If you have decided to seek the best financial coach available, here are five tips that may help you in this endeavor.

1.  Experience.  How long has the individual been coaching?  While there are six-week courses for those who wish to become a financial coach, this does not necessarily guarantee they have established expertise in the area most important to you.  Look for a coach who has had extensive training for at least two years, followed by multiple exams showing his or her competence in the area.  A certified financial planner and a certified public accountant both meet the criteria.

In addition, you need to know how long this coach has been practising in this field.  Also, providing any and all licenses is proof that this individual is engaged in ongoing education in this field as well.

2.  Compensation.  Who provides payment for services to the financial coach?  Does he or she work for a bank or institution wherein commissions are given as compensation?  How much does the financial coach charge and on what basis are the fees incurred?

3.  Personality.  You can probably tell within the first five minutes of interviewing a perspective financial coach if he or she is suitable for your needs.  You may think that personality should not be a factor, but if you do not get along with your coach it may cause problems later on.

One of the basic tenets of hiring a financial coach is based on trust and confidence that he or she will do the job you hired them to do.  As long as you are comfortable with the coach and can confide in and depend upon them to guide you through a successful financial future, then you have found someone quite special.

Note that some experts warn that financial coaches who work for banks or brokerage firms do not last very long.  Keep that in mind during the interview process.

4.  Professionalism.  Does the financial coach conduct business in a professional and courteous manner?  Does he or she set appointments well in advance and arrive on time?  Are your questions and concerns met with immediate results?

You wouldn’t expect any less from your own doctor, so why would you settle for someone who does not offer the same professionalism in the financial world.

5.  Expertise.  Whether you are hiring a coach to help with retirement savings, tuition for your children’s college, investments, insurance, or a new business, you certainly want someone who has expertise in a specific area.  Ideally, you want a financial coach who is proficient in all these areas.

Just as you would take the time and effort to find the right doctor, lawyer, or baby-sitter, consider using the same method to articulate your needs in finding the best financial coach available.

Interested in some easy-to-understand articles on mortgages? You and me both! Here’s a list of some great mortgage articles I found at consumer-talk.com to help you get the best mortgage deal available.

An Introduction to Mortgage Home Loans

Different Types of Mortgages

What to Look for When Choosing a Mortgage Lender

Let Me Explain What a Mortgage Broker Is

First Time Home Buyers Advice

Fixed Rate Mortgage vs. Variable Rate Mortgage

Top 6 Ways To Save Money On Mortgages

Thinking of Repaying Your Mortgage Early?

When you buy a house, you do not consider the fact that someday you may run into financial problems and that foreclosure may be something that you’re facing. Many people panic and think that when they fall behind on their mortgage, there really is no way out. The fact is that there are many options for those who face foreclosure if they do things in a timely manner.

There are actual stages or steps of foreclosure that a person will go through, and actions you can take at each stage to possibly forestall or even prevent the foreclosure. If you know what the stages are, you can better plan how to get out of foreclosure. By knowing what to expect and what you can do, you will be on your way to saving your home.

Stage 1

Your mortgage is late. There can be many reasons that make you fall behind on your mortgage. Perhaps you fell ill or you were laid off. No matter what the reason for which you lost your steady income, the fact is that you fell behind on your mortgage so now you are trying to make ends meet and save your house. You want to be sure to keep in contact with your mortgage company. Many people make the mistake of ignoring their lender and that can be very damaging to the loan. You will only add to the late fees you are accruing and there can be other costs as well when you neglect your lender’s enquiries.

Stage 2

Once you are late, you suffer the consequence of being reported as late. There can actually be legal fees that may apply due to the fact that your lending is filing for foreclosure. Your delinquency will be reported to the main credit agencies and this will damage your credit rating.

Stage 3

Once the above stages have passed, your lender may start foreclosure proceedings. This can entail having you evicted from the property. Most lenders will give you anywhere from one to three months to get things in order to try and fix things. If you fail to fix things then local law enforcement officials may come to forcibly remove you and your family from the property.

