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	<title>Contrarian Stock Market Investing News - Featuring Bargain Stocks &#187; Erika Nolan</title>
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	<link>http://www.contrarianprofits.com</link>
	<description>Access market-beating ideas from the world&#039;s top investment gurus on stock market investing, the gold market, ETFs, Forex trading and real estate values.</description>
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		<title>3 Advantages of Foreign Currency CDs</title>
		<link>http://www.contrarianprofits.com/articles/3-advantages-of-foreign-currency-cds/4677</link>
		<comments>http://www.contrarianprofits.com/articles/3-advantages-of-foreign-currency-cds/4677#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:41:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Erika Nolan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[US Dollar & Forex Trading]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Erika Nolan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreign currency CD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[US dollar]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p>A <strong>foreign-currency CD</strong> is one of the simplest ways to buy foreign currencies, says <strong>Erika Nolan</strong>. You&#8217;re not really trading one currency for another like in the foreign-exchange market. Nor are you investing with leverage like a currency option. Instead, you&#8217;re buying and holding a foreign currency &#8211; just as if you were holding an average dollar-based CD&#8230;</p>
<blockquote><p>Really, it&#8217;s a simple four-step process:</p>
<p>1. Decide to invest in a certain currency<br />
2. Call your bank<br />
3. Apply for the CD in a particular currency<br />
4. Forget about your CD until it&#8217;s time to report your holdings on your taxes each year.</p>
<p>In fact, it&#8217;s so similar to your average dollar CD that it&#8217;s easy to forget the extra benefits you&#8217;re receiving by investing in a foreign&#8230;</p></blockquote>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A <strong>foreign-currency CD</strong> is one of the simplest ways to buy foreign currencies, says <strong>Erika Nolan</strong>. You&#8217;re not really trading one currency for another like in the foreign-exchange market. Nor are you investing with leverage like a currency option. Instead, you&#8217;re buying and holding a foreign currency &#8211; just as if you were holding an average dollar-based CD&#8230;</p>
<blockquote><p>Really, it&#8217;s a simple four-step process:</p>
<p>1. Decide to invest in a certain currency<br />
2. Call your bank<br />
3. Apply for the CD in a particular currency<br />
4. Forget about your CD until it&#8217;s time to report your holdings on your taxes each year.</p>
<p>In fact, it&#8217;s so similar to your average dollar CD that it&#8217;s easy to forget the extra benefits you&#8217;re receiving by investing in a foreign currency CD.</p>
<p>So we thought we&#8217;d review these benefits quickly.</p>
<p><strong>Benefit #1: You can actually beat inflation with a foreign-currency CD.</strong> Right now, you&#8217;re average dollar-based CD only pays 2 &#8211; 4%. If inflation is soaring above 6%, then you&#8217;re actually LOSING money over the long haul. But with a foreign currency CD, you can choose a stronger currency that has the power to appreciate faster than inflation.</p>
<p><strong>Benefit #2: Two ways to profit. </strong>A foreign-currency CD earns interest similar to a normal dollar-based CD, but you also get an extra profit bonus if your foreign-currency appreciates in value vs. the U.S. dollar. In this way, your foreign-currency CD actually gives you two ways to profit.</p>
<p><strong>Benefit #3: Instant diversification.</strong> If your entire portfolio is in dollars, then a simple foreign-currency CD gives you instant diversification to other stronger currencies around the globe. It&#8217;s one of the best ways to inch into the currency markets, if you&#8217;re not interested in trading.</p></blockquote>
<p>Source: <a href="http://www.sovereignsociety.com/2008Archives2ndHalf/81808ThisIsaCorrectionNottheEndoftheC/tabid/4414/Default.aspx">What&#8217;s the Difference Between a Dollar CD and a Foreign Currency CD?</a></p>
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		<title>A 30-Second Intro to the 7 Major Traded Currencies</title>
		<link>http://www.contrarianprofits.com/articles/a-30-second-intro-to-the-7-major-traded-currencies/4524</link>
		<comments>http://www.contrarianprofits.com/articles/a-30-second-intro-to-the-7-major-traded-currencies/4524#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:20:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Erika Nolan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[US Dollar & Forex Trading]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Erika Nolan]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.contrarianprofits.com/articles/a-30-second-intro-to-the-7-major-traded-currencies/4524</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Here’s a 30-second introduction to each of the the seven major currencies from <strong>Erika Nolan</strong>, managing director of The <a href="http://www.SovereignSociety.com"  class="alinks_links">Sovereign Society</a>&#8230; </p>
<blockquote><p><strong>U.S. Dollar (USD):</strong> The majority of trades in the forex market involve the U.S. dollar against a different currency because it is currently used as the world’s reserve currency.</p>
<p><strong>Euro (EUR):</strong> This is the new kid of the currency majors. Lately, the euro has been stepping up to take its place as a reference currency, as well as a larger component of foreign reserves by banks. It is also known as the anti-dollar because the euro tends to appreciate as the dollar depreciates.</p>
<p><strong>Japanese Yen (JPY):</strong> The yen has been known as the carry-trade currency because for years, investors have borrowed yen to fund&#8230;</p></blockquote>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Here’s a 30-second introduction to each of the the seven major currencies from <strong>Erika Nolan</strong>, managing director of The <a href="http://www.SovereignSociety.com"  class="alinks_links">Sovereign Society</a>&#8230; </p>
<blockquote><p><strong>U.S. Dollar (USD):</strong> The majority of trades in the forex market involve the U.S. dollar against a different currency because it is currently used as the world’s reserve currency.</p>
<p><strong>Euro (EUR):</strong> This is the new kid of the currency majors. Lately, the euro has been stepping up to take its place as a reference currency, as well as a larger component of foreign reserves by banks. It is also known as the anti-dollar because the euro tends to appreciate as the dollar depreciates.</p>
<p><strong>Japanese Yen (JPY):</strong> The yen has been known as the carry-trade currency because for years, investors have borrowed yen to fund their carry-trades. Because Japan imports all of its oil, when crude oil prices begin to climb this hurts its economy and greatly impacts the value of the yen.</p>
<p><strong>Swiss Franc (CHF):</strong> Also known as Swissie, it is sometimes called a ‘safe heaven,’ due to Switzerland’s independent stance, economy isolation, and strong private banking system. This in turn has made their currency very neutral.</p>
