Plan Your Medigap Coverage
by Weiss Ratings | Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 7:00am
1. Determine what benefits you need. Consider the following: • If you are living on a fixed income and are able to afford only the most basic coverage, favor Plan A, the core plan. Among other things, you’ll get an extra 30 days hospitalization per year beyond what Medicare pays. It also covers 100% of [More »]
Popular Medigap Plans
by Weiss Ratings | Monday, February 20, 2012 at 7:00am
Consumers spent more than $14 billion on Medigap in 2010 and 60% of that total was spent on Plan F, the most popular plan. The next most popular, although a distant second, is Plan C which represents 21% of the total amount spent. Then Plans B and D are about 5% each. Why is Plan [More »]
Selecting a Medigap Plan
by Weiss Ratings | Friday, February 17, 2012 at 7:00am
To find the best Medigap plan for yourself or a loved one, follow these five steps: 1. Determine what benefits you need. You’ll need to consider your income, family medical history and whether overseas travel plans should be factored into your decision. 2. Find out which policies are available to you. 3. Compare the premiums. [More »]
About Medigap Plans
by Weiss Ratings | Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 7:00am
To make comparing policies from one insurer to another easier, in 1992 Congress standardized and simplified Medigap plans so that there were just 10 to choose from — Plan ‘A,’ which is the bare bones, through Plan ‘J,’ the top of the line. This means that all Medigap insurers offer the same exact policy, although [More »]
Health and Wealth: Aging in America
by P. Skoran, Weiss Ratings | Friday, February 10, 2012 at 12:16pm
The baby boomers — the generation that questioned the authority structure and coined the phrase “don’t trust anyone over 30” — are moving squarely into the 55-and-older age group. [More »]
Weiss Ratings: Rules for Big Insurers
by Weiss Ratings | Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 6:33pm
Unfortunately, we’re all familiar with the phrase, “too big to fail.” In fact, we’ve all gotten a wake- up call about the consequences of mostly unregulated interconnectivity ... [More »]
Fed Proposal to Strengthen Banks
by Weiss Ratings | Wednesday, December 21, 2011 at 3:14pm
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System just issued a proposal to strengthen regulation and supervision of large bank holding ... [More »]
Weiss Ratings: Sluggish Demand Triggers Downgrades of China, Canada, Saudi Arabia
by Weiss Ratings | Monday, December 19, 2011 at 2:00pm
China, Canada, and Saudi Arabia face sluggish global demand, triggering a downgrade in sovereign debt by Weiss Ratings ... [More »]
Medicare Supplement Insurance: Choosing Your Plan
by Weiss Ratings | Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 7:00am
We all want to age gracefully, and we want health care benefits that will keep us agile for as long as possible ... [More »]
Do I Need Medicare Supplement Insurance?
by Weiss Ratings | Monday, November 14, 2011 at 3:00pm
If you’re one of 48 million Medicare beneficiaries, you probably know that Medicare won’t cover many of your annual health expenses ... [More »]
Medigap Tip: Save Like a Celebrity
by Weiss Ratings | Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 3:00pm
Baby boomers born in 1946 join approximately 40 million Americans eligible for Medicare supplement insurance (Medigap) this year. And many of their ... [More »]
Natural Disasters Pummel Property and Casualty Insurers
by Gavin Magor | Friday, October 7, 2011 at 7:00am
Property and casualty insurers are having a tough year. Natural disasters cost money, and guess who ultimately pays — the consumer ... [More »]
Another Bank Bites the Dust
by Gene Kirsch | Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 1:00pm
On Friday, regulators closed First International Bank, Plano, Texas. This brings the total number of U.S. bank and thrift failures to 74 for 2011, behind last year’s pace of 127 ... [More »]
Banks or Credit Unions: Which are Safer?
by Gene Kirsch | Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 12:00pm
Now that we’ve completed the second quarter 2011 ratings for both banks and credit unions, it’s a good time to think about the safest place to put your money. Is a bank the safest haven or is the credit union down the street a better alternative? You want some assurance that you’re going to get [More »]
Use Your Debit Card … and Pay Up!
