The news has been awash with details from the “Pandora Papers,” leaked secrets of the world’s super-rich. But one revelation wasn’t news to me. After all, I’ve published books about asset protection. That tidbit? That the biggest tax haven in the world is the United States! In today’s video, I reveal how unassuming South Dakota became the world’s leading place to hide wealth … fairly earned or not.
Now, if you’re an investor that uses exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tied to an index like the S&P 500, you’ve undoubtedly been conditioned to buy the dip. But before you do that this time, know this: Rising interest rates could lead to a risky new phase in the stock market. It’s one that will look nothing like the past decade … and will curtail recent stellar returns going forward … especially for buy-and-hold index investors. Here’s why and how rising interest rates come into play…
The trend is clear. When the market starts getting “toppy,” insiders at technology companies stop buying their own shares. Corporate executives know what’s going on in their industries better than anyone else. Every quarter, they must tell the market what they think about their own prospects in an official filing. But they can buy and sell shares in their own company at any time. That makes insider purchases a critical data point for investors. That’s the lowest level of insider buying over the last five years. This is powerful evidence of something I’ve been saying all summer. Right now, smart investors should be buying quality companies. That means strong balance sheets, recession-proof revenues and above all, strong free cash flow. Here’s the evidence.
What if the Federal Reserve tried to give away money … and nobody wanted it?
That’s exactly what’s happening.
Last week, the stock market behaved as it always does in the run-up to a big Fed announcement.
Stocks traded sideways all week. Then on Friday, when Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank wasn’t going to be changing anything soon, everyone started buying again.
This is a familiar routine. It’s based on the assumption that the Fed has the power to raise or lower interest rates by buying bonds out of the market in exchange for cash injections.
But what if that assumption is wrong?
Fed Chairman Powell gave the market exactly what it wanted. Interest rates barely budged. There’s no immediate talk of tapering. And everything shot up in response — growth, energy, cyclicals. But does that mean it’s time to pile into stocks again? Well, yes and no. As you’ll see in today’s Your Money Matters, Clint tells you which types of stocks you should be loading up on and which you should avoid. Plus, find out which part of the Fed announcement surprised him most. And more.
Research Analyst
Editor of Alpha Investor
Editor of Strategic Fortunes and three elite services
Chief Investment Strategist of Money & Markets
Editor of Precision Profits and Apex Alert
Director of VIP Services
CEO of Banyan Hill
Director of Investment Research