<p><strong>The British pound (GBP):</strong> Frequently called, Cable or Sterling, the pound first got these nicknames because it was the first currency the Forex market traded through ‘cables’ across the Atlantic. The pound is the fourth most traded currency on the market and Great Britain’s economy is one of the strongest in Europe.</p>
<p><strong>Canadian dollar (CAD):</strong> This currency’s unusual nickname, the Loonie, comes from the coins appearance which features a loon, a common Canadian bird, on the coins backside. Canada is a resource-focused economy, so the price of oil drives this currency along with commodities.</p>
<p><strong>Australian dollar (AUD):</strong> Known as the Aussie, this currency is popular in the Forex market because of Australia’s currently high interest rates and generally stable economy. The Australian dollar is greatly influenced and driven by gold prices.</p>
<p><strong>New Zealand</strong><strong> dollar (NZD):</strong> Also known as the “kiwi,” the New Zealand dollar traditionally tracks the Aussie dollar’s path because these economies are tied together through exports. However, sometimes the New Zealand can fall while the Aussie dollar rises as we have recently witnessed.</p></blockquote>
<p>Source: <a href="http://www.sovereignsociety.com/2008Archives2ndHalf/81208ShouldYouTelltheGovernmentYouOwnGol/tabid/4394/Default.aspx">Let Me Introduce You to the Seven Major Currencies&#8230;and the Dollar</a></p>
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		<title>What to Do If Your Account Is Too Big for FDIC Insurance</title>
		<link>http://www.contrarianprofits.com/articles/what-to-do-if-your-account-is-too-big-for-fdic-insurance/4440</link>
		<comments>http://www.contrarianprofits.com/articles/what-to-do-if-your-account-is-too-big-for-fdic-insurance/4440#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:22:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Erika Nolan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Politics & Economics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BSC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Erika Nolan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FNM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FRE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IDMC]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p>Is your money safe if your bank goes belly up? The <a href="http://finance.google.com/finance?cid=14918074" title="Open a new browser window to learn more." target="_blank">Federal Desposit Insurance Corporation</a> (FDIC) insures you in case the worst should happen&#8230; but only up to $100,000. So, what happens if your account exceeds this limit? The <a href="http://www.SovereignSociety.com"  class="alinks_links">Sovereign Society</a>&#8217;s <strong>Erika Nolan</strong> says she has discovered &#8220;a masterful solution to protect your savings&#8221; even if your personal or business account is worth up to $50 million. More from Erika&#8230;<em> </em></p>
<blockquote><p>So far this year, eight banks have collapsed. At first blush, eight banks failing doesn&#8217;t sound quite as bad if you consider 834 banks went under during the S&#38;L crisis from 1990 to 1992.</p>
<p>But if you want to know the real extent of this crisis, you need to look at the bottom line.&#8230;</p></blockquote>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Is your money safe if your bank goes belly up? The <a href="http://finance.google.com/finance?cid=14918074" title="Open a new browser window to learn more." target="_blank">Federal Desposit Insurance Corporation</a> (FDIC) insures you in case the worst should happen&#8230; but only up to $100,000. So, what happens if your account exceeds this limit? The <a href="http://www.SovereignSociety.com"  class="alinks_links">Sovereign Society</a>&#8217;s <strong>Erika Nolan</strong> says she has discovered &#8220;a masterful solution to protect your savings&#8221; even if your personal or business account is worth up to $50 million. More from Erika&#8230;<em> </em></p>
<blockquote><p>So far this year, eight banks have collapsed. At first blush, eight banks failing doesn&#8217;t sound quite as bad if you consider 834 banks went under during the S&amp;L crisis from 1990 to 1992.</p>
<p>But if you want to know the real extent of this crisis, you need to look at the bottom line. Worldwide, the credit crisis has already cost US$476 billion in losses, write-downs, etc.</p>
<p>Seventeen years ago, the Savings and Loan Crisis cost the global economy US$190 billion (or US$350 billion in inflation-adjusted dollars).</p>
<p>The Federal government already bailed out Bear Stearns Cos (NYSE:<a href="http://finance.google.com/finance?q=Bear+Stearns+Cos&amp;hl=en">BSC</a>), Fannie Mae (NYSE:<a href="http://finance.google.com/finance?q=FNM&amp;hl=en">FNM</a>), and Freddie Mac (NYSE:<a href="http://finance.google.com/finance?q=fre&amp;hl=en">FRE</a>) this year to stop a systemic risk, but at a massive cost to taxpayers.</p>
<p>On top of that, the government&#8217;s actions did nothing to fix the credit crisis, which is still the big looming threat to all the other smaller banks and mortgage lenders that aren&#8217;t getting bailed out.</p>
<p>The Federal Reserve won&#8217;t dirty its hands or spend the money to bailout smaller lenders.</p>
<p>That means it&#8217;s going to be a long, painful recovery for the banks going forward. And a few banks won&#8217;t make it.</p>
<p>Take IndyMac (OTC:<a href="http://finance.google.com/finance?q=IndyMac&amp;hl=en">IDMC</a>) for example&#8230;</p>
<p>When IndyMac&#8217;s clients got word that the bank was in trouble in early July, thousands of concerned depositors pulled their cash out of the bank to salvage as much as they could.</p>
<p>All totaled, depositors walked away with US$1.3 billion in 11 days.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s when the FDIC stepped in and shut IndyMac&#8217;s doors for good.</p>
<p>And the remaining IndyMac clients had to depend on the FDIC to recover their deposits &#8211; assuming their accounts were fully insured.</p>
<h3 align="left"><em>What Good Is FDIC Insurance in the 21st Century?<br />
</em></h3>
<p>As I said, when a bank fails, the FDIC accountants swoop in to tally the books.</p>
<p>The FDIC agents officially close the bank. They freeze the accounts at the bank. Then they begin the long painful process to determine exactly which funds are insured or not.</p>
<p>In the meantime, if the FDIC is dismantling your bank, you&#8217;re stuck waiting to recoup what you lost. You can&#8217;t write checks. You can&#8217;t pay bills. You can&#8217;t use your debit card. You can&#8217;t even go to the grocery store to buy food unless you have cash lying around.</p>
<p>Technically the FDIC insures every account up to US$100,000, and every retirement account up to US$250,000. But the devil is in the details. It&#8217;s generally US$100,000 per holder of account.</p>
<p>So for example, if you and your spouse have a joint savings account, you could hold up to US$200,000 in a single account. Then in theory, if your bank failed, you would recoup your entire account.</p>
<p>But these limits get dicey when you&#8217;re talking about trusts, annuities and other accounts &#8211; depending on how the account is titled. (Get the full rules <a href="http://www.fdic.gov/deposit/deposits/insuringdeposits/index.html" target="_blank">here</a>.)</p>