by Weiss Ratings | Monday, October 3, 2011 at 3:00pm
The Associated Press recently reported that Bank of America is planning to start charging customers a $5 monthly fee for using a debit card ... [More »]
The Facts About FDIC Insurance
by Weiss Ratings | Friday, September 30, 2011 at 4:30pm
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is a federal agency that promotes public confidence and stability in the nation’s banking system ... [More »]
Vermont’s Home Owners Catch a Lucky Break!
by Gavin Magor | Monday, September 12, 2011 at 4:30pm
Residents of Vermont should be able to count on their homeowners insurance to pay claims for damage caused by Hurricane Irene. Why? Because the state's homeowners insurers have the ability to pay. Despite the devastation left ... [More »]
Is Your Bank Doomed?
by Gene Kirsch | Friday, September 9, 2011 at 4:30pm
We don’t have the ability to see into the future. But we do have an excellent track record of identifying problem banks that end up in failure. In fact, of the 68 institutions that failed so far in 2011, 66 or 97% were rated E+ or lower (“Very Weak”) by Weiss at the time of [More »]
Health Insurers Profit from Job Losses
by Weiss Ratings | Friday, August 12, 2011 at 7:00am
It’s not the health insurance industry’s fault so many people are unemployed. But insurer’s profits are up, and the likely cause is the shift in insurance enrollment from group health to Medicaid. Profits of the nation’s health insurers rose dramatically for … Click here to read more … Weiss Ratings is the nation’s leading independent [More »]
The Weiss Ratings Challenge
by Weiss Ratings | Tuesday, August 9, 2011 at 2:30pm
Weiss Ratings throws down the gauntlet. After giving Standard & Poor’s “the nod” for taking an important, first step in fairly rating U.S. sovereign debt, Weiss renewed The Weiss Ratings Challenge, asking the dominant rating agencies to take a closer look, suggesting they have yet to give investors a realistic picture of U.S. credit. Click [More »]
Delinquent Mortgages Threaten U.S. Banks
by Weiss Ratings | Monday, August 8, 2011 at 7:00am
If you’re like most of us, you have money in a bank … a checking account, a savings account or a CD. So you’ll want to pay close attention to a study Weiss Ratings just completed on the financial health and safety of the nation’s largest banks. Here’s what we uncovered … Click here to [More »]
Is Your Credit Union Safe?
by Weiss Ratings | Friday, August 5, 2011 at 7:00am
If you think credit unions automatically give you a safe haven far removed from the weakened U.S. banking system, think again. We’ve crunched the numbers and done the analysis to help you ... [More »]
New Rules, Bad Mortgages Weigh on Bank Stocks
by Weiss Ratings | Wednesday, August 3, 2011 at 7:00am
Many banking stock prices have fallen to fresh new 52-week lows with the likes of Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs among them. Others have come perilously close to their yearly lows, some even approaching multi-year lows. You won’t have to look far to find other bank names you’ll recognize. In fact ... [More »]
China’s Electricity Shortage Implications
by Rudy Martin | Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 3:00pm
This year, China has been facing rolling power blackouts that are likely to get worse before they get better. According to the China Electricity Council, the country’s supply may lag demand by 30 gigawatts this ... [More »]
New Home Sales Pop in April, Inventory Hits Lowest Level Ever
by Mike Larson | Thursday, May 26, 2011 at 3:00pm
We just got the latest look at the new home market from the Census Bureau. Sales rose 7.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 323,000 in April from 301,000 in March. That beat economists’ ... [More »]
Latest CD Options Give You More Flexibility
by Weiss Research | Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 3:00pm
As market volatility continues to keep investors cautious, many are holding cash on the sidelines where interest rates remain dismally low. And with interest rate increases looming, no one wants to get ... [More »]
Cut Your Exposure as Stock Markets Weaken!
