Today's Video Update: The Banks in Cyprus Reopen Tomorrow, Now That's a Scary Thought

Hello traders everywhere! Adam Hewison here, co-founder of MarketClub with your mid-day market update for Wednesday, the 27th of March.

The Banks in Cyprus Reopen Tomorrow … Now That's a Scary Thought
No matter how the banks reopen tomorrow, it's not going to be pretty. We are expecting to see chaos, fighting, arrests and the media, broadcasting to the world how crowds react when they lose most, if not all, of their money. If you haven't yet read "Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds," I highly recommend it. It is a history of popular folly by Scottish journalist, Charles Mackay, first published in 1841. Continue reading "Today's Video Update: The Banks in Cyprus Reopen Tomorrow, Now That's a Scary Thought"

A Bubble Bigger than Housing Is About to Pop

The most devastating market events are those that no one sees coming.

Take what happened to the Lehman Brothers in 2008, for example. Up until the last minute, virtually no one could have imagined one of the country's leading investment banks would file for bankruptcy. The housing market crash was the same way. The Street believed housing prices would never go down.

With the market totally blind to the growing risk in each investment, anyone who had investments in housing or with Lehman Brothers suffered huge losses.

Despite these tough lessons, there is now another epic bubble developing and the market is ignoring this one too.

In fact, this bubble is so big, the 2006 housing bubble and the 2000 bubble pale in comparison. And when it pops, it will hit the most conservative portfolios the hardest. Continue reading "A Bubble Bigger than Housing Is About to Pop"

Get Ready to Profit from the "Return of the Consumer"

After a stunning 15% surge since mid-November, the market has struggled in the past month, trading up and down in a tight 1% band. Problems in Europe have reignited and many on Wall Street are expecting consumer spending to weaken during the rest of the year. It is all making the case for a bull market very difficult, except for a key report the U.S. Federal Reserve recently released.

I am not talking about the Fed's stance on interest rates, or whether it will maintain record bond purchases. This report is even more important because it concerns the driver to 70% of the nation's economy and, despite current bad news, it's pointing straight up.

But first, a bit of background... Continue reading "Get Ready to Profit from the "Return of the Consumer""

Read This Before Investing In Commodities

I want to show you the best way to invest in gold and other commodities. But there is something you need to know...

Commodities are risky. One of the riskiest things an individual investor can attempt.

It's estimated that 95% of individual commodity futures traders lose money. That means 19 out of 20 walk away with less than they started. 

You see, commodities trading is not investing. It's speculating that prices will move one way or the other. That's akin to gambling in my book.

Really, the only people that make serious money in commodities trading are the brokers. They pocket hefty commissions from clients that speculate on gold, wheat, oil, cattle, lumber and even coffee.  Continue reading "Read This Before Investing In Commodities"

Hugo Chavez Is Gone, but His Oil Legacy Lives On

On March 5, 2013, Hugo Chávez, one of the most iconic presidents in the world, died at the age of 58. While he was alive, Chávez was a highly controversial figure, calling George W. Bush a drunkard and a "psychologically sick man" and Tony Blair an "imperialist pawn who attempts to curry favor with Danger Bush-Hitler."

Like him or hate him, Chávez definitely had a huge following in Venezuela, as well as the entirety of Latin America. His anti-American and socialistic rhetoric made him an ally of Fidel Castro in Cuba and Ahmadinejad in Iran. Combined with Correa in Ecuador, Fernández in Argentina, and Morales in Bolivia, Chávez was able to make a front in South America against the "evil imperialist gringos."

But with him no longer in the picture, things will change, and cheap Venezuelan oil will be able to flow into the markets, right? Continue reading "Hugo Chavez Is Gone, but His Oil Legacy Lives On"