<p>In IndyMac&#8217;s case, a whopping US$1 billion of the US$19 billion deposits was uninsured. According to FDIC, US$2.6 TRILLION is currently uninsured in the United States.</p>
<p>So the question is: What do you do if your accounts are simply too big for the FDIC to insure?</p>
<h3 align="left"><em>A Masterful Solution to This FDIC Insurance Problem<br />
</em></h3>
<p>For years, we&#8217;ve recommended you seek refuge from possible bank failures by diversifying your holdings.</p>
<p>For example, you can hold up to US$100,000 at several U.S. banks, or invest your long-term safe funds in a bank account overseas where liquidity is much higher. And in our recommended jurisdictions, there hasn&#8217;t been a bank failure in over 125 years.</p>
<p>But now, we&#8217;ve discovered another unique solution.</p>
<p>Our friends at <a href="http://finance.google.com/finance?q=EverBank&amp;hl=en">EverBank</a> have devised a new &#8220;Insured Advantage Certificate of Deposit,&#8221; that protects your capital up to US$50 MILLION. You can literally park your funds in this CD and the FDIC will insure you up to US$50 million no matter what happens.</p>
<p>You can open this CD for yourself, your business, your non-for-profit organization, etc.</p>
<p>Also, you don&#8217;t have to hold this CD for years (unless you want to) for it to mature. You can hold this CD for as little as three months.</p>
<p>Plus, your funds receive high yields at the same time. <a href="http://www.everbank.com"  class="alinks_links">EverBank</a> is able to do this by spreading the risk out among many banks, to ensure your money is fully protected.</p>
<p>Please take a moment to review the balances and the title on your U.S. bank accounts. Make sure that you don&#8217;t exceed the FDIC limits in a climate like this. And, if you discover you do, find the time to find the right solution for you and your family.</p>
<p>The best time to do it is now before the next bank goes bust and takes your savings along with it.</p></blockquote>
<p>Source: <a href="http://www.sovereignsociety.com/2008Archives2ndHalf/2008ArchivesAugDec/tabid/4357/Default.aspx">How to Protect Your Life Savings When You&#8217;re Over the $100,000 FDIC Limit</a></p>
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		<title>The Basics of Forex Investing</title>
		<link>http://www.contrarianprofits.com/articles/the-basics-of-fx-investing/4291</link>
		<comments>http://www.contrarianprofits.com/articles/the-basics-of-fx-investing/4291#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:25:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Erika Nolan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[US Dollar & Forex Trading]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aussie dollar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Canadian Loonie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Erika Nolan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Swiss Franc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[US dollar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[yen]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p>The <a href="http://www.SovereignSociety.com"  class="alinks_links">Sovereign Society</a>&#8217;s managing director, Erika Nolan, has given some useful baics about what you need to know before you jump into <strong>foreign-exchange investing</strong>.</p>
<blockquote><p>If you&#8217;ve ever seen a quote screen for the foreign-exchange market, you may notice that currencies trade in pairs. For example, rather than just buying the Japanese yen, you&#8217;d buy the USD/JPY pair (the U.S. dollar vs. the Japanese yen). To invest in the FX market, you have to understand how these pairs work.</p>
<p>Currencies come in twos because a currency is only worth something when you compare it to another currency. (For example, you can only know what the dollar is worth if you compare it to the euro, yen, Aussie dollar, Swiss francs, Canadian dollar etc.)</p>
<p>In&#8230;</p></blockquote>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The <a href="http://www.SovereignSociety.com"  class="alinks_links">Sovereign Society</a>&#8217;s managing director, Erika Nolan, has given some useful baics about what you need to know before you jump into <strong>foreign-exchange investing</strong>.</p>
<blockquote><p>If you&#8217;ve ever seen a quote screen for the foreign-exchange market, you may notice that currencies trade in pairs. For example, rather than just buying the Japanese yen, you&#8217;d buy the USD/JPY pair (the U.S. dollar vs. the Japanese yen). To invest in the FX market, you have to understand how these pairs work.</p>
<p>Currencies come in twos because a currency is only worth something when you compare it to another currency. (For example, you can only know what the dollar is worth if you compare it to the euro, yen, Aussie dollar, Swiss francs, Canadian dollar etc.)</p>
<p>In other words, the price of any currency is only relative to the price of another. But which is which?</p>
<p>The first currency in the pair is called the &#8220;base currency.&#8221; It&#8217;s always equal to &#8220;1&#8243; of that particular currency. (So one dollar, one euro etc.)</p>
<p>The second currency in the pair is called the &#8220;quote currency.&#8221; It&#8217;s how much of itself &#8220;1&#8243; of the base currency will buy you. This is the price you see on a quote screen because otherwise everything would be quoted as &#8220;1&#8243; (which makes no sense).</p>
<p>Say I&#8217;m looking at the U.S. dollar against the Swiss franc. I&#8217;d find a market that quoted me the USD/CHF (&#8221;CHF&#8221; = the &#8220;Swiss franc&#8221;). The quoted price would tell me how many francs I could get for my dollar.</p>
<p>So let&#8217;s say the quoted price was .7500. Now this is where things get a little weird. That means for US$1 I could buy three quarters of a Swiss franc.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s say I check the prices again the next day and the USD/CHF pair now trades at 1.25 (that would be a big day in the markets). Suddenly, my US$1 will buy one and a quarter Swiss francs. That means I&#8217;m buying MORE of the other currency.</p>
<p>When your dollar buys you more of anything, whether that&#8217;s foreign currency, gold, hamburgers, beer, whatever &#8211; your dollar is getting stronger.</p>
<p>The flipside is true too. If I check back the next day and I see a price of USD/CHF is .95. Then my dollar is buying less&#8230;.and therefore you technically have less cash to spend.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s why understanding foreign currencies is so important: If you know how your dollars are performing against the other currencies in the world, you can diversify into stronger performing currencies.</p></blockquote>
<p>Source: <a href="http://www.sovereignsociety.com/2008Archives2ndHalf/848TheOnlyFreeLunchYoullFindinaBear/tabid/4359/Default.aspx">The First Thing You Need to Know Before You Jump into the FX Market</a></p>
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		<title>Why You Should Move Your Retirement Plan Offshore Now</title>
		<link>http://www.contrarianprofits.com/articles/why-you-should-move-your-retirement-plan-offshore-now/4056</link>
