The Path To Prosperity - Part IV: What We Should Be Doing

Britain is suffering from both a lack of leadership, and a lack of a clear and credible plan for dealing with the debt crisis and putting us back on a path to sustainable growth. In this final part of the Path To Prosperity I detail the steps I would take to put Britain back on the path to true prosperity and avoid a lost decade. Crucially my actions not only address the current debt crisis but also address its root cause and attempt to prevent it from happening again.

Forces At Work

My work involves trying to understand the different macro forces affecting the global economy. This is important since the vast majority of stock market returns are driven by macro influences. This article attempts to show these forces visually and explain their implications for the economy and ultimately for the financial markets.

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Portfolio Design - How To Construct The Ideal Portfolio

This article examines various options for constructing the ideal portfolio and contrasts my method of portfolio design with that of a typical financial adviser.

China The Bear Case: Soft Landing or Crash Landing?

For the past two decades China's economy has grown at an average annual rate of 9.5% something which is often cited as a reason to be bullish on the global economic outlook. However Chinese officials are taking steps to tame inflation and bring their rapid growth rate down to a more sustainable level, but despite their best efforts they may not be able to engineer a so-called "soft landing" and instead they may be heading for a crash landing.

Fund Spotlight: A Look At The Best Gold Equity Funds

The best way to profit from the remainder of this gold bull market will be by owning a basket of gold stocks such as those in the Model Portfolio. However for those that don't have the time to select and track individual companies, the best approach would be to invest in a gold equity fund. The aim of this article is to profile some of the best gold funds available to UK investors which can also be held inside an ISA.

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Here Comes The Tsunami Of Stimulus

As economic conditions around the world deteriorate rapidly, policymakers are faced with a decision: Do nothing and let market forces revalue and rebalance the global economy which would undoubtedly entail global recession (and in some cases depression), or intervene in an attempt to postpone the day of reckoning with more stimuli. I am confident that they choose massive stimulus and this article examines what we can expect, when and how it will affect investment portfolios.

Future Investment Trends: The Coming Thorium Age

This is the first in a series of articles looking at future investment trends. This article examines the incredible potential of thorium to meet the energy needs of the future. Thorium is a naturally occurring radioactive metal which, when burned in a new type of safer and cleaner nuclear reactor, can provide vast amounts of power with very few drawbacks.

The Search For Yields: An oil and gas company paying 6.8%

If you are not getting a return on your money of at least 5.2% you are losing money. This section of the newsletter features companies that pay a dividend that's greater than 5.2%. This article profiles an oil and gas royalty company that yields 6.8% and gives investors exposure to rising energy prices.

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Gold: How High Can It Go?

The gold bull market is now in its eleventh year. This article tries to answer the question How High Can Gold Go? It lays out the case for a $5,000, $6,000 and even a $12,500 gold price.

Model Portfolio - A Year In Review

This article examines the performance of the Mountain Investor Report's Model Portfolio to see how the 33.7% return could have been improved. It reviews the decisions made and the reasons for them and provides important lessons for the future.

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The Path to Prosperity - part III

This series of articles examines what it takes for an economy to grow - from the common ingredients to specific policies. Part three in the series looks at the area of taxes and regulation and recommends specific policies the coalition government should adopt in order to help put Britain back on the path to prosperity.

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European Debt Crisis: Special Report

I have postponed the article on the Path to Prosperity in order to focus on the rapidly unfolding crisis in Greece. This month's special report examines the real reason Greece and the other PIGS are being bailed out.

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The Path to Prosperity - part II

Part two of this article begins to explore ways in which government policy can help to increase the growth of the UK economy's productive potential i.e. The maximum rate of growth that can be sustained without running into balance of payments problems or inflation. We begin by looking at increasing the size of the labour force and structural reform of both education and training.

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The Path to Prosperity - part I

This article looks at what Britain's coalition government should do in order to return the country to prosperity. To identify the kinds of policies the government should adopt however, it is first necessary to understand how an economy grows. Part one of this article examines what ingredients are required for an economy to flourish.

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Japan: Tragedy and Opportunity

This article looks at how the shift away from nuclear power, albeit a temporary one, could provide some interesting opportunities for investors in both uranium and natural gas.

Scenario Planning: How the next few years might look

Presented as a narrative, this article lays out a plausible scenario for how the next few years might look. My aim is to weave together the primary trends influencing the economy and financial markets and in doing so provide investors with food for thought as they plan their investment strategy.

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Gold Part II - Buying The Metal + Investing In Junior Miners

This article looks at how and where to buy physical bullion as well as discussing what to buy - coins or bars. The article then examines the junior gold sector, looking at what a junior is, why you might want to own them and what to look at when evaluating them. The article also profiles some junior gold companies and an investment fund that gives investors exposure to the sector.

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Searching For Value In Commodities - Gold

This article examines the fundamentals of the gold market and takes a look at the large gold producers that offer the best value in the space.

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Searching For Value In Commodities - Uranium

This article examines the case for investing in uranium and takes a look at those companies that may be best positioned to benefit from its rising price.

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Where Next for UK Property Prices

This article examines those factors that contribute to the future direction of property prices. It lays out the facts and draws from historical evidence in order to determine where house prices might be headed. It looks at the different ways in which prices are measured, where they are today and price predictions from industry experts. It explores the supply and demand dynamic and the affordability of property in both the UK as a whole and in London. It also looks at the mortgage deals available and examines the crucial subject of interest rates and the impact of their inevitable rise.

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Core Concept 4 - Peak Oil

Explores the subject of Peak Oil - what it is, when it's likely to occur and its implications.

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Core Concept 3 - Population growth vs finite resources

Looks in detail at the impact our growing global population is having on our vital resources and what that means for investors.

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Core Concept 2 - Our money today is really just debt

Looks in detail at today's monetary system and examines how money is created and what that means for investors.

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Core Concept 1 - Protecting your wealth from the printing press

Examines our government's tendency to print money and the need for investors to protect against it.

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