Outside the Box, March 2007

Geopolitics and the U.S. Spoiling Attack

John Mauldin

March 29, 2007

This week's special edition Outside the Box is what I would call one of the more "philosophical" pieces by Stratfor President George Friedman...let me explain. In his article "Geopolitics and the U.S. Spoiling Attack," George looks through the lens of history at the US involvement in Iraq by comparing the outcomes with past US military encounters. While he goes on to show the result of each situation, the most interesting part, at least to me, has been the intended or unintended consequences...

MACRO-MARKETS: Gold Trading Boot Camp

John Mauldin

March 26, 2007

I probably get as many questions about gold as I do any subject. The fascination with the yellow metal permeates all levels of investors, and opinions can be quite strong. But few are more informed than those of good friend and trader extraordinaire, Greg Weldon.

Gold Trading Boot Camp

Greg has written a new book called "Gold Trading Boot Camp, how to Master the Basics and Become a Successful Commodities Investor." I highly recommend it for those wanting to get a grasp of how a successful trader's mind works. Greg...

Deconstructing Today’s Ongoing Revolution In Finance

John Mauldin

March 19, 2007

General reader, today's Outside the Box is one that you are going to want to put your thinking caps on for. My good friend Woody Brock has kindly allowed me to present you with one of the sections from his quarterly comments. In his chapter "Deconstructing Today's Ongoing Revolution in Finance," Woody has written a particularly interesting and somewhat controversial section titled "Why the Economy Needs Vastly More Derivates, Not Less."

An all too common myth is that the total value of...

Two Busted Flushes: The U.S. and Iranian Negotiations

John Mauldin

March 15, 2007

This week's special edition of Outside the Box touches on the strained relationship between the U.S. and Iran as the war in Iraq continues to loom. Bush is nearing the end of his tenure as President and is (as well as has been) seeking a solution for America's involvement in the Middle East. Diplomats from each country recently met up to begin discussion on the subject.

In his article "Two Busted Flushes: The U.S. and Iranian Negotiations," Stratfor President George Friedman discusses the U.S....

The Plankton Theory Meets Minsky

John Mauldin

March 12, 2007

Today's Outside the Box will feature one of the better pieces written in the last few years by my good friend Paul McCulley. In his article "The Plankton Theory Meets Minsky," Paul shows the importance of why the problem with sub-prime mortgages will affect the entire housing market rather than just a small sector of it. He goes on to further point out that the excess liquidity in housing and the ability to borrow against home equity over the last couple of years was more than just the doing of...

What is True Diversification?

John Mauldin

March 5, 2007

This week we take a look at one of the more common problems I see as I counsel investors, a lack of diversification. Much of the time that stems from not having a philosophy of investing and defaulting to simple selections that over time can create problems when those selections run into a bit of volatility.

Good friend and successful money manager Gary Marks gives us some thoughts on diversification. Gary has written a book called Rocking Wall Street that is the first in what I hope is a...

China’s Engineered Drop

John Mauldin

March 1, 2007

With Tuesday's market correction being the single biggest decline in the U.S. markets since 9/11, all eyes are focused on figuring out what exactly happened as well as what is going to happen next. This week's Special Edition of Outside the Box will feature a unique perspective on the recent events as Stratfor President George Friedman explains what took place in China and how this was an "engineered drop."

Stratfor is an intelligence company that provides in-depth research and analysis on...