		<comments>http://www.contrarianprofits.com/articles/why-you-should-move-your-retirement-plan-offshore-now/4056#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:00:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Erika Nolan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Erika Nolan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[retirement plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[US dollar]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p>There are two serious risks to your US <strong>retirement plan</strong>, says Erika Nolan in The <a href="http://www.SovereignSociety.com"  class="alinks_links">Sovereign Society</a>.</p>
<p>First, the average American is not saving enough for retirement, especially with inflation on the rise. Second, pension schemes are coming under increasing scrutiny from lawyers and IRS auditors.</p>
<p>Add the grim outlook for the US dollar into the equation, and it becomes a no-brainer: You should move your retirement plan to another country before its too late&#8230;</p>
<blockquote><p>One way to beat the restrictive US retirement systems of IRAs, 401Ks and other plans is to move your retirement plan offshore.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s a little-known approach, but it can spew out huge profits. An offshore retirement plan also demands fewer taxes and plays a greater role in producing and&#8230;</p></blockquote>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are two serious risks to your US <strong>retirement plan</strong>, says Erika Nolan in The <a href="http://www.SovereignSociety.com"  class="alinks_links">Sovereign Society</a>.</p>
<p>First, the average American is not saving enough for retirement, especially with inflation on the rise. Second, pension schemes are coming under increasing scrutiny from lawyers and IRS auditors.</p>
<p>Add the grim outlook for the US dollar into the equation, and it becomes a no-brainer: You should move your retirement plan to another country before its too late&#8230;</p>
<blockquote><p>One way to beat the restrictive US retirement systems of IRAs, 401Ks and other plans is to move your retirement plan offshore.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s a little-known approach, but it can spew out huge profits. An offshore retirement plan also demands fewer taxes and plays a greater role in producing and managing your future income.</p>
<p>You&#8217;re probably scratching your head right now. I don&#8217;t blame you. I did that too in the beginning. I won&#8217;t bore you with the details of the Internal Revenue Code that can give your retirement plan some very attractive advantages. Rather, I&#8217;ll share with you the threats and challenges you potentially face as you approach retirement and the solutions open to you.</p>
<p>The harsh truth is there are two very real threats to your retirement account.</p>
<p align="left"><strong><em>The Survey Says:</em><em> &#8220;Don&#8217;t Even THINK of Retiring Now!&#8221;</em></strong></p>
<p>The first is that you won&#8217;t have nearly enough income to sustain yourself in your post-career years.</p>
<p>Surveys repeatedly show that we are NOT financially ready to retire. In a country with a negative personal savings rate, millions of so-called future retirees are simply not planning for the future&#8230;especially when US$4 gas, rising food costs, and a flat-out credit crisis are eating away at their savings.</p>
<p>Second, your retirement assets are exposed to several types of risk. Over the past few years, all types of retirement plans have come under attack in the courts. Certain lawyers have made careers out of going after retirement plans just like yours.</p>
<p>In fact, one very well-known attorney in the asset protection field said, &#8220;The successful attack on retirement plans is one of the fastest-growing areas of the legal profession.&#8221;</p>
<h3 align="left"><em>Beware of Uncle Sam and His IRS Agents</em></h3>
<p>And it&#8217;s not just lawyers you should be concerned with. The IRS continues to take more than their fair share out of retirement plans if you make a &#8220;mistake&#8221; in reporting.</p>
<p>Our friend and expert retirement professional, <a href="http://www.worldwideplanning.com/">Larry Grossman</a> told us a story about a small business owner he knows. This small business owner had the misfortune to have the IRS audit his retirement plan. The IRS agents looked at all his investments over the years and all his paperwork.</p>
<p>The IRS said in effect: &#8220;Congratulations. Your investments have been perfectly in line with the rules.&#8221; But then the IRS agent asked for a piece of paper dating back to 1981 &#8211; a plan amendment required by a 1981 law. The business owner had no idea what they were talking about. (Imagine if the IRS asked you for a paper that was over 25 years old!)</p>
<p>So because of a missing piece of paper, the IRS ruled the business owner&#8217;s plan was disqualified and was now fully taxable. The plan totaled US$145,000 and the IRS wanted to take US$60,000 penalty! The owner was forced to settle with the IRS for US$10,000 and got stuck with US$13,000 in legal fees.</p>
<p>As you can see, it&#8217;s sink or swim when it comes to planning your retirement.</p></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<h3 align="left"><em>And What About the U.S. Dollar?</em></h3>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><p>You may think you have plenty stashed away for a post-career rainy day, but if your assets are denominated in U.S. dollars then your retirement plan is already in trouble. As I&#8217;m sure you know, the U.S. dollar&#8217;s long-term outlook is pretty grim. If the U.S. dollar continues to plummet, then the value of your retirement plan will plummet right along with it.</p>
<p>That only increases your chances of running out of retirement savings half way through your golden years.</p>
<p>Fortunately for you, there are ways to maximize the potential benefits of your retirement plan to ensure these threats don&#8217;t affect the quality of the rest of your life.</p>
<p>If you seek positive investment returns, financial privacy, and a secure and prosperous retirement, it&#8217;s time to move your retirement plan offshore.</p></blockquote>
<p>Source: <a href="http://www.sovereignsociety.com/2008ARCHIVES/72508OffshoreRetirementPlansYourIRAIsMor/tabid/4337/Default.aspx">Your IRA is More Flexible Than You Ever Thought Possible</a></p>
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		<title>Invest in Currency ETFs For Less Than $100</title>
		<link>http://www.contrarianprofits.com/articles/invest-in-currency-etfs-for-less-than-100/3916</link>
		<comments>http://www.contrarianprofits.com/articles/invest-in-currency-etfs-for-less-than-100/3916#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:03:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Erika Nolan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[currency ETFs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Downturn Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Erika Nolan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[US dollar]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p><strong>Currency ETFs </strong>were created in 2006. Since then, more and more investors have been jumping on the bandwagon. But did you know you could invest in them for less than $100?</p>
