As usual, none of Wall Street's so-called "top strategists" in a recent Barron's survey are calling for stocks to decline in 2016. All of them are calling for the bull market to continue next year.
Their 2016 S&P 500 forecasts varied from a groupthink low of 2,100 (Goldman Sachs' David Kostin) to a groupthink high of 2,500 (Federated Investors' Stephen Auth). Most of the rest were crowded around 2,200.
My own forecast practically puts me off this chart altogether.
As usual, none of Wall Street's so-called "top strategists" in a recent Barron's survey are calling for stocks to decline in 2016. All of them are calling for the bull market to continue next year.
Their 2016 S&P 500 forecasts varied from a groupthink low of 2,100 (Goldman Sachs' David Kostin) to a groupthink high of 2,500 (Federated Investors' Stephen Auth). Most of the rest were crowded around 2,200.
My own forecast practically puts me off this chart altogether.
With the exceptional, unpredictable year that was 2013, we have a one-time opportunity to "mine" its insights... and make even more money in 2014.
The trick, as you'll see, is to block out the noise, stay invested, and focus on three key numbers...
We hear it all the time, this notion that professional traders at top-tier Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, and HSBC have tremendous advantages over smaller, individual investors.
The system is rigged...
Too-big-to-failbankers are getting richer at the expense of the little guy...
And a lot of it's true. We reveal these "insider advantages" all the time here at Money Morning.
But as a former hedge fund trader at Goldman Sachs, I know firsthand that some of these notions are fantasy.
In some cases, operating outside the system gives you the edge, especially when it comes to "The $5 Rule."
It handcuffed me at Goldman, essentially forbidding me to make an irresistible trade. But it didn't ban my non-Goldman friend from the opportunity. So he made the trade.
And it worked.
He turned $50,000 into more than $1 million, in less than two years.
Clearly, this is an edge the big-gun institutional traders wish they had...
The first real Washington budget deal in years won't make that much of a difference to most Americans, but for investors it could be a trove of profits. That's because buried in the details of this deal is an extraordinary investment opportunity almost no one else has noticed.
Here's a clue: It's energy-related...
The most successful investors of our time have one thing in common - they're early birds.
Consider joining them. Studies show that people who make things happen early are more proactive and more productive. They're also more likely to be top performers and enjoy greater financial success.
University of Heidelberg biology professor Christoph Randler notes that early risers tend to have a good idea of what they want to accomplish.
His research shows that, while evening people may be more creative and in some cases smarter than morning risers, they're "out of sync." Early birds, he noted in a 2010 Harvard Business Review article, "hold the important cards."
And if you're not a morning person?
Performance expert Tony Schwartz says that less than 10% of the population has unchangeable biorhythms. That means you can train yourself to get up - and get ahead.
But what to do?
Here's my list of five things to do before 7 a.m....