Stage 4

Once you have been removed from the property and the house is vacated of your belongings, your house will be auctioned. At this point, you still have a change to retain your property since you also have a right to bid on it at the auction. You may actually be able to buy your house at auction for a fraction of the cost that you owed on it.

Dow 778-Point Plunge: What’s Next?
by Martin D. Weiss, Ph.D. 09-29-08

The Dow’s 778-point plunge today was the worst since the Crash of ‘87.

But that doesn’t mean today was a selling climax or that the stock market decline is reaching an end.

Quite to the contrary, the overwhelming majority of investors are still holding on to their shares.

They’re hoping that Congress will still pass some kind of legislation to bail out sinking banks.

They’re hoping that the Fed will continue to inject massive sums into the credit markets to prevent a money panic.

And they’re assuming that these efforts will somehow turn the market around.

Today’s Market Plunge Is
Telling You That They’re
Stubbornly Wrong.

As we have been warning for many months … and as we documented in our white paper submitted to Congress just last week (“Proposed $700 Billion Bailout Is Too Little, Too Late to End the Debt Crisis; Too Much, Too Soon for the U.S. Bond Market,”) …

Whether the Congress passes the bailout legislation or not, the outcome will be similar: The debt crisis will continue to deepen and spread. Many more banks will fail. The economy will sink into a severe recession. And those who stubbornly hold onto vulnerable investments will suffer some of the greatest losses in modern times.

Bottom line: The Black October we’ve been warning about has barely begun. The worst is yet to come.

But never forget: No matter how bad things may get, it is not the end of the world. We have been through worse before, and we survived. We will survive this one too, and we will do it together.

For more specific instructions, be sure to check your email tomorrow before 12 noon Eastern Time.

Good luck and God bless!

Martin

This investment news is brought to you by Money and Markets. Money and Markets is a free daily investment newsletter from Martin D. Weiss and Weiss Research analysts offering the latest investing news and financial insights for the stock market, including tips and advice on investing in gold, energy and oil. Dr. Weiss is a leader in the fields of investing, interest rates, financial safety and economic forecasting. To view archives or subscribe, visit http://www.moneyandmarkets.com.

Emergency Edition: Wall Street Meltdown

by Martin D. Weiss, Ph.D. 09-27-08

Our nation is suffering through a financial emergency, and I wanted to make sure you get this urgent message now, before it’s too late.

Right at this moment, in an attempt to prevent a Wall Street meltdown from beginning as soon as Monday, Congress is locked in a last-ditch effort to produce a bailout package before Sunday evening when Asian markets open.

Whether they succeed in their weekend endeavor or not, three things are crystal clear:

1. The U.S. credit engine is already melting down. In fact, just this week, the all-important market for short-term commercial paper has come to a virtual standstill. This is precisely the market we warned you about. Now it’s collapsing. And if this pattern continues, it’s likely to drive many corporations that depend on this instant cash into instant bankruptcy.

2. Although a massive federal bailout might help rally the stock market temporarily, it is not — and will not — reverse the credit meltdown.

3. Quite to the contrary, fear is now spreading throughout the banking industry, driving many Americans to pull their money out of the financial system entirely. Yes, it makes sense to shift from weak to strong institutions, and that’s rational. But the behavior we’re beginning to witness is both irrational and dangerous.

Here’s what we are doing.

First, as a follow-up to our white paper submitted to Congress this week, “Proposed $700 Billion Bailout Is Too Little, Too Late to End the Debt Crisis; Too Much, Too Soon for the U.S. Bond Market,” we are recommending that Congress focus less on bailing out imprudent institutions and more on fortifying the safety net of individuals caught in failed financial institutions. Some urgent steps include:

• Fully fund and staff the Federal Depositors Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to better prepare for the possibility of multiple bank failures occurring at the same time.

• Close major gaps in the coverage provided by Securities Investors Protection Corporation (SIPC) to help make sure investors are not denied access to their accounts when they need to liquidate their securities in a falling market.