<p>Not only are they relatively cheap but <strong>currency ETFs</strong> also mean investors can diversify out of the dollar and into other currencies right on the New York Stock Exchange.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.SovereignSociety.com"  class="alinks_links">Sovereign Society</a>&#8217;s Erika Nolan has some great ideas about how to build <strong>ETFs </strong>into your portfolio&#8230; </p>
<blockquote><p>Global investors have fallen in love with ETFs since the first one was created back in 1992. And in 2006, the ETF market took another giant leap forward for average investors by creating currency ETFs.</p>
<p>But still, not many would-be currency investors know they can diversify out&#8230;</p></blockquote>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Currency ETFs </strong>were created in 2006. Since then, more and more investors have been jumping on the bandwagon. But did you know you could invest in them for less than $100?</p>
<p>Not only are they relatively cheap but <strong>currency ETFs</strong> also mean investors can diversify out of the dollar and into other currencies right on the New York Stock Exchange.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.SovereignSociety.com"  class="alinks_links">Sovereign Society</a>&#8217;s Erika Nolan has some great ideas about how to build <strong>ETFs </strong>into your portfolio&#8230; </p>
<blockquote><p>Global investors have fallen in love with ETFs since the first one was created back in 1992. And in 2006, the ETF market took another giant leap forward for average investors by creating currency ETFs.</p>
<p>But still, not many would-be currency investors know they can diversify out of the dollar and invest in currency ETFs right on the NYSE. That means you can call up and buy one with your average stock brokerage account. They&#8217;re cheap too. Some currency ETFs sell for less than US$100.</p>
<p>Also, here are some ideas about how you can use ETFs to build your portfolio:</p>
<p>1. Create a diversified currency portfolio with the click of a mouse &#8211; Protect your capital against a falling dollar.</p>
<p>2. Use ETFs to hedge currency risk in an international stock portfolio &#8211; If you have major position of a stock or international fund, you can short-sell the corresponding currency ETF to guard against currency risk.</p>
<p>3. Ride a long-term currency trend &#8211; Since they have no expiration date, you can buy and hold for a major trend.</p>
<p>4. Actively trade currency ETFs to position yourself for special situations &#8211; One of the major themes we&#8217;re watching relates to &#8220;overheating&#8221; in the global economy. In this market, you need to be able to &#8220;short&#8221; some of the most vulnerable currencies.</p>
<p>In this case, you would simply ask your broker to &#8220;sell short&#8230;&#8221; It&#8217;s that easy! And you can always place a buy-stop order to exit the position and limit the risk of being wrong.</p>
<p>Since most currency ETFs trade on the New York Stock Exchange, there is no problem using stop-loss orders for risk control.</p></blockquote>
<p>Source: <a href="http://www.sovereignsociety.com/2008ARCHIVES/71808ThisIsGoldsFinestHourHowtoBuyNow/tabid/4315/Default.aspx">How to Jump in the Currency Markets with Less than $100</a></p>
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		<title>Bernanke May Get Aggressive on Inflation Soon</title>
		<link>http://www.contrarianprofits.com/articles/what-gives-a-dove-his-wingsmr/3598</link>
		<comments>http://www.contrarianprofits.com/articles/what-gives-a-dove-his-wingsmr/3598#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:52:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Erika Nolan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Politics & Economics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ben Bernanke]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ECB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Erika Nolan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[euro]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Federal Reserve]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[US dollar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[US inflation]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p>Everyone knows Bernanke is currently a dove on inflation says Erika Nolan in The <a href="http://www.SovereignSociety.com"  class="alinks_links">Sovereign Society</a>. But he may turn hawkish soon&#8230; </p>
<blockquote><p>If you&#8217;re in the currency world, you&#8217;ll often hear about an inflation dove or an inflation hawk.</p>
<p>Usually in the news, the talking heads are discussing our very own dove, Fed Chief Ben Bernanke or the eternal inflation hawk, European Central Bank (<a href="http://finance.google.com/finance?q=European+Central+Bank&#38;hl=en&#38;meta=hl%3Den">ECB</a>) President, Trichet.</p>
<p>But what&#8217;s the difference?</p>
<p>A hawk is known to be an aggressive predator that keeps a sharp eye out for potential prey. In a similar fashion, a &#8220;hawkish&#8221; central banker keeps a sharp eye on interest rates because they&#8217;re ready to swoop in and aggressively raise rates to fight inflation if necessary.</p>
<p>The dove has a harmless,&#8230;</p></blockquote>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Everyone knows Bernanke is currently a dove on inflation says Erika Nolan in The <a href="http://www.SovereignSociety.com"  class="alinks_links">Sovereign Society</a>. But he may turn hawkish soon&#8230; </p>
<blockquote><p>If you&#8217;re in the currency world, you&#8217;ll often hear about an inflation dove or an inflation hawk.</p>
<p>Usually in the news, the talking heads are discussing our very own dove, Fed Chief Ben Bernanke or the eternal inflation hawk, European Central Bank (<a href="http://finance.google.com/finance?q=European+Central+Bank&amp;hl=en&amp;meta=hl%3Den">ECB</a>) President, Trichet.</p>
<p>But what&#8217;s the difference?</p>
<p>A hawk is known to be an aggressive predator that keeps a sharp eye out for potential prey. In a similar fashion, a &#8220;hawkish&#8221; central banker keeps a sharp eye on interest rates because they&#8217;re ready to swoop in and aggressively raise rates to fight inflation if necessary.</p>
<p>The dove has a harmless, docile nature. Therefore if you hear a central banker referred to as &#8220;dovish&#8221; or called an &#8220;inflation dove,&#8221; then he&#8217;s not concerned with inflation (think Ben Bernanke when he refuses to hike rates). He would rather lower interest rates because he feels inflation will have a minimal effect on society.</p>
<p>So these terms don&#8217;t describe the central bankers&#8217; long-term stance on inflation, but just their current short-term views. These are likely to change over the course of their tenure.</p>
<p>During any Fed chairman&#8217;s tenure, he&#8217;s likely to raise interest rates and then lower them depending on the economy&#8217;s situation at the time. So the present view of the central bank is termed &#8220;hawkish&#8221; or &#8220;dovish.&#8221;</p>
<p>Up until now, &#8220;Uncle Ben&#8221; has proved he prefers doves to hawks. But down the road, he could change his tune (he&#8217;s known to do that every once in a while).</p></blockquote>
<p>Source: <a href="http://www.sovereignsociety.com/2008ARCHIVES/7808WhytheseTwoTwinMetalsWillSkyrocketBy/tabid/4286/Default.aspx">What Gives a Dove His Wings?</a></p>
