The Deep Woods: A Moment of Forever

You are receiving this email because you signed up to receive our free e-letter The Deep Woods, or you purchased a product or service from its publisher, Eagle Financial Publications. [The Deep Woods] [Successful Investing]( [Bullseye Stock Trader]( [Crypto & Commodities Trader]( [About Jim]( In This Issue: • A Moment of Forever • ETF Talk: Give Yourself a Zap with This ETF • Gettin’ Old School with the ‘Freedom Multiplier’ • Disobedience Is a Virtue A Moment of Forever by Jim Woods Editor, [Successful Investing](, [Bullseye Stock Trader](, and [Crypto & Commodities Trader]( 10/02/2024 [Forget stocks — do this instead (like the “smart money”)]( Stocks are overvalued by as much as 163% right now… And more market gains are coming from fewer stocks (like the Magnificent Seven). That’s why many analysts say we’re poised for a big correction -- if not a crash. So wouldn’t it be great to [stop thinking about stocks altogether?]( There’s a [new way of trading]( on the scene that could help forward-looking investors do that… And we’re the first ones who’ve got it. [For no-obligation details, click here.]( You were young enough to dream And I was old enough to learn something new I’m so glad I got to dance with you For a moment of forever --Kris Kristofferson, “Moment of Forever” The world loses icons every day. Sadly, it’s the nature of reality. Sometimes, those icons are mere abstractions, as you know of the person’s work, but you’ve never actually interacted with them. Other icons, however, have a more personal connection, and therefore their loss hits a lot harder. Over the past several days, we lost two iconic figures that I had personal connections with. The first was baseball legend Pete Rose, who died Monday at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was 83. Rose is indubitably one of the greatest baseball players of all time, and when I was a kid playing little league baseball, I wanted to be Pete Rose. Why Pete Rose? Well, because he outworked everyone else. Rose attacked life with fervor and a relentless aggression that made him standout even amidst his elite -- and often more physically gifted -- peers. All you had to do was witness how Rose ran the bases to understand why he was my hero. He did it with full conviction. And the way I approach life, full conviction is the only option. I knew that approach was right for me as a kid, and I know it to be even more right nearly four decades later. As for the personal connection, it was in Las Vegas roughly 15 years ago when I was invited to luncheon by a friend who works in the sports entertainment business. At that lunch were some well-known luminaries of the sports world. However, there was none more luminous than Pete Rose. The man was super interesting, too, telling tales of the Cincinnati Reds “Big Red Machine” years, which also happened to correspond with my childhood fandom. I never interacted with Rose again after that lunch, but it was a very cool moment of forever that I will always cherish. And speaking of “moments of forever,” this week, we lost iconic singer/songwriter, actor and country music legend Kris Kristofferson, who died Saturday at his home in Maui, Hawaii. He was 88. As a songwriter and musician, Kristofferson’s work had a big influence on me. And though my own songwriting is in a slightly different genre, the lyrical grit and depth of his storytelling is as good as any songwriter that’s ever done it. Just check out the lyrics for classics such as “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” and “For the Good Times,” and you’ll be instantly transported into a time, place, feeling and situation that, while likely foreign to you in detail, will be all-too familiar emotionally. Two of my favorite Kristofferson songs actually come from his later work, and they are “This Old Road,” and the aforementioned song I began this week’s issue with, “[Moment of Forever]( The latter performance here is from a 2009 appearance on the TV series, “Austin City Limits,” which happens to be one of my favorite shows. I saw this episode around the time of its original airing, and after hearing the song and feeling its power, I decided to learn it so that I could perform my own version. About a year later, I did just that at a friend’s wedding. It was powerful moment for me, and for those who attended the nuptials. It was indeed a true “moment of forever” for us all. And herein lies the reason why I chose to reflect on this topic in this week’s issue. You see, life is made up of a series of “moments of forever.” Fortunately, we can choose to make those moments memorable, and we can choose to live in those moments while they occur. Indeed, we can choose to engage our minds and train our attention to these moments, and to every moment, as our lives are simply a series of