• Seriously consider federal insurance to cover policyholders in failed insurance companies.

Our major point to Congress: These actions cannot wait. Just this week, data from Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) shows that Washington Mutual suffered panicky withdrawals averaging $2 billion per day over the past eight business days. Now, in order to help prevent the spread of panic among bank, brokerage and insurance company customers, firm and swift action is needed to sew up the holes in our nation’s existing safety nets.

Second, we have taken steps to help you find safety. For all the details, we hope you didn’t miss out 1-hour educational video, “The X List.”

Third, we are doing everything we can to help you go on the offensive to convert this massive crisis into a massive profit opportunity. And with that goal in mind, we’ve just posted an updated report to our Website with specific instructions.

We expect this massive crisis could come to a head very quickly, and we anticipate a Black October for the stock market. Click here now so you can act before then.

Good luck and God bless!

Martin

This investment news is brought to you by Money and Markets. Money and Markets is a free daily investment newsletter from Martin D. Weiss and Weiss Research analysts offering the latest investing news and financial insights for the stock market, including tips and advice on investing in gold, energy and oil. Dr. Weiss is a leader in the fields of investing, interest rates, financial safety and economic forecasting. To view archives or subscribe, visit http://www.moneyandmarkets.com.

A Big Slap in the Face for Free Markets by Jack Crooks

“You can’t possibly have hidden yourself from the news of the $700-billion planned bailout that’s working through Congress this week. And I won’t mince words — I consider it a big slap in the face for the free market system.

Henry Paulson repeated over and over again exactly how agitated, disgusted, annoyed, infuriated, angered, embarrassed, and irritated he felt about asking for this amount of money, or any money at all. Sounds sincere if you stop it right there.” ~Consumer-Talk.com

Keep reading >>

Common Sense Analysis, Protection and Profits …
by Larry Edelson 09-25-08

You’re not going to like what I have to say in this issue. But I’m just going to tell it like it is. No spin. Just common sense analysis.

The Wall Street “experts” and other “pundits” who don’t understand the macro picture … who continually miss the big trends … and steer you the wrong way — are as ignorant a lot as I’ve ever seen. They ought to be ashamed of themselves.

They missed the tech wreck of 2000 – 2001.

They missed the top in the Dow in 2000.

They missed Enron and WorldCom.

They missed the bear market in the dollar, the breakout of inflation.

They missed the bull market in commodities. In gold. In oil. In food and agriculture.

They missed the bursting of the real estate bubble. The mortgage and derivatives disasters. The bankruptcies of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, AIG, and more.

Could they be more wrong? What are they smoking?

And now, they continue to miss the big picture, completely.

Common Sense Analysis #1:
The U.S. Dollar Is Toast.

How, I ask you, is the dollar going to hold its value when the Federal Reserve is now accepting just about anything as collateral for loans?

How is the dollar going to strengthen in any meaningful way when the Fed has already swapped out $1 trillion of its pristine assets for junk?

How is the dollar going to stabilize when the Fed is about to print up another $700 billion, or so? When the budget deficit is going to explode?

When the current account deficit is widening? When the national debt is about to mushroom from $9.6 TRILLION to at least $11.31 TRILLION?

When there is another $50 TRILLION in debts out there, unfunded liabilities of Social Security and Medicare?

I repeat, the dollar is doomed.

I’ve long maintained that the Fed and the authorities in Washington will do whatever it takes to avoid a repeat of the Great Depression, even if it means destroying the value of the U.S. dollar and causing hyperinflation instead of deflation.

So-called experts on Wall Street have consistently missed the big trends and have steered investors in the wrong direction.

Now, it should be abundantly clear that my warnings have been right on the money.

Even before the Fed and Treasury’s latest rescue plans, the dollar lost nearly 33% of its purchasing power.

Now it’s embarking on its next leg lower. Before this crisis passes a few years from now, I expect the dollar to lose at least another 50% of its value, its purchasing power, probably even more.

