Best Investment Newsletter of the Decade

Did your current investment newsletter tell you to raise cash by taking profits near the market top in 2007?

Mine did! I took profits to increase the cash position of my most aggressive "explore portfolio" to 30%.

• See the October 2007 "Take Profits" page from my newsletter
  
  
• FREE Sample

Did your current investment newsletter tell you to use cash raised when the markets were near their highs to buy a blue chip DOW stock when the markets were at their lowest levels in 13 years?

Mine did! When the markets made a 13 year low, I had cash in the portfolio and told my subscribers to use some of it to buy some General Electric (GE Charts) shares at $6.76.

• click to view PDF file: GE March 4 Buy Alert at $6.76
  
  
• Today at $13.87, GE is up 105%!

Click to view full size GE chart courtesy of stockcharts.com

Doubled + 56% in a Flat Market

Since 12/31/98 "Kirk's Newsletter Explore Portfolio" is UP 156% (a double plus another 56%!) vs. the S&P500 UP at tiny 7% vs. NASDAQ UP at tiny 1% (All through 12/20/09)

As of December 20, 2009, "Kirk's Newsletter Explore Portfolio" is up 32% YTD vs. DJIA up 18% YTD

Did your current investment newsletter tell you to use cash raised from when the markets were near their highs to buy a speculative, very high growth telecom growth stock when the markets were at their lowest levels in 13 years and that telecom stock was making an all time low?

Mine did! I had cash in the portfolio and told my subscribers to use it to buy some some Finisar (FNSR Charts) shares at $0.24.

• click to view PDF file: Finisar Mar 3 Buy Alert at 24¢
  
  
• Today at 94¢, Finisar is up 291%!

Click to view full size chart courtesy of stockcharts.com

56%!) vs. the S&P500 UP at tiny 7% vs. NASDAQ UP at tiny 1% (All through 12/20/09)

As of December 20, 2009, "Kirk's Newsletter Explore Portfolio" is up 32% YTD vs. DJIA up 18% YTD

(More Info & FREE Sample Issue)

HURRY! Subscribe NOW and get the December 2009 Issue for FREE! !
(Your 1 year, 12 issue subscription will start with next month's issue.)

More information:

• S&P500 charts at a glance

• Stock Market Graphs at a Glance
  
  
• US Treasury Rates at a Glance
  

Best CD Rates - Survey of Largest US Banks

This table, updated yesterday, shows the best CD rates for the five largest banks operating in the United States. These banks are Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Citibank, Wells Fargo Bank, and HSBC Bank North America.

CD rates (APY) at the largest US banks (Current Data) for a $10,000 deposit.

Bank	CD Rates - APY in % as of 12/08/09 for $10,001
	6- Mo	12 Mo	18-Mo	2-Yrs	3-Yrs	5-Yrs
Bank of America (BAC)	0.40	1.00 promo	0.95	1.50	1.86	2.51
JP Morgan Chase (JPM)	0.50 7-mo	1.01 13-mo		1.50	2.00	3.00
Citibank (C)	0.50	1.00	1.09	1.39	1.49	2.23
Wells Fargo Bank (WFC)	0.40	0.40	1.40 21 Mo	1.40 25 Mo	NA	NA
HSBC Bank North America - Branch & Telephone Rates	0.25	0.55	0.55 15-mo	0.75	0.75	1.01
HSBC Online Rates	0.50	1.25	1.25 15-mo	1.10	NA	NA
US Treasury Rates	0.14	0.25	NA	0.72	1.23	2.10

To see the table in full size with the current rates, click the

• Best CD Rate Survey of the Top US Banks

Notes:

• Bank of America or BofA (BAC stock quotes and charts) was "Nations Bank" before it bought Bank of America and took the name. BofA also bought Merrill Lynch officially as of January 1, 2009.
  
• JP Morgan Chase (JPM stock quote and charts) bought Washington Mutual, fondly known as "WaMu"
• Citibank (C stock quote and charts) is also known as Citigroup & Citicorp
• Wells Fargo Bank (WFC stock quotes and charts) bought Wachovia Bank- that bought World Savings Bank)
  
• HSBC Bank North America is the American subsidiary of UK-based HSBC Holdings plc. The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, also a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings, acquired a 51% shareholding in Marine Midland Bank of New York in 1980 and extended to full ownership in 1987. The banks continued to operate under the Marine Midland name until 1998, when the branch offices were rebranded as HSBC Bank USA.

1-Month CD Daily Chart

6-Month CD Daily Chart

One way to get four of the top five banks in a single investment is with the exchange traded fund XLF (XLF charts).

Disclaimer: I own C (charts) and XLF (charts) in my personal account. I also cover C and XLF in my investment letter where I trade them around a core position currently in the money for both. I could sell all shares at any time to lock in my profits if my opinion sours on the sector as a whole.

Link Summary:

• Charts and Quotes for: BAC - C - JPM - WFC - XLF
  
  
• 1-Month CD Daily Chart
  
  
• 6-Month CD Daily Chart
  
  
• Current Best CD Rate Survey of the Top US Banks

==> Best CD Rates with FDIC <==
A survey of large and small banks for best rates by term