brief, sublime, happy, sad, painful, joyous and otherwise mundane moments of forever. Think about it another way. Your life is now, this moment… And this moment… And this moment, etc. So, why not learn to make these moments of forever the most meaningful they can be? Interestingly, the nature of our minds actually works against us in this effort. Most of the time we are “lost in thought,” worried about the things in our past we cannot alter and fretting over what might go wrong in a future that’s not guaranteed. To break this spell, we all need some mental training that allows us to realize that the contents of our consciousness are there for the taking -- if we develop the skills required to do so. Now, there are many different ways to cultivate this skill. And like all sorts of skills, some people will have a greater aptitude than others for learning what it takes to capture those moments of forever. I suspect that I have a strong aptitude here, as learning how to consciously liberate myself from being lost in thought has come somewhat easier to me than I ever thought it would. One technique I used to cultivate this skill is through a practice called mindfulness meditation. The tool I found most helpful in learning how to put this practice in place is an app called “[Waking Up](,” by neuroscientist and author Sam Harris. A key reason I favor the Waking Up approach is because it takes you beyond the simplistic relaxation techniques of some meditation practices and allows you to experience the freedom that comes from real mindfulness. And the best part of it for me is that it comes without any New Age fluff or Eastern religious dogma. I reject all of that, and so does Waking Up. If you want to enhance your mind by learning how to liberate yourself from being “lost in thought,” and if you want to capture all those glorious moments of forever that life’s replete with, then train your mind to do just that. I guarantee it will increase your mental wealth -- and with an increased mental wealth, you can focus even more intensely on increasing your financial wealth. [China’s Global Conspiracy to Destroy the American Dollar]( China is nearing the end of its 40-year plan to dominate the world’s economy. Only one obstacle remains: The U.S. dollar. But not for long... because China has enlisted many co-conspirators to sink the dollar: Russia, India, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, and even Canada. And – no surprise – the International Monetary Fund (IMF) wants to jump in to help China win. This means China now has the power to crush the dollar almost overnight... and bankrupt America. But there’s still time to protect the money and retirement of investors. [Click here now to find out how... before it’s too late.]( ETF Talk: Give Yourself a Zap with This ETF Whoa, yeah! It's electric! It's electric! -- Metallica, “[It’s Electric]( If you’ve been a reader of mine for any length of time, you will have noticed my passion for music. Now, I enjoy listening to all kinds of music, but hard-driving rock (as you may have noticed from those Metallica lyrics) is one of my favorite genres. And rock just wouldn’t be rock without the electric guitar. Innovations in electric guitar designs shaped modern music as we know (and hear) it. That grainy buzz of flowing electrical current is unmistakable. That’s right, what has become a mundane part of life once revolutionized music. And not just music -- electricity and other power utilities have revolutionized the way we live our lives. And that revolution hasn’t stopped. With new technologies on the horizon, power has become paramount -- most notably, artificial intelligence (AI) is driving demand for power to support electricity-gobbling data centers. Such strong demand, paired with the Fed lowering rates, has the utilities sector spiking in an upward trend this year, with no indication of stopping anytime soon. So, this week, we’ll be plugging into a new power source in the form of the Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSEArca: XLU). XLU is the oldest of its peers, and the largest and cheapest. It tracks the Utilities Select Sector Index, which mirrors the utilities sector of the S&P 500, highlighting exposure to companies from the electric, water and gas utilities, multi-utilities and independent power and renewable electricity producers. The fund invests at least 95% of its assets in securities comprising the underlying index. It uses a proprietary modified market capitalization methodology. Utilities are generally seen as a defensive sector, yet with demand for power rising, utilities have become a growth opportunity. And demand is huge. According to the Electric Power Research Institute, we could see a doubling in electricity consumption by AI data centers by 2030. It is also forecast that AI power usage will explode from