Common Sense Analysis #2: The Next
Bubble to Burst Is the Bond Market.

How can it not?

With all the printing of money that has to be done … with all the new debt the Treasury is going to issue … with the value of the U.S. dollar set to remain in the claws of a long-term bear market, how, I ask you, can U.S. Treasury notes and bonds be a safe investment?

With the value of the U.S. dollar faltering, the bond market is likely to be the next bubble to burst.

I maintain my position on the U.S. bond market. Don’t touch it with a ten-foot pole. If you own bonds, get the heck out of them.

And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, that U.S. Treasury notes and bonds are a safe investment right now, a safe haven from the crisis engulfing the U.S.

I repeat: They are not safe. Indeed, the bond market is finally waking up to seriously deteriorating credit worthiness of the U.S.A. Last week, bonds had their worst down day in 28 years, with the 30-year bond falling nearly FOUR full points in a single trading session, or over a $4,000 loss in principal for a $100,000 face value bond.

That move was just the opening salvo in a bond bear market that’s just begun.

Common Sense Analysis #3:
More Inflation Is Coming.

How can inflation not go higher?

Inflation is largely a monetary phenomenon, caused by massive printing of money, massive issuance of new debt, and massive currency debasement.

You have all three of these working overtime now, on an unprecedented scale, and for months and years to come.

Plus, you have something else occurring on a unprecedented scale: Massive new demand for essential goods from 40% of the world’s population — 3 billion people who hitherto were not part of the modern world and were largely cut-off from seeking better lifestyles.

Do you think there’s any turning back the desires of 1.31 billion souls in China seeking a better life? Or 1.13 billion people in India? Or another billion people in other emerging economies in Asia, or Russia, or Latin America?

It’s foolhardy to think anything to the contrary. Sure, there may be some slowdowns, some retrenchment in emerging economies.

But the long-term trend toward modernization that’s occurring in Asia and Latin America is not going to be stopped. Not by a credit crisis, not by any government, nor by any central bank, international bank, or any other force.

Add that into the thorough debasement of the dollar that is now occurring, and inflation is baked into the cake, rising to the surface, and set to explode higher.

Common Sense Analysis #4: Stocks
Have Already Lost 72% of Their Value.

I’m one of only a handful of analysts who recognize this. The U.S. stock markets have been in a massive stealth bear market for almost eight years now.

When measured in terms of honest money, gold, the only true money in the world, U.S. stocks have lost 72% of their value since the year 2000.

They’re likely to lose more, in both nominal terms (the numbers you hear every day for the DJIA and the S&P 500, or for individual stock quotes) — and in real terms (their purchasing power in dollars, when measured against gold, against inflation).

In fact, if the U.S. was on a gold standard, and our dollars were backed by gold, the Dow Jones Industrials would be trading at about 3,300 today. That’s how much value they’ve lost.

But we don’t have honest money today. We have funny money. So the Dow Jones Industrials and the S&P 500 stocks look like they’re doing okay. But they’re not. If you’ve been fully invested in the stock market for the last seven years, 72% of your wealth has gone up in smoke.

Someday, I’m not sure when, stocks (what’s left of them) will have no choice but to reinflate, to catch up with inflation. And the Dow will soar to over 35,000.

But we haven’t reached that point in the cycle yet. Although I believe it’s coming, and closer than anyone wants to believe at this time, the downside is not yet over in the stock markets.

Common Sense Analysis #5: Paper Assets
Are About to Be Shunned Big Time.

It’s already started. Despite everything to the contrary to get you to buy paper assets …

— Stocks, as I’ve just shown you, have lost 72% of their value.

— The dollar has lost 33% of its purchasing power in the last seven years, and is about to lose a lot more.

— The U.S. bond markets are about to be trashed, embarking upon a sharp, deep bear market.

In short, paper assets are already being shunned. They’re a lousy investment when a nation’s cornerstone is being devalued, its currency.

