A Healthy Profit: New Year’s Resolution for 2021

“If you’re not healthy, you’re not wealthy.” — R. E. McMaster (“Maxims of Wall Street,” p. 143)

The key to beating the market is to adjust to the signs of the times. We did just that during the challenging year of 2020. We changed our emphasis from high-income stocks to disruptive technology and hard assets, including Bitcoin, and it paid off.

We also need to adjust our lifestyle in 2021.

During the coronavirus scare of 2020, we were told over and over again to avoid “super spreader” events like conferences, sporting events, concerts, church and family gatherings, to wear masks and to engage in physical distancing when in public.

Yet, despite all these precautions, the virus is still spreading throughout the country.

Now, the emphasis is on the vaccines that will hopefully solve the problem.

Focusing on a Real ‘Healthy’ Solution: Prevention

One of the unfortunate consequences of the lockdown and stay-at-home orders is that many people are suffering from boredom, depression and lack of exercise. Several studies indicate that the “quarantine diet” consists of more sugar, carbs and alcohol.

“We are definitely seeing weight gain,” states Dr. John Morton, an M.D. at Yale Medical School.

We have also been told by health experts that the people most vulnerable to the virus are individuals who suffer from obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other illnesses. Yet, those who are relatively young, and in good health, generally get over the virus or are asymptomatic.

The response to the pandemic has largely focused on avoiding the disease — wearing masks, physical distancing, washing your hands and now getting the vaccine.

But, there has been little emphasis on preventing the disease from taking hold in the first place or surviving the disease through healthy living.

A Healthy Diet And A Lot of Exercise

Throughout my life, I’ve been taught in both school and church that I can enjoy a long and healthy life through not only proper diet and exercise but keeping an upbeat mentality.
A healthy lifestyle includes prohibitions, like avoiding smoking cigarettes, drinking alcoholic beverages and taking illicit drugs. Other suggestions include moderating TV watching and sitting in front of the computer/smartphone.

And positive options, such as eating whole foods (fruits, vegetables and nuts), drinking water, getting plenty of sunshine, taking vitamins, eating meat sparingly and minimizing the intake of salt, sugar and sodas.

I also exercise regularly. Prior to the lockdown, I played social sports like basketball, tennis and softball. In 2020, I’ve shifted to a lot of biking and daily individual exercise (hopefully we can get back to playing social sports soon).

Leading an active social and intellectual life is also vital. It includes reading, writing, dancing and attending concerts, plays, musicals, book clubs, debates and conferences like FreedomFest.

Finally, I am active in my church, charities and other ways to grow spiritually.

The Four Pillars of Success

In the plaza at Chapman University, there are four pillars, each standing for an important way of life: intellectual, physical, social and spiritual.

It reminds of a talk given years ago by David O. McKay, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon). He said there were four sources of happiness: work, play, love/friendship and worship/meditation.

To achieve a long and fulfilling life, we need to develop all four ideals.

FreedomFest’s Theme: ‘Healthy, Wealthy and Wise’

For the upcoming FreedomFest 2021, we have moved from Sin City to the great outdoors of Mount Rushmore, South Dakota.

We have chosen as our theme the famous dictum of Ben Franklin: “Healthy, Wealthy and Wise.” We will have speakers on all three subjects and plenty of activities to keep you excited about life.

Two of our keynote speakers are John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, and Dr. Drew Pinsky, M.D., an addiction medicine specialist. Dr. Drew recently contracted COVID-19 but has recovered.

John Mackey is the author of “The Whole Foods Diet,” and is a co-ambassador of FreedomFest. Whole Foods Market offers a “Wellness Program” for employees that encourages them to lose weight, stop smoking and live healthier lives. The program has been hugely popular and successful.

His talk at FreedomFest on how to live to be 120 without getting the big four (cancer, heart disease, stroke or diabetes) is always standing room only, and many FreedomFest attendees have testified to their success following Mackey’s advice.

Governor Kristi Noem will be our keynote speaker and will welcome us to South Dakota on opening night, July 21.

She’s considered a contender for the presidency in 2024.