eight terawatt hours to 52 by 2026. That is equivalent to the yearly consumption of electricity for the state of Massachusetts. In short, expect to continue to see utilities perform well. XLU has outperformed the S&P 500 by around 4% year to date. It has also outperformed the mighty tech sector, showing just what a driving force demand for power can be. The fund has good liquidity with daily trading volume around 10 million shares. It has net assets of around $18.44 billion, a dividend yield of 2.87% and a miniscule expense ratio of 0.09%. It is up 4.84% over the last month, 5.77% during the last three months and 22.38% for the year to date. Top holdings include NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE), 14.06%, The Southern Company (SO), 7.98%, Duke Energy Corporation (DUK), 7.20%, Constellation Energy Corporation (CEG), 6.58% and American Electric Power Company, Inc. (AEP), 4.42%. Courtesy of [StockCharts.com](. As the chart above shows, the fund has been climbing since late last year and now trades just under its 52-week high of $81.54. The fund benefits from holding companies such as Constellation Energy Corporation, the fourth-largest stock in the utility sector, which has risen over 115% year to date. And with sector’s exposure to electric utilities amped up to 65.64%, this fund is definitely one to consider plugging into. You don’t have to wait for lightning to strike. XLU is readily accessible for an investor who seeks a potent path for amping up one’s portfolio. Be aware, however, that a live wire can shock you. Investors should always do their due diligence before adding any stock, fund or ETF to their portfolio. As always, I am happy to answer any of your questions about ETFs, so do not hesitate to [send me an email](mailto:askjim@successfuletfinvesting.com). You just may see your question answered in a future ETF Talk. [#1 A.I. Software to Find What to Trade]( With thousands of assets to choose from, filtering through these to find the most promising ones can be daunting. What if I told you there is a search engine like the one you love and trust, but designed for traders like you to search and dominate the markets by accessing the most timely and accurate information? If you’ve never traded with predictive analysis or leading indicators... If you feel like you don’t have the time (or knowledge) to properly conduct thorough research and analysis... [Come learn (for FREE) the #1 A.I. to find what to trade.]( In case you missed it… Gettin’ Old School with the ‘Freedom Multiplier’ “Jim, can you tell me what the term ‘freedom multiplier’ means?” That’s a question I got recently from a reader who was interested in my new advisory service, [Jim Woods’ Crypto & Commodities Trader](. The concept of the “freedom multiplier” is a term I’ve borrowed from my time in the military, and it’s a twist on a concept known as the “force multiplier.” A force multiplier describes an occupational specialty, or a specialized unit that, by its very nature, can multiply the effectiveness of the entire force. For example, in an infantry unit, a sniper can multiply the effectiveness of a force by providing precision marksmanship that can neutralize an opposing force with minimal manpower. Another example is a Special Operations unit, say a Special Forces A-Team, that can conduct missions that neutralize an opposing force and/or go behind enemy lines to disable an enemy command. These units can also act as a force multiplier by training-up local and/or Indigenous fighting forces so that they can more effectively combat the enemy. And if we think of investing as a constant battle for bigger and bigger gains (which it definitely is), then having a force multiplier, or in our case a freedom multiplier, in our arsenal is definitely a tool that can be used to win that battle. Now, the older I get, the more “old school” I tend to be. And now that I’ve been on the planet for nearly six decades, I have a lot of nostalgia to draw upon. That’s why when I think about investing in different asset classes, I embrace the concept that “everything old is new again.” Yes, I love the new freedom multipliers such as cryptocurrencies, but I also love the old-school freedom multipliers, specifically commodities. I am referring here to gold, silver, copper, lithium, oil, natural gas, aluminum, zinc, copper, corn, wheat, soybeans, sugar -- and multiple other agricultural and industrial commodities used in making the world suitable for man’s use. Indeed, it takes the genius of man’s mind and the implementation of thought and action devoted to the mastery of the elements to turn what the earth gives us into what we need to live successfully. That principle alone is reason enough to have commodities in your portfolio, but the other, more salient reason is that invested in properly -- with the tactical and technical