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		<title>How to Save Yourself from the Horror of Your Bank Going Belly Up</title>
		<link>http://www.contrarianprofits.com/articles/how-to-save-yourself-from-the-horror-of-your-bank-going-belly-up/2920</link>
		<comments>http://www.contrarianprofits.com/articles/how-to-save-yourself-from-the-horror-of-your-bank-going-belly-up/2920#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:36:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Erika Nolan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[US Dollar & Forex Trading]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anb]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bank Failure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Credit Cards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Debit Cards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fdic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Great Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Money Market Accounts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pulaski Bank]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Retirement Assets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[US banks]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p> Imagine waking up on a sunny Saturday morning to find you can&#8217;t use your debit card to buy groceries or pay for gas any longer? You can&#8217;t withdraw a single dollar from the ATM. And your bank froze your credit cards.</p>
<p>Then you discover that every check you wrote in the past week has bounced. And, you receive a call saying that your retirement assets are frozen. The kicker is that you had over US$1 million dollars in your account.</p>
<p>You try to call your bank for answers, but they won&#8217;t help you.</p>
<p>I know this story sounds like I&#8217;ve pulled it right out of the Great Depression. I&#8217;ve got news for you&#8230;this story is very real. It all happened last month to&#8230;</p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> Imagine waking up on a sunny Saturday morning to find you can&#8217;t use your debit card to buy groceries or pay for gas any longer? You can&#8217;t withdraw a single dollar from the ATM. And your bank froze your credit cards.</p>
<p>Then you discover that every check you wrote in the past week has bounced. And, you receive a call saying that your retirement assets are frozen. The kicker is that you had over US$1 million dollars in your account.</p>
<p>You try to call your bank for answers, but they won&#8217;t help you.</p>
<p>I know this story sounds like I&#8217;ve pulled it right out of the Great Depression. I&#8217;ve got news for you&#8230;this story is very real. It all happened last month to a US$2.1 BILLION bank in a little community in Bentonville, Arkansas.</p>
<h3 align="center">How a Bank &#8220;Suddenly&#8221; Goes Under<br />
in the 21st Century</h3>
<p>It was a very organized attack. On May 9th, the accountants snuck in the back door that Friday night after 5:00pm once the bank&#8217;s doors had closed. Little did anyone know the doors were closing for good&#8230;</p>
<p>And under the cover of darkness, over a hundred FDIC accountants began to systematically dismantle ANB financial headquarters &#8211; the venerable US$2.1 Billion institution that had been in business just hours before.</p>
<p>In short, FDIC officials were there to pick up the pieces because ANB was about to become the third bank to FAIL here in the United States in just the last six months. The fourth-largest bank in Arkansas was about to become yet another sub-prime casualty that choked on their own bad loans and investments.</p>
<p>The unlucky customers of ANB received nothing more than a letter that stated nothing of the bank failure, but rather introduced the &#8220;new&#8221; bank &#8211; Pulaski Bank.</p>
<p>Yet, I am sure most customers figured out their bank had gone south long before the formal letter arrived. As of 5:01 PM on May 9th, every single account at ANB was frozen. Money market accounts to trust assets to basic checking accounts&#8230;</p>
<h3 align="center">What FDIC Insurance Really Means<br />
If Your Bank Goes Under</h3>
<p>When you hear your account is &#8220;FDIC insured,&#8221; do you really know what it means? In short, it means the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. will reimburse you for up to US$100,000 for any one account you hold in your name.</p>
<p>If you have a joint account, then both account holders are insured up to US$100,000. You also can secure US$100,000 for each beneficiary in certain accounts (payable on death). (For full FDIC rules see<a href="http://www.fdic.gov/deposit/deposits/insured/yid.pdf" target="_blank"><em> FDIC&#8217;s Guide to Deposit Insurance Coverage</em></a>.)</p>
<p>Does this insurance help? Absolutely. But when you have an account worth more than US$100,000&#8230;well, that&#8217;s how you can lose money if your bank goes under.</p>
<p>Also, these days most respectable businesses make well over US$100,000 a year, so that limit is fairly easy to reach. And when accountants poured over ANB&#8217;s books, they discovered 647 accounts that exceeded that limit. That equaled US$39.2 million in uninsured funds.</p>
<p>FDIC representatives, who I believe must hate their jobs on a regular basis, had to call these unfortunate account holders and tell them what they lost. One ANB client lost US$1.4 million. Overnight. With no warning. And as for the rest&#8230;well historically, uninsured deposits recoup 65 cents on the dollar. Plus, it can take years to get your money back.</p>
<p>A shocked ANB client said to me: &#8220;It&#8217;s like [your money] doesn&#8217;t belong to you anymore&#8230;it&#8217;s theirs.&#8221;</p>
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		<title>Bear Market Rally or Market Bottom?</title>
		<link>http://www.contrarianprofits.com/articles/bear-market-rally-or-market-bottom/836</link>
		<comments>http://www.contrarianprofits.com/articles/bear-market-rally-or-market-bottom/836#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:16:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Erika Nolan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[US Dollar & Forex Trading]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Currency Markets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dollar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ETFs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[euro]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forex]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New Zealand Dollars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pound]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[yen]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p>Asian markets rallied big overnight in response to the U.S. market&#8217;s big day yesterday. Hong Kong was up 3% and the Nikkei was over 4%. So far, European stocks are following suit, but not as enthusiastically &#8211; with London, Paris and Frankfurt up less than 1%.Are we out of the woods? Is the worst behind us?</p>
<p>Our investment editors are fine tuning their crystal balls as we speak. In the meantime, The <a href="http://www.SovereignSociety.com"  class="alinks_links">Sovereign Society</a> consensus remains that hard assets and diversification outside the U.S. dollar and domestic financial markets, continue to make sense for the long term.</p>