They’re a lousy investment when you don’t know if the government is ever going to be able to pay off its debts without inflating away asset values (deflating its currency).

Paper assets are a lousy investment when they’re backed solely by debts, by IOUs, by nothing but promises.

That’s the era we’re entering now, and it’s going to get a whole lot worse before it ever gets better.

Common Sense Analysis #6: The Only Way
to Protect Your Money and to Profit is …

Given all of the above, no spin common sense analysis of today’s world and the credit crisis, what’s the smartest way to protect your money?

What’s the smartest way to profit?

Simple …

First, make sure up to 25% of your investable portfolio is in gold.

One way to protect your money and profit is to make sure up to 25% of your portfolio is in gold.

I upped that allocation last Tuesday in a Flash Alert to my subscribers, the day before gold had its single biggest move up ever!

And I alerted you to increase your gold holdings last Thursday, in my Money and Markets column. Sorry I couldn’t get you that signal earlier. But as I’m sure you’ll understand, active subscribers get my recommendations first.

In any event, for a full one-quarter of your investment portfolio, I believe gold is the best place to be, bar none.

Specific recommendations, including Flash Alerts like the one I sent my subscribers last week just before gold exploded higher, can be found once you become a member of my Real Wealth Report.

Second, stay out of U.S. Treasury Notes and Bonds.

They are a disaster in the making.

Instead, with any money you have that is not invested in gold or my recommended natural resource or Asian stocks — keep those liquid funds in a Treasury-only money market fund.

Third, I recommend a portion of that go to foreign currency Certificates of Deposit in either Australian or New Zealand dollars.

Investing in foreign currency CDs of countries like Australia and New Zealand is a smart move. They are fiscally prudent countries, and they are commodity-based economies. Plus, you can get a current yield of up to 6.27%.

Foreign currency CDs are easy to invest in — the best source, Everbank, at www.everbank.com/001Currency.aspx.

Fourth, stick with tangible assets, natural resources.

In addition to gold, consider other natural resource investments via ETFs and stocks in select natural resource companies.

As I’ve already shown you, natural resources should easily outperform almost all other investments for all the common sense reasons and forces I cite above.

Details can be found in my Real Wealth Report.

Fifth, for additional diversification, look to Asian stock markets. Asian economies and markets are great long-term bets and are already starting to once again outperform the U.S. markets.

Indeed, my seven favorite Asian natural resource companies’ share prices have just exploded higher again, jumping over 10% in a single day! All of them are looking great.

Details can be found in my latest issue of the Real Wealth Report that was published last Friday.

Lastly, stay focused on the big picture. Use common sense analysis like I’ve done for you in this issue.

Best wishes,

Larry

This investment news is brought to you by Money and Markets. Money and Markets is a free daily investment newsletter from Martin D. Weiss and Weiss Research analysts offering the latest investing news and financial insights for the stock market, including tips and advice on investing in gold, energy and oil. Dr. Weiss is a leader in the fields of investing, interest rates, financial safety and economic forecasting. To view archives or subscribe, visit http://www.moneyandmarkets.com.

So you’d like to qualify for the absolute best rate for your mortgage or refinance right? Of course!

We hear every day how important it is to own real estate. What we don’t hear is how to make sure we get the best mortgage rate available and save our selves thousands and thousands of dollars over the term of our mortgage. Not everyone is blessed with the best credit and a huge down payment. So, how can you get the best deal on your mortgage or refinance?

1) Find out your credit score on all relevant credit bureaus

Don’t ever let a loan officer tell you what your credit is. They are schooled in finding ways to make extra money off of you. The better educated you are, the harder it will be for the loan officer to pull a fast one on you. If you do have some issues, clean them up first. It isn’t hard to get some dings off your credit and this will save you a lot.

2) Get all your documentation together

This may sound trivial, but you wouldn’t believe the number of people that don’t do this well, and pay steeply with higher rates and points as a result. You should, as a habit, keep a file of your tax returns, assets (bank account statements, mortgage payment receipts -if you have a current mortgage), business license (if you are self employed), etc… The better you can document your income, assets, and employment, the higher your chances are for getting lowest interest rates.