The dates for FreedomFest are July 21-24, 2021.

Rapid City is not far from Mount Rushmore, the old Wild West town of Deadwood (where gambling is still legal), the Homestake Mine Museum, the Black Hills and Badlands National Park.

Watch this breathtaking 30-second video about South Dakota narrated by Gov. Noem here.

Many subscribers tell me that they have never been to Mount Rushmore — here is your chance to combine a great conference with a vacation destination. (The temperature in July is an average high of 86 degrees during the day, and a low of 62 at night — compared to Vegas’s 120 degrees!)

Special ‘Early Bird’ Rate — Only $299 Per Person!

The website www.freedomfest.com is live and has all of the details about the conference in South Dakota.

If you wish to register, you can do so by calling 855-850-3733 ext. 202 and using the code Eagle21.

We are offering a special low “early bird” discount price of only $299 per person if you use the code Eagle21. Guests are also $299. Winner’s Circle members also pay only $299. The discount will end on Jan. 11, 2021.

That’s a HUGE saving over the final retail price of $599 that will apply in July and at the door.

Note: Over 800 attendees have already signed up for next year’s big show, having extended their 2020 registration to next year. If you did so, you are all set.

Over 150 of my subscribers signed up earlier for our 40^th-anniversary celebration of Forecasts & Strategies. Each subscriber who came to FreedomFest would receive an American eagle silver dollar and a copy of the new 10^th-anniversary edition of “Maxims of Wall Street.” I am honoring that offer again for next year’s conference.

If you extended your registration to next year, you are all set. If you would like to join us, call 1-855-850-3733 ext. 202, and sign up — be sure to tell them you are a subscriber to Investor Cafe and use the code Eagle21.

Information about the local hotels and special events or excursions will be announced at www.freedomfest.com.

You Blew It!

Congress and Trump Swim in the Swamp

Despite Wall Street’s positive response, Congress and President Trump blundered in signing the latest stimulus bill to make up for the disastrous lockdowns imposed by overzealous governors.

Unfortunately, we are still paying the price of the ill-conceived Great Suppression of 2020. The bill that was passed by Congress is full of wasteful spending projects (what used to be called “earmarks”) far beyond direct payments to suffering citizens.

You have probably already read about some of the more egregious examples: $25 million for gender studies in Pakistan, $40 million to the Kennedy Center (which is closed) and the creation of a new Women’s History Museum and the American Latino Museum… all of this during a supposed economic crisis.

Then, there is the additional $13 billion in food stamps… The total amount of food stamp payments over the past year has ballooned to $139 billion, even as private food banks have done a great job of helping the needy.

For President Trump, who promised to drain the swamp, to sign this 5,569-page pork-barrel “relief” bill is a travesty. Now, he, along with most politicians on Capitol Hill, are swimming in it. (Two exceptions are Senators Mike Lee and Rand Paul, who voted against the bill. They speak regularly at FreedomFest.)

One thing is clear: Congress’s penchant to spend, spend and spend has reignited inflationary fears, as evidenced by the rise in hard assets such as gold, silver and Bitcoin. (We’re recommending all three in Forecasts & Strategies and in my trading services. In fact, we have more than doubled our money in TNT Trader. For details on this and other trading services, go to www.markskousen.com, or call Grant at 1-202-677-4492.)

Subscribers Buy Over 1,000 Copies of New ‘Maxims’ Book

The new 10th-anniversary edition of “The Maxims of Wall Street” has been a hit and orders are still coming in during the holidays. Even Santa Claus took time to read a few lines (see photo).

I sign each copy and number them. The price is only $20 for the first book and $10 for all additional copies. If you buy a box of 32 books, you pay only $300. Go to www.skousenbooks.com to order!

The Santa painting above is an oil portrait reproduced by Prestige Fine Arts, which is owned and operated by Ed Mero. He can arrange to have a reproduction of almost any painting, portrait, or photograph (in oil) you wish at a reasonable price. For more information, go to www.prestigefinearts.com, or call Ed Mero at 1-954-227-8186. The business is highly recommended. I have a half dozen of his reproductions displayed in my home. These artworks are a great investment.