The greenback and the loonie are bouncing back and forth at near parity. The greenback has has a recent little bounce after the Fed’s lower-than-expected rate cut. Read: The Fed printed a little less money than the market had priced into the exchange rates. Some analysts have cited this as a sign that the worst is over for our collapsing monetary system. They are wrong.

The staggering and ever-growing debt load of the U.S. government, corporations, and individuals can only have one effect in the end - inflation, and lots of it. As we have recommended time and time again, it’s critical to concentrate your investments in hard inflation-proof assets. Timberland, water infrastructre, commercial (not residential) real estate, and commodities.

This little bounce in the dollar won’t last, unless by some miracle we manage to elect Ron Paul as president. To that end, your editor is a proud contributor and volunteer for the Ron Paul Campaign. If you have not yet read up on Dr. Paul, we urge you for the sake of the future of this country to give him a fair hearing. Just listen to what he has to say, see what he stands for, and decide based on the issues, not whom the media considers a “viable” candidate.

As always, good investing.

Short the Spammers Portfolio Update - December 12, 2007

With the markets bouncing all over the place, unsure what to make of the Fed’s recent less-than-hoped-for rate cut, we thought we’d take a moment to see how our short picks are doing. A quick look at the charts showed that we’re up 68.5% in just 5 months. Not a bad start. (Read Article).

Short the Spammers 2 — GWSO - October 2, 2007

Time to review the performance of TUBR, our first Short-the-Spammers pick, and add a new short pick: GWSO. This company supposedly is devoted to curbing global warming, but in fact its business is just more hot air. (Read Article).

Changes at Zecco - October 1, 2007

Zecco Trading announced a new commission structure today. So are they still a good deal for traders? Get the details and our take on the changes. (Read Article).

Ron Paul for President Update - October 1, 2007

As regular readers know, I have endorsed Ron Paul for President in 2008. (So have many other financial writers, by the way.) His campaign has flown below the radar for a while, but in recent weeks, as reported by RonPaulFan.com, his fundraising efforts have been kicked up several notches, and the media has finally started to take note. It’s comforting to know that there are at least a few voters out there with some sense.

Charitable Remainder Trusts: You Win. Your Favorite Charity Wins. Uncle Sam Loses. - September 30, 2007

What if I were to tell you that there was a way for you to take a collection of appreciated assets, immunize them from capital gains tax permanently, draw income from them for life, take a large, immediate tax deduction, and benefit charity, all in one fell swoop? With a

charitable remainder trust, you can.

(Read Article).

The Rex Agreement - A New Option for Home Owners - September 24, 2007

A finance firm called Rex and Company has recently begun offering a new way to cash out the value of your home. It allows you to free up equity without moving, taking out loans, or making any payments, ever. So how does it work? (Read Article).