3) If you do not currently own a house, get pre-approved before making offers

Real estate agents are in the business of selling and will place an offer faster than you can blink an eye. Remember, its your earnest money you are putting down (usually $1,000) and if you don’t qualify or can’t close in time you can lose it. Just like with credit card offers, pre qualified means absolutely nothing. On a high demand real estate listing most sellers won’t take an offer if you aren’t pre approved. In many cases, they will not negotiate favourably with you without a letter of approval from your bank or lending institution. Carry your pre-approval with you when you house shop and watch what hurdles homeowners will go through for you.

4) Do not lie

Be upfront about what you can and cannot document. Don’t waste the loan officer’s time and yours with assets or income that you cannot document. If you lie, they will catch you when they examine your loan prior to funding and you won’t be able to close. Also be wary of lenders that promise things you shouldn’t be able to qualify for. Shop around – you should be getting similar numbers for your qualifications. If an offer is too low, or too good to be true, then it probably is. Don’t be afraid to use internet lenders – the internet has grown rapidly and should be used to research as many lenders as possible. However, there are still quite a few mortgage scams out there so be sure to look up your mortgage company with consumer reporting agencies and relevant mortgage regulatory bodies just to make sure. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Click here to read ‘Fixed Rate Mortgages vs. Variable Rate Mortgages – Which is the Best Deal for You?’

Government Debt Rescue a Boon for Gold!
by Sean Brodrick 09-24-08

Treasury Secretary Paulson and Congress are hammering out details of the government’s rescue plan for financial institutions, and we don’t know what final impact it will have on the debt crisis. But I can tell you one thing — it’s going to drive gold prices higher.

In this plan, the government is squirting out hundreds of billions of dollars through a fire hose. That is inherently inflationary and should pump up the price of gold.

And then there’s the whole question as to whether this mega-bailout is going to work or not. Martin told you his doubts on Monday. I have my doubts, too. After all, here’s just a partial laundry list of all the schemes the government has hatched in recent months to “save” the market …

• The Bear Stearns takeover by JP Morgan, which was midwifed by the federal government (cost to taxpayers: $29 billion)

• Special Fed liquidity programs including the Term Lending Facility and Term Auction Facility ($200 billion)

• The Economic Stimulus package ($168 billion)

• The Federal Housing Administration’s scheme to refinance failing mortgages into new, reduced-principal loans with a federal guarantee ($300 billion)

• The bailout for Fannie & Freddie (up to $200 billion)

• The bailout for AIG ($85 billion)

• Last week’s decision to block short-selling of financial stocks

• The insurance program for money market funds (potentially $50 billion from the Great Depression era Exchange Stabilization Fund)

• Direct Treasury purchases of mortgage-backed securities ($10 billion)

• Another $300 billion injected into global credit markets on Friday

Add in the $700 billion proposed for the current bank bailout plan, $87 billion in repayments to JP Morgan Chase for providing financing to underpin trades with bankrupt investment bank Lehman Brothers, etc., etc., and I tally up over $1.8 TRILLION … so far.

A flood of dollars into the system lowers the value of dollars. It’s simple supply and demand. Since commodities are priced in dollars, as the greenback goes lower, they usually go higher. And gold is an obvious play for a falling dollar.

Flooding the financial system with billions of dollars will only deflate the value of the greenback — and boost the price of gold.

Some of these programs and ad-hoc spending sprees were more successful than others, but any short-term rallies they caused in the stock market didn’t last for long.

Oh, and there’s more to come. We still haven’t gotten to the billions of dollars in special loans proposed for GM and Ford, as well as the next new economic stimulus package which may be tied in with the bank bailout — a second economic stimulus that Treasury Secretary Paulson ruled out as recently as May.

