A 64GB Apple iPod Touch that holds 14,000 songs or 80 hours of video, including earphones, remote control and microphone.

You can reap the rewards of entering
The Weiss Forecast Contest
in three, easy steps:

STEP #1: Click this link now and use the handy form to give us your forecasts for 2011. We’ve made it easy for you — participating only takes a few seconds.

STEP #2: Sign up to receive your free 3 month subscription to one of our flagship investment services.

STEP #3: Click this link and leave a comment to join us in a lively and enlightening discussion on the financial threats and profit opportunities ahead.

Simply by participating, you’ll be taking a giant step towards preparing yourself for the greatest financial dangers and profit opportunities of 2011. And later, if you’re one of our challenge winners, I’ll personally contact you to tell you what you’ve won.

Good luck and God bless!

Martin

{ 42 comments }

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION!

All year long, our analysts and I have shared our economic and investment forecasts with you. Now it’s your turn to tell us what you see for key investments next year … to engage in a lively discussion with me … and a chance to win big prizes!

• There is zero cost to enter …

• There’s nothing for you to buy …

• There’s no obligation whatsoever on your part …

• And you have two ways to win …

FIRST: You win just by entering! Just for sharing your predictions for the year ahead, you will get a complimentary three-month membership to any one of our flagship investment newsletter services:

You can choose a free subscription to any one of the following …

• Mike Larson’s Safe Money investment service — to identify and shield you from financial dangers and to help grow your wealth with TWO powerful portfolios: Others pay at least $98 per year for Safe Money; you get three months free just for entering The Weiss Forecast Challenge for 2011!

• Larry Edelson’s Real Wealth Report — to help you cash in on this historic boom in natural resources: Others pay at least $98 per year for Real Wealth Report; you get three months free just for entering!

• Nilus Mattive’s Income Superstars — to help you go for high income and stellar total returns — not only with dividend-paying stocks but also with other high-income vehicles. Others pay $78 per year; you get three months free for entering!

• Tony Sagami’s Asia Stock Alert — to help you profit from the best-performing U.S.-traded stocks of China, India, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and even Vietnam. Others pay at least $199 per year; you get three months free!

• Sean Brodrick’s Crisis Profit Hunter to help you protect and grow your wealth in treacherous times. Others pay at least $89 per year; a three-month subscription costs you nothing!

SECOND: You could win one of ten valuable prizes! If your forecasts prove to be among the most accurate, you could win …

Grand Prize (one winner): A luxury 7-day cruise for two with Royal Caribbean.

First Prize (three winners): An Apple iPad with Wi-Fi and 3G capability, packed with 32GB of memory.

Honorable Mention (six winners): A 64GB Apple iPod Touch that holds 14,000 songs or 80 hours of video, including earphones, remote control and microphone.

You can reap the rewards of entering
The Weiss Forecast Contest
in three, easy steps:

STEP #1: Click this link now and use the handy form to give us your forecasts for 2011. We’ve made it easy for you — participating only takes a few seconds.

STEP #2: Watch your email inbox for your free gift certificate and click the appropriate link to select the free service you prefer.

STEP #3: Click this link and leave a comment to join us in a lively and enlightening discussion on the financial threats and profit opportunities ahead.

Simply by participating, you’ll be taking a giant step towards preparing yourself for the greatest financial dangers and profit opportunities of 2011. And later, if you’re one of our challenge winners, I’ll personally contact you to tell you what you’ve won.

Good luck and God bless!

Martin

{ 85 comments }

Dear Investor,

One of the most critical moments in U.S. history is now a mere 36 days away!

On November 2, 2010, U.S. citizens will select the men and women who will fill every one of the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. And they will also determine who will fill the 36 contested seats in the Senate.

By doing so, the voters could change the face of American politics as we know it. They will determine whether our government will continue attempting to spend its way out of the current economic malaise …

Or whether Washington will embark on a far more austere path that could lead to new, presently unseen dangers and opportunities for investors.

No other political event on the horizon will have a greater impact on the safety and success of your investments — and by extension, upon your financial security.

That’s why, in the past week, we began to prepare you for the impact that the new 112th Congress could have on your investments.

Our twin goals are to help you shore up your defenses well in advance — and also to help you identify the most exciting new profit opportunities long before the thundering herd drives their prices higher.

So far, we have taken five critical steps towards those goals:

FIRST — we held our unofficial, mid-term “election” featuring three fictional candidates, each representing one of the choices voters will face in November.

