<!-- /* You may give each page an identifying name and channel on the next lines. */ s.pageName="" s.channel="" /************* DO NOT ALTER ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE ! **************/ var s_code=s.t();if(s_code)document.write(s_code)//--> [This is the fifth installment of an ongoing series.] By Keith Fitz-Gerald Investment Director Money Morning/The Money Map Report I don’t know about you, but I’m sick and tired of the airlines grumbling and whining. I’m also frustrated with the endless list of new surcharges the airlines have come up with. Especially when there’s plenty of evidence that the airlines are just getting started and that they’re actually busy cooking up new ways to nickel and dime us. Airline representatives and apologist analysts claim the new “fees” are necessary to ...

By Keith Fitz-Gerald In a Money Morning commentary back in April, I suggested that while we’d hit a new market bottom, we almost certainly hadn’t hit the market bottom. So have we now? That’s tough to say, although three seemingly unrelated bits of data suggest the ultimate market bottom may be lower still, meaning investors aren’t out of the woods, yet. Let’s take a look: Since 1990, there have been 13 declines of 10% or more in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index. And while each drop of this magnitude tends to precede a rally of six months or more, an ultimate market bottom typically hasn’t been established until we’ve seen an average reading of 36.3 in the Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index - usually referred to as the VIX Index. Generally regarded as a ...

By Keith Fitz-Gerald Investment Director Money Morning/The Money Map Report Every market cycle has its genius. Even a market cycle as wild and volatile as this one has been. And the latest genius might be just what the U.S. Federal Reserve needs to restore order around here: She might even be able to bring credibility back to the global financial markets. Elizabeth Duke goes by "Patsy." And while the nickname may be soft, the person behind the moniker isn’t soft. In fact, we believe that Patsy Duke - a career commercial banker - is the only Federal Reserve insider that understands how the global money markets actually work. As such, she might just be the next central bank chairman. We say that because, unlike current Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and the rest of the Beltway Boys - all of them academic theoreticians, data experts, or ...

By Keith Fitz-Gerald Investment Director Money Morning/The Money Map Report We can almost hear that ominous "Jaws" theme music in the background and can see that huge dorsal fin as it slices threateningly through the water - knowing full well that the real terror is hidden beneath the water’s surface. But this time around, it’s not a "Great White" that’s sparking our fears; it’s a well-capitalized and broadly based series of secret stock exchanges known as "Dark Pools of Liquidity," "Dark Liquidity," or just "Dark Pools." Most investors have never even heard the term - and are truly shocked to discover these "off-the-books" trading networks actually exist. But to Wall Street insiders looking to anonymously move billions of dollars in stocks, bonds, and other investment instruments, dark pools are de rigueur - especially when you’re an institutional trader who doesn’t want ...

By Keith Fitz-Gerald Investment Director Money Morning/The Money Map Report One of the things people don’t understand about buying gold for diversification is that it doesn’t work all the time. It works over time. That means that you can’t simply switch from one asset class to another when the going gets tough and expect miracles. Nor can you expect higher returns. And that’s the really cruel part. Many so-called alternative investments, gold being the most notable, are being sold right now on the basis of recent high returns to salivating investors desperate to stop the bleeding in their portfolios. No question, the yellow metal offers diversification; but near all time highs, its “protection” is debatable at best, when viewed against the harsh light of historical data. Which is why, at the risk of receiving some very testy email, we have to point out that if you bought ...

By Keith Fitz-Gerald Investment Director Money Morning/The Money Map Report The Dow Jones Industrial Average is already in the bear’s grasp. And the U.S. economy may well be headed for a recession. But here’s the ultimate irony: Bear-market investing offers a direct pathway to the biggest profit opportunities most investors will ever see. History shows time and again that the worst returns come to those who buy at - or even near - market peaks, like those of 1928, 1969, 1999 and 2007, when Price/Earnings (P/E) ratios are typically higher than “normal.” Conversely, investors who buy when the days are darkest reap the best returns: Think 1932, 1942, 1982, 2003 and - take a deep breath - possibly 2008. Clearly, at a point when the world looks like it’s going to hell in a hand basket, sitting on the ...

By Keith Fitz-Gerald Investment Director Money Morning/The Money Map Report For investors who are used to living large, this has been the year from hell. The markets are tanking. Food costs 25% more than it did a year ago. Inflation is on the march for the first time in decades. The sky’s the limit on gasoline after oil prices have doubled in the year. No doubt about it: As far as financial downturns go, this mess is the real deal. With that in mind, we’ve taken the time to provide you with candid answers to four questions we’ve been asked time and again. And that’s not all. We used those questions to craft a three-step strategy that will give you the returns you seek, without forcing you to "bet the ranch." Q: How Bad Are Things Right Now? A: Let’s not mince words, here - they’re bad. Our ...

By Keith Fitz-Gerald Investment Director Money Morning/The Money Map Report Japanese companies and local governments must now measure the waistlines of all employees and family members over the age of 40. According to this new health-care initiative - which started this week - men whose girth exceeds 33.5 inches and women whose waistlines exceed 35.5 inches are considered overweight. The new guidelines affect nearly 56 million people, or roughly 44% of Japan’s total population. They’re based on studies done by the International Diabetes Foundation in 2005, which looked at size and weight thresholds and used them to identify health risks. Individuals who fail to meet these standards won’t be penalized or have to pay up personally. But their employers will - in the form of penalty payments and higher health-care premiums for every additional inch - thanks to this new waistline law that’s ...

By Keith Fitz-Gerald Investment Director Money Morning/The Money Map Report The moment Beijing won the right to host the 2008 Summer Olympics, the Chinese government embarked on an ambitious cultural etiquette program designed to make Beijing more hospitable to the 500,000 foreigners expected to visit for the Games, which start only weeks from now. And from the looks of things, such obvious niceties as… Learn English. No spitting. And, stand in line. …weren’t enough. For Beijing now wants to make the country’s cuisine more appealing, as well. On that point, at least, China’s leaders aren’t acting a moment too soon. When Cultures Connect - or Collide It can be quite difficult for English-speaking visitors to keep a straight face when placing an order at a luncheon business meeting in China - given such menu choices as "chicken without sexual life" (Translation: Chicken that’s very tender because it was too young ...

By Keith Fitz-Gerald Investment Director Money Morning/The Money Map Report Congress is talking about going after oil speculators in an effort to lower prices by limiting the amount of money flowing into oil contracts. We realize that they’re upset, but they’re going about this the wrong way. What’s more, they’re demonstrating a near complete ignorance as to how financial markets actually work. It doesn’t help that they’ve got energy analysts from some of the top firms telling them the price of oil could drop as low as $65 to $75 per barrel, bringing gas down to around $2 per gallon within 30 days of legislation that puts limits on speculation. While we normally wouldn’t give a darn about the ignorance of elected officials, the bad news is that, judging from the solutions on the table, Congress is just crazy enough, and the vast majority of ...