The Four Investment Risks You Can’t Avoid

by Alexander Green, Chief Investment Strategist
Monday, October 18, 2010: Issue #1368

We’re making money hand over fist – locking in significant double- and triple-digit gains – in our Oxford Trading Portfolio, Seven Deadly Sins Portfolio, Oxford All-Star Portfolio, Momentum Portfolio, Insider Portfolio and our New Frontier Portfolio.

Yet I still talk to investors every day who tell me they’re completely out of the market. When I ask them why, they always give me some variation of the same answer: They just can’t take the risk.

These investors need to wake up and smell the java. There has never been – and never will be – a time when stocks aren’t volatile and the economic outlook isn’t uncertain.

Yet nothing gives a better return over time than great stocks…

Four Wealth-Building Barriers

What these investors may not realize is that by sitting out the stock market rally, they’re taking four significantly greater risks:

• Purchasing Power Risk

Low inflation isn’t a problem now, but it’s like having a slow leak in your swimming pool. At some point, you’re likely to jump off the diving board and hit concrete.

Even low inflation is slowly draining your purchasing power. You may feel safe sitting in cash, but you’re virtually guaranteeing that inflation will outpace your asset growth. And thanks to our gargantuan budget deficit, we may face sharply higher inflation in the years ahead.

• Interest Rate Risk

Ben Bernanke and Co. took short-term interest rates to near zero. The average money market account now pays a microscopic .05%. (It will take your money more than 1,400 years to double at that rate.)

And if the Fed decides to raise rates by even one point, it will knock 3% off the value of your Treasury bonds, essentially erasing a year’s worth of returns. Bonds are not a great bet right now.

• Timing Risk

Every market timer would like to believe that he or she will be in the market for the rallies and out for the corrections. Never did the phrase “more easily said than done” ring truer.

I still talk to investors every week who are waiting for the market’s “final capitulation.” Final capitulation? The Dow is up 70% from the lows of last March. This is a bull market by any definition. Yes, it will end at some point. But if you didn’t catch the lows last year, what are the odds you’ll pick the top of this bull, which may last for years?

• Shortfall Risk

This is your single greatest investment risk – the possibility that you won’t have enough money to reach your financial goals or support yourself the way you’d like in retirement.

Talk to elderly investors who are counting nickels and the story is virtually always the same. They didn’t save enough and (depending on personality type) they were either too conservative or too aggressive with their money. It’s a sad thing when your golden years are tin-plated and it’s way too late for a do-over.

So what’s the solution?

Think Ahead and Grow Rich

In short, don’t let the perma-bears and the gloom-and-doomers talk you out of achieving your financial goals.

Yes, you should own some gold, some bonds, even some real estate. But if you don’t own stocks, where are you going to generate the returns you need to live the lifestyle you want?

No one can say where the stock market will be 15 days or 15 weeks from now. But think about your retirement. Fifteen years from now, the market will almost certainly be a lot higher.

So stop fretting over the short-term outlook and start putting money to work in great stocks to meet your long-term goals. Financial freedom is about managing investment risk… not avoiding it.

Good investing,

Alexander Green

Bond, Business/Finance, Economics, Finance, Financial economics, Financial markets, inflation, investment, investment risk, Mathematical finance, Portfolio, Retirement, Stock market

How to Retire Overseas: Why You Should “Think Outside the Borders”

by Alexander Green, Chief Investment Strategist
Monday, April 12, 2010: Issue #1236

It may seem like a dream for multi-millionaires only: Living in a mountainside or seaside villa with a spectacular view. Having a maid, a cook and a gardener take care of your home. Having your personal chauffeur drive you to town…

But it’s not. The dream is already a reality for thousands of middle-class Americans. And as the cost of living, housing, insurance and healthcare in the United States keeps rising, many tens of thousands more will soon follow them.

Whether you’re seeking an idyllic locale, the excitement of a new culture, the adventure of living in a foreign destination, or just a better lifestyle for less money, there has never been a better time to retire overseas.

And you may be surprised to learn that you can do it for as little as $900 a month…

How to Retire Overseas: The Complete A-Z

If you’ve even considered this idea before, you owe it to yourself to pick up Kathleen Peddicord’s superb new book – How to Retire Overseas.

I’ve known Kathleen for well over a decade. As the publisher and editor of International Living for more than 25 years, she understands living and retiring overseas better than anyone I’ve met.

Although she’s an American through and through, Kathleen and her family have lived in Paris, Ireland and now in Panama. She has explored business, investment and retirement opportunities throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America.

In short, she knows her stuff.

She can tell you which countries:

• Have the best year-round temperatures.
• Which ones offer exemptions from import duties (the tax you’re charged when importing personal items or household goods).
• Which ones will allow you to employ a full-time maid for $150 a month or less.
• Which ones allow you to live comfortably on $1,200 a month… or less.

Retiring Overseas: 14 Countries with the Greatest Advantages

Kathleen goes onto list 14 countries that offer the greatest advantages to overseas retirees, including highly desirable locations like France and Argentina. For each country, she reveals the essential facts about:

• Cost of living
• Housing
• Climate
• Healthcare
• Infrastructure
• Language
• Culture
• Recreation and entertainment
• Safety
• Taxes
• Education
• Accessibility to the United States
• Special benefits for foreign retirees

The Benefits of An Overseas Lifestyle Without Giving Up U.S. Citizenship

Can you imagine yourself in a new home – on the front steps leading to a sugar-white beach? Sitting atop a balcony overlooking a bustling city? On a hillside villa with a superb view?

You don’t have to give up your U.S. citizenship. Kathleen shows you how to handle all the visa and passport requirements, as well as how to find or rent your home, establish secure bank accounts, obtain free or low-cost health insurance, make friends in your new hometown and avoid common pitfalls and mistakes.

Some, of course, have no inclination to live abroad. Others – like me – would relish the opportunity.

If you share my passion to really experience the world outside our borders – not just as a tourist, but also as a local – check out How to Retire Overseas. Even with the weak greenback, you can live in paradise for far less than you’d expect.

But you shouldn’t try it without an experienced guide. And I know none better than Kathleen Peddicord.

Alexander Green

Editor’s Note: There’s no better way to yourself on the fast-track to a secure, comfortable retirement than by following the recommendations in The Oxford Club’s Ultimate Retirement Letter. Designed specifically with retirees in mind, the portfolio is geared towards safer income investments that generate reliable, steady income over time. This monthly letter is just one of the many benefits that come with being an Oxford Club member. For the full details, take a look at Alexander Green’s report.

Aging, Alexander Green, Retirement, Social Issues, Termination of employment