<p>And when putting new money to work in the financial markets, it&#8217;s important to remember that &#8211; at all times &#8211; you have far more choices&#8230;</p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Asian markets rallied big overnight in response to the U.S. market&#8217;s big day yesterday. Hong Kong was up 3% and the Nikkei was over 4%. So far, European stocks are following suit, but not as enthusiastically &#8211; with London, Paris and Frankfurt up less than 1%.Are we out of the woods? Is the worst behind us?</p>
<p>Our investment editors are fine tuning their crystal balls as we speak. In the meantime, The <a href="http://www.SovereignSociety.com"  class="alinks_links">Sovereign Society</a> consensus remains that hard assets and diversification outside the U.S. dollar and domestic financial markets, continue to make sense for the long term.</p>
<p>And when putting new money to work in the financial markets, it&#8217;s important to remember that &#8211; at all times &#8211; you have far more choices than most investors tend to imagine.</p>
<p>For instance, you don&#8217;t have to watch the value of your savings disappear.</p>
<h3 align="center">Four Simple Cures for the Sinking Dollar</h3>
<p>The U.S. dollar is in the worst bear market in its inglorious history. Yet you can own other currencies in the spot currency markets with account minimums of as little as a few hundred dollars. You can put your cash in the pound, euro, Swiss franc, Japanese yen, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand dollars without paying commissions or large spreads. You can collect more interest than you would in U.S. dollars at the same time.</p>
<p>You can also own <a href="http://www1.youreletters.com/t/1461880/29574640/840633/0/" target="_blank">FDIC-insured foreign currency CD&#8217;s</a>, foreign currency funds that trade on stock exchanges, and forex options that you can trade from your own stock brokerage account. These are four simple, dollar-protection vehicles that are available to any investor &#8211; without needing a special account or high minimum net worth.</p>
<p>You don&#8217;t have to chain your equity portfolio to the U.S. market.</p>
<p>Even after yesterday&#8217;s rally, the Dow is down nearly 10% so far this year. Yet markets like Canada and Mexico are up. In fact over the last 10 years, the U.S. has not been a top-10 performing stock market once! If the biggest money is to be made where the greatest growth is, you must look to overseas markets to tap into that growth &#8211; and to find markets that offer value when the U.S. is overvalued.</p>
<p>You don&#8217;t always have to go long the market, especially when it&#8217;s overvalued.</p>
<h3 align="center">How to Avoid an Overvalued Stock Market</h3>
<p>Today, any retail investor can short the broad market &#8211; as well as some sectors of the market &#8211; <a href="http://www1.youreletters.com/t/1461880/29574640/845444/0/" target="_blank"><strong>with inverse ETFs</strong></a>. A few of these (in case you&#8217;re willing to take on a bit more risk to back up your very bearish sentiments) even allow you to short the broad market and sectors with leverage so that if the market falls 10%, you could stand to gain 20%.</p>
<p>You don&#8217;t have to let your portfolio get battered by market volatility without taking a few shots yourself.</p>
<p><a href="http://www1.youreletters.com/t/1461880/29574640/845445/0/" target="_blank"><strong>The right types of equity options</strong></a> can pay well in volatile markets like these. Selling puts on stocks you&#8217;d like to own at a lower price can generate income for you now and possibly hand you the stock at a discount to the current price.</p>
<p>You don&#8217;t have to be overweighted in stocks during a stock bear market.</p>
<p>It is now easier than ever before to own commodities through ETFs &#8211; from gold and silver to oil and gas and now even agricultural commodities. This can offer a very low cost way to diversify your portfolio into hard assets without having to open a separate commodities account.</p>
<h3 align="center">Don&#8217;t Place All Your Trust in CNBC</h3>
<p>You don&#8217;t have to limit your financial information intake to the nightly news and business section of the paper.</p>
<p>You can add to it the views of cantankerous hard-money kooks; debt-leery, scaredy-cat economists; and curmudgeonly deep-value investors &#8211; like you&#8217;ll find here in the pages of the A-Letter. And perhaps, if we&#8217;re doing our job well, we might just help protect your assets in times of crisis and position yourself for significant profits as well.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s the business we&#8217;ve been trying to build at The Sovereign Society these past 10 years. Through the tech boom and bust, the housing euphoria and hysteria, the age of financial innovation and devastation, we&#8217;ve tried to keep a steady eye on the things we think matter.</p>
<p>We think a good balance sheet matters &#8211; for people, companies and nations. And we get worried about economies and markets when they become bloated with debt.</p>
<p>We think you should spend your money wisely: Buy shares in companies according to their earnings and earnings prospects, rather than the rumor mill.</p>
<p>We think the best opportunities don&#8217;t have borders. Invest in economies that are opening up their markets and becoming more competitive &#8211; while they&#8217;re still selling at reasonable values. It&#8217;s a great way to diversify your portfolio and capture some of the best growth opportunities in the world.</p>
<p>We think a promissory note backed by a vague promise is not a very secure store of value. So we think it is wise to exchange some of those scraps of paper for hard assets that may have a more enduring value.</p>
<p>We also think you have a right to financial privacy and to diversify your assets geographically as well as across asset classes and financial markets. So we try to introduce you to some of the best banking centers and financial institutions around the word.</p>
<h3 align="center">Your Choice to Prosper</h3>
<p>How much of what we offer is right for you? Well, that&#8217;s up to you. It&#8217;s your choice. That&#8217;s the whole point. Through our flagship publication, <a href="http://www1.youreletters.com/t/1461880/29574640/845446/5803/" target="_blank"><strong><em>The Sovereign Individual</em></strong></a>, as well as through our other products and services &#8211; from <a href="http://www1.youreletters.com/t/1461880/29574640/845447/0/" target="_blank"><strong><em>Commodity Trend Alert</em></strong></a> to <em><strong>Forbidden Knowledge</strong></em> &#8211; we try to bring you what we think may be the best options in the world of global investments and offshore asset protection.</p>
<p>Which bits and pieces you decide to put into action is completely up to you &#8211; the real <em>Sovereign Individual</em>. For our part, we&#8217;ll commit to doing everything we can so that you consider us among your most able and trustworthy advisors.</p>
<p>In Wealth &amp; Prosperity,<br />
ERIKA NOLAN, Executive Director</p>