The result: Bob Williams — the fiscally conservative political outsider — won in a massive landslide with 88.6% of the vote.

SECOND — we asked our readers, “How accurately do you think our results predict the outcome of the real election in November?”

The answer: The actual percentages will be different, but this overall trend IS revealing! Our readers are independently minded investors — and as such, are NOT representative of the electorate as a whole.

So, while it’s unlikely that we’ll see these kinds of landslides in November, there’s a good chance that the overall result could bring dramatic, unexpected changes.

THIRD — we asked, “If the real elections trend in the same direction as ours just did, what are the chances we’ll see more bailouts and stimulus spending in 2011 and 2012?”

The answer: Highly unlikely! The current Congress has already gotten the message that a growing number of voters are vehemently opposed to more government spending or bailouts.

FOURTH — we also asked, “How do you think the economy and investment markets are likely to react if stimulus spending is actually reduced?”

The answer: With severe convulsions! Government stimulus has been one of the major factors fueling the U.S. economy. Now, if further spending schemes are far less likely, it’s only logical to expect the economy to suffer and investment markets to swing wildly.

AND FIFTH — we asked, “How will a more tightfisted Congress and a halt in stimulus spending impact stocks going forward? How about bonds? The dollar? Gold? Oil and other commodities?”

The answer: As you might imagine, our readers’ opinions are very diverse. But many of the investment ideas they’ve posted here on my personal blog could prove to be quite profitable for you!

While you’re here on my blog, be sure to answer our final question in this series:

Which of these investment markets
are YOU counting on to generate
the best overall results in 2010-2012:

Dow stocks? Treasury bonds? Gold bullion? Oil and commodities? Foreign currencies?

Click here to leave a comment and share your answer.

Plus, tomorrow you’ll receive a major announcement about an extremely timely research project we’ve been working on behind the scenes.

I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but here’s a hint: It will give you a sneak preview of what the ACTUAL election results are likely to be (this will surprise you!) … plus a huge head-start on the investments most likely to soar as a result!

Good luck and God bless!

Martin

{ 395 comments }

Dear Investor,

Few political events in our lifetime have the potential for greater impact on the U.S. economy and your investments than the upcoming elections.

When the dust settles on November 2nd, two scenarios are possible:

Scenario A: Our leaders in Washington are emboldened by the election results and eager to spend even more on economic stimulus, housing market bailouts and other government programs,

Or …

Scenario B: They are thrown out of office or further chastened by voters fed up with the recent explosion in government deficits and debts.

Just 37 days from today, investors all over the world could wake up to one of these EXTREMELY different futures, setting us on trajectories with radically different consequences. I want to give you a big head start.

You now have just over one month to sell the investments that are most likely to get slaughtered as U.S. economic policy changes …

And you have just over one month to buy the investments that are likely to surge in the new economic environment — hopefully, to buy them at bargain prices before investors begin driving them higher.

But to help decide which investments you should be buying and selling now, you must first have a clear vision of the most probable election outcome and how it’s likely to impact the economy and the investment markets.

To gauge the mood of our 600,000-plus readers — and to help you begin thinking your way through this process — I posed two critical questions here on my personal blog yesterday:

QUESTION #1: What are the chances we’ll see more bailouts and stimulus spending in 2011 and 2012?

As always, the response from our readers has been remarkable. The clear majority seem to believe that it is already unlikely that Congress will pass major new stimulus bills.

According to our readers, any Congressperson who votes to bail out another wealthy banker or corporate fat cat with taxpayer dollars would be taking his political life in his own hands …

And any increase in the number of fiscal conservatives in Congress will only make further spending on stimulus and bailouts even less likely.

QUESTION #2: How do you think the economy and investment markets are likely to react if stimulus spending is reduced or is actually rolled back?

The answer? Most of our readers say if investors believe that Washington stimulus spending is history, we’ll see massive volatility in stocks and other investment markets.

Now, it’s time to get more specific; to determine how our 600,000-plus investor/readers are likely to vote with their own money as Congress changes.

Just click this link and leave a comment to give us your answer to today’s Questions of the Day:

How will a more tightfisted Congress and a halt in stimulus spending impact stocks going forward?

How about bonds? The dollar? Oil and other commodities?

Gold has been on a tear lately; setting one new all-time high after another. How do you see the elections impacting gold prices for the next year or two?

Be sure NOT to miss this all-important discussion. Not only will your insights go a long way towards helping your fellow investors, their ideas could help make a real difference in the profitability of every investment you make for years to come!

Good luck and God bless!

Martin

{ 309 comments }