skill required for success -- commodities can also be an amazing freedom multiplier in the service of your money. The chart here shows the moves in four of the most widely held commodity exchange-traded funds (ETFs): Invesco DB Commodity Tracking ETF (DBC), SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), iShares Silver Trust (SLV) and Invesco DB Agriculture ETF (DBA). These funds, on their own, have delivered big alpha for investors. However, for the real freedom multiplier effect, just think if you were able to successfully employ leverage on these big winners with the tactical use of options to enhance your positions. In my new service, [Jim Woods’ Crypto & Commodities Trader](, we will be doing just that. Each week, I will provide you with trades and portfolio recommendations designed to exploit the freedom multiplier potential of the best crypto and commodities funds to own, at the right time, and with the right leveraged instruments. Sometimes we may use call options or leveraged ETFs to take advantage of a particular crypto or commodities trend. Sometimes we will buy stocks of individual companies that are in the crypto and commodities segments, because with any given asset class there are always companies that exist to create, service or facilitate that crypto or commodity. The way I see it, we will use whatever tools are at our disposal to effectively create that freedom multiplier effect, because why wouldn’t we use whatever tools and techniques required to win the battle for bigger alpha? So, whether it’s the new form of money, new technology of the blockchain, new companies providing that technology or old-school commodities making life on earth possible -- more money equals more freedom -- and more freedom requires the implementation of the freedom multipliers used in my new service. If you’d like to join me in this battle, then it’s time to enroll in the new school and the old school by putting yourself on the “hotlist” right now to be among the first to know more about the release of Jim Woods’ Crypto & Commodities Trader -- and the best part is that all you have to do is [click here](, and you will get immediate access to my new special report, America’s Freedom Multiplier: How to Use Crypto & Commodities to Attain Financial Freedom. Oh, and here’s a hint… the service went live last Friday, so now is the time to get onboard the freedom multiplier train, and to start winning the battle for bigger alpha! ***************************************************************** Disobedience Is a Virtue “Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man’s original virtue.” --Oscar Wilde While the stakes are high with any presidential election, the events since the Covid pandemic and the subsequent election strife in 2020 have made this presidential contest one of the most important in recent memory -- indeed, it’s certainly more important than any I’ve been party to in my voting life. And while we will all likely vote for either Trump or Harris, keep in mind that a protest vote of “disobedience” is, in my view, an act of virtue. So, if you aren’t “for” either of the candidates, be disobedient and choose an alternative--or choose not to select either. The choice is yours, and because you’re an American, you have the right to cast a vote of disobedience. Wisdom about money, investing and life can be found anywhere. If you have a good quote that you’d like me to share with your fellow readers, send it to me, along with any comments, questions and suggestions you have about my newsletters, seminars or anything else. [Click here](mailto:askjim@successfuletfinvesting.com) to ask Jim. In the name of the best within us, [Jim Woods] Jim Woods Editor, Successful Investing, Bullseye Stock Trader, and Crypto & Commodities Trader About Jim Woods: [Jim Woods]Jim Woods has more than 25 years experience in the markets, as a stock broker, hedge fund money manager, author, speaker and independent analyst. Today Jim serves as editor and investment director of the long-running newsletters [Successful Investing](, [Bullseye Stock Trader](, [Crypto & Commodities Trader](, and a new Live Coaching service offered exclusively to his readers. His articles have appeared on many leading financial websites, including StockInvestor.com, InvestorPlace.com, Main Street Investor, MarketWatch, Street Authority, and many others. About Us: Eagle Financial Publications is located in Rosslyn, VA. – Blocks from the Capitol. Our products have been helping investors build their wealth for several decades. Whether you’re a long-term investor or short-term trader, you’ll find the right strategy for you, including how to earn more steady income to spend now, preserve and grow your capital to enjoy later, and whatever other investment goals you have. 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