<p>P.S. Foreign equities from Hong Kong. Silver plays from the Sierra Nevada. AAA foreign bonds that protect you from the dropping dollar. Possibly the first bullish options on the financial sector. The few commodities worth grabbing at these levels. Special IRA investments that guarantee your principle, no matter what. You can find out how to buy all these portfolio-beating plays &#8211; safely &#8211; by joining us for our annual Total Wealth Symposium this May. However, seats are already filling up, <a href="http://www1.youreletters.com/t/1461880/29574640/844210/0/" target="_blank"><strong>so please reserve your spot</strong></a> today before we sell out.</p>
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		<title>Escaping Washington&#8217;s Most Oppressive Scheme Yet</title>
		<link>http://www.contrarianprofits.com/articles/escaping-washingtons-most-oppressive-scheme-yet/55</link>
		<comments>http://www.contrarianprofits.com/articles/escaping-washingtons-most-oppressive-scheme-yet/55#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:41:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Erika Nolan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[International Investing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.contraryinvestingnews.com/wordpress/?p=55</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>With the dollar reaching an all-time low versus the euro this week (€1.51 to US$1) and oil and gold continuing to reach new highs, the U.S. economy continues its freefall.<br />
<br />
Bernanke gave his Semi-Annual Monetary Policy Report to Congress on Wednesday and his report was grim. The unemployment rate is up, the growth of real GDP has slowed sharply since late 2008, and they are keeping their eyes on consumer price inflation.</p>
<p>With the next Federal Reserve meeting only days away, it&#8217;s a safe bet that rates will be cut once again.</p>
<p>For those of us with the vision to put the pieces together, there is growing concern that all these economic indicators are clearly pointing in a bad direction. With the U.S.&#8230;</p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With the dollar reaching an all-time low versus the euro this week (€1.51 to US$1) and oil and gold continuing to reach new highs, the U.S. economy continues its freefall.<br />
<br />
Bernanke gave his Semi-Annual Monetary Policy Report to Congress on Wednesday and his report was grim. The unemployment rate is up, the growth of real GDP has slowed sharply since late 2008, and they are keeping their eyes on consumer price inflation.</p>
<p>With the next Federal Reserve meeting only days away, it&#8217;s a safe bet that rates will be cut once again.</p>
<p>For those of us with the vision to put the pieces together, there is growing concern that all these economic indicators are clearly pointing in a bad direction. With the U.S. currency continuing to depreciate, gold climbing each day and consumer debt climbing into the billions&#8230;something will have to give. And, it might be you.</p>
<p><strong>When the Chips are Down&#8230;the Wealthy are at Risk</strong></p>
<p>Consider this: If you desperately needed US$50 to buy food for your family and you had no way of earning it yourself, what would you do? You could:</p>
<ol>
<li>Head to the nearest Quickie Mart and attempt to steal the food, knowing you could be caught and jailed</li>
<li>Beg for money from neighbors who are down on their luck too</li>
<li>Go to a wealthy section of your city and attempt to pickpocket one of the affluent business people on their way back from lunch</li>
</ol>
<p>While not one of these options is ideal, only the affluent business person is guaranteed to have something worth US$50, be it a watch, a wallet, etc. Desperate times call for drastic solutions.</p>
<p>The U.S. government is not too far away from having to act like a destitute parent, who desperately needs milk for the family. Ideas that once seemed radical in times of economic prosperity are suddenly sounding logical &#8211; especially as the financial health of the country rapidly declines.</p>
<p>Could the days of currency controls and mandated wealth restrictions be on the horizon? I don&#8217;t know for sure, but don&#8217;t wait for the writing to be on the wall.</p>
<p>As you&#8217;ll hear from Bob Bauman, the IRS has started another smear campaign against Liechtenstein. According to a report on Bloomberg on Monday, the IRS is investigating 100 Americans who &#8220;may&#8221; have knowingly engaged in tax evasion using Liechtenstein banks. It makes no mention of the hundreds of thousands Americans who have completely legal international accounts. I am talking about those of us who report the location of our money&#8230;and pay any due U.S. taxes.</p>
<p>In typical fashion, the legal and appropriate use of asset havens is overlooked by the media. Rather, the news of the IRS investigation into Liechtenstein bank accounts has appeared in most U.S. newspapers.</p>
<p>The government is making the most of their bully-like attack so that the masses will leave their wealth at home within their reach, if and when needed. But, their scare tactics are just that&#8230;tactics.</p>
<p><strong>Your Ticket to Escaping Washington&#8217;s Most Oppressive Scheme Yet</strong></p>
<p>When I was in St. Kitts this past weekend, I had the chance to talk to a few members who were concerned with the state of U.S. affairs. Strategic investments were on everyone&#8217;s minds but there was another concern that held equal merit. They wanted to know how to secure their wealth away from the grasp of public and private rouges.</p>
<p>My answer is simple. Do not to wait any longer to diversify your wealth by moving a portion of your assets offshore. I can&#8217;t tell you how many readers I run into at various conferences and meetings who are seriously interested in the strategies we reveal in the A-Letter and The Sovereign Individual&#8230;but are a bit gun shy about actually pulling the trigger on their own plans. But, now is the time to act.</p>
<p>If you do nothing else in the next six months, at the very least, open an offshore bank account to gain access to global markets and foreign currencies while securing an additional bit of asset protection. You&#8217;ll be able to sleep better at night knowing that you have a path around the Wall Street monopoly.</p>
<p>For those of you seeking more advanced estate planning or asset protection but aren&#8217;t sure where to begin, you might want to consider attending The <a href="http://www.SovereignSociety.com"  class="alinks_links">Sovereign Society</a>&#8217;s Permanent Wealth Protection Summit in Whistler, March 10-15, 2008. In only a few short weeks, you could have a personalized and comprehensive wealth plan.</p>
<p>There are no cookie cutter presentations here&#8230;just private, one-on-one meetings with seven top notch experts. In times like these where Washington bureaucrats are desperately looking for pockets to pick, you need a roadmap to secure your wealth and privacy for yourself and your family.</p>
<p>We only hold this summit once a year and as I write this, we have just a few seats left. But, if you want to be one of only 10 members who are admitted, please arrange your schedule to join us. I&#8217;ll do my best to make sure no one is turned away.</p>
<p>Frankly, it doesn&#8217;t matter how you pull your wealth roadmap together&#8230;just be sure to take action while you still can.</p>
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