Investing is more complex than picking one day, then picking another day and saying "I'm gonna buy my shares on this day, and sell them on this day".  You really have to know what you are doing and it's quite complex.

It is also quite rigged.  Yes, there are still some decent investments that can be made but, on the whole, the market has been turned into a giant casino -- and the house always wins.

While you may disagree with some of what he says (I do), you also might enjoy and learn a lot from Max Keiser.  He used to work on Wall Street and even designed the software used in the computers that are now responsible for the vast majority of trades.  His insights into how the system really works are brilliant, IMO.

If you are interested, here is his site: http://www.maxkeiser.com

As for the professional advisors, I reiterate that far too many do not even understand the nature of our monetary system. SOME do, to be sure, but it is wise, as you say, to ask them a handful of simple, focussed questions.

Anyone, professional or amateur, who wishes to speak intelligently about financial matters must, IMO, first grasp the nature of our debt-money.

What real good does it do a man to speak intelligently about one of a thousand small pictures (stocks, for example) if he is more or less ignorant of the nature, or even the existence of the big picture?

What the ?

A 12-year-old thread? You can't be serious?

What the ?

A 12-year-old thread? You can't be serious?

It helps keep information consolidated, so there aren't several threads to search through on the same topic.

And there's the added benefit of an old thread getting bumped for those who might find it an interesting read.

It helps keep information consolidated, so there aren't several threads to search through on the same topic.

And there's the added benefit of an old thread getting bumped for those who might find it an interesting read.

I agree with you.

Yes, I specifically searched first to see if there's already a topic on it.

I do that too.