If you think I’m being hard on Secretary Paulson, remember that he was in charge at Goldman Sachs when that company (among others) went crazy for bad debt that is now impossible to value properly. He’s been in office a year and a half, and now — SUDDENLY! URGENTLY! — he needs us to approve his new bailout plan without time for deep discussion or changes … to give his friends on Wall Street a check for $700 billion without a second thought.

I mean, just to focus on the cost of the current bailout plan: $700 billion in new U.S. debt is an additional $5,072 added to the debt burden of every U.S taxpayer. Plus it’s …

• Roughly what the U.S. has spent so far in direct costs on the entire Iraq war.

• As much as the combined annual budgets of the Departments of Defense, Education and Health and Human Services.

• Three and a half times what the S&L crisis cost taxpayers ($126 billion back then, $200 billion in today’s dollars).

All this and it still might not fix the problem?! That means the U.S. government might have to spend even more money … a lot more! Can you see why I think gold is looking so good?

And what if Paulson’s plan doesn’t work? He and other Wall Street types have been dropping hints that we averted disaster at the last minute. Maybe they’re bluffing, but maybe they’re not. What could happen to the U.S. dollar in a full-blown bank solvency crisis? Could it do a lot worse than it is now? Probably!

Just take a look at a recent chart of the U.S. Dollar Index and you’ll see that it has broken its short-term uptrend. If this crisis gets worse … if the Treasury opens up the floodgates on the money supply … if the bailout plan fails … all bets are off.

And that’s when you want to own gold.

A Steep Correction Lays a Base
For The Next Leg Higher

We saw gold prices crushed in recent months. And this came despite bullish fundamentals. I’m talking about facts like …

• Global gold mine production continues to go down … and should decrease by 2% in 2007-2008.

• So far, in 2008, we have seen the least gold sales by the central banks since 1985. That means less gold supply coming on the market.

• The price of mining gold is going up … from approximately $395 per ounce in 2007 to $458 in the second quarter of 2008, according to the World Gold Council. This puts a base under the price of gold, because if gold gets too cheap, mines close down and new projects aren’t pursued.

One of the biggest drivers of gold now is gold ETFs. In fact, the world’s biggest gold ETF, the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), holds more gold than many countries. Its gold hoard rose by 24.5 metric tonnes on September 19th, and it now holds 679.60 metric tonnes.

It’s not alone. For the week ending Friday, all of the gold ETFs sponsored by the World Gold Council showed a collective increase of 65.41 tonnes to their gold holdings, totaling 834.54 tonnes worth $23.3 billion.

And sure enough, as you can see from this chart, the more that ETFs stock up on gold, the higher the price of gold goes.

I’m thinking that the smart money is betting on a big rise in gold. This pullback in gold has created a base for its next leg higher. Don’t get left behind.

What You Can Do

This is one of those times when you might want to have some physical gold and silver on hand. I’m not saying a lot … but I keep some just in case, and it lets me sleep at night.

And the GLD is a great way to buy gold without having to store it. If you don’t have some in your portfolio, consider adding some now. Gold should be part of a well-balanced portfolio anyway. And the troubles for banks, brokers and the market in general probably aren’t over … not by a long shot. After all, as Shakespeare said: “When troubles come, they come not single spies, but in battalions.”

When troubles come, make sure you have some precious metals handy and in your portfolio.

Yours for trading profits,

Sean

This investment news is brought to you by Money and Markets. Money and Markets is a free daily investment newsletter from Martin D. Weiss and Weiss Research analysts offering the latest investing news and financial insights for the stock market, including tips and advice on investing in gold, energy and oil. Dr. Weiss is a leader in the fields of investing, interest rates, financial safety and economic forecasting. To view archives or subscribe, visit http://www.moneyandmarkets.com.

Here’s a website I just found that has some great articles and news pieces about getting a great mortgage deal.  There’s a lot of newbie information geared towards people who may not be familiar with the mortgage getting process.

Cheesy name, Its Mortgage Magic, but hey, as long as the articles are good and going to help people then I forgive them.

Read mortgage and foreclosure articles here!