by Weiss Research | Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 3:00pm
This week, the markets are fidgety, making twists and turns. Not unexpected for all the chaos going on throughout the world. And every investor without access to top-shelf research and timely ... [More »]
Editor’s Picks of the Week
by Weiss Research | Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 3:00pm
As of February 2011, there were approximately 5,000 companies listed on the major exchanges. That’s a 2 percent drop from 2009 and a 42 percent drop from a high of 8,823 in 1997 according to data ... [More »]
Housing Starts, Permits Plunge in April
by Mike Larson | Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at 3:00pm
We just got our latest look at home construction, and it wasn't good ... Housing starts plunged 10.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 523,000 in April from an upwardly revised 585,000 in ... [More »]
Hitting the Debt Ceiling
by Mike Larson | Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 6:00pm
There is a huge political debate going on about the national debt and the debt ceiling. You can’t open a Web page, newspaper or magazine without reading the concerns of government officials and everyday ... [More »]
How to Use the Weiss Sovereign Debt Ratings to Protect Your Wealth and Profit
by Mike Larson | Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 3:00pm
A country’s overall financial health impacts a lot more than its government bonds. It can also help determine the flow of money into that nation’s stocks and currency. So you can use the Weiss Sovereign Debt Ratings ... [More »]
Protect Your Home Equity and Wealth
by Mike Larson | Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 4:00pm
Five years ago, while everyone in the world seemed to be rushing out to buy the next big McMansion, I warned about a bust in housing sales, and it happened. I warned about a downturn in housing prices ... [More »]
Here Comes China
by Rudy Martin | Wednesday, May 4, 2011 at 3:00pm
The International Monetary Fund just dropped a bombshell, and nobody noticed. For the first time, the organization predicted when the U.S. economy will be overtaken by China, and the “Age of America” ... [More »]
Win with Chinese Coal Stocks
by Rudy Martin | Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at 3:00pm
International coal prices hit $124 per ton last week, the highest level in five months, largely due to strong demand from reconstruction projects in Japan. But coal supply is also tight, because of flooding in Australia ... [More »]
Sizzling Demand for Meat Drives China-Brazil Deals
by Rudy Martin | Sunday, May 1, 2011 at 3:00pm
When Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s new president, visited China recently, the business delegation travelling with her hammered out several deals. One of the success stories of the trip was the Brazilian meat production ... [More »]
Inflation on the Rise? Five Sectors Set to Rise
by Mike Burnick | Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 3:00pm
Earlier this year in our 2011 outlook, we pointed out that the growing threat of inflation ... both in the US and especially in emerging economies ... is one of the key issues for investors this year. The latest batch ... [More »]
Housing Starts Rebound in March
by Mike Larson | Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 3:00pm
Housing starts, the number of new residential homes being built and permitted, were just released by the U.S. Commerce Department for March. While the numbers reflect a rebound, from February’s decline for ... [More »]
Who Will Win Latin American Communications?
by Rudy Martin | Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 3:00pm
The Telecom and Media sectors in Latin America are in a titanic power struggle – deserving of its own soap opera series. The end prize here is an estimated 400 million or more Latin Americans using computers ... [More »]
Better Than Bonds? Income Alternatives to Consider for Inflationary Times.
by Mike Burnick | Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 7:00am
For fixed income investors, it's time to review your strategy ..."as bonds' golden age comes to an end." At least that's what a recent article in the Financial Times proclaims. The story points out how the unique ... [More »]
IMF Study: Who Will Pay and How?
by Money and Markets, Staff Writer | Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at 5:00pm
In April, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released a copy of a study on the U.S. fiscal imbalance. The analysis was issued in the form of a working paper not to be reported as representative of the views or ... [More »]
Do You Want to Invest in an Annuity?
by Money and Markets, Staff Writer | Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 5:00pm
I don’t know about you, but everywhere I turn someone is trying to sell me an annuity. The sales pitch tells me it’s a secure and risk-free investment, I don’t know about you, but that always makes me a bit wary ... [More »]
Latin American Airlines Bump to Safety
by Rudy Martin | Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 3:00pm
The current stock market weakness could prove an opportunity to participate in major long-term growth in Latin America’s aviation industry. The area’s airline companies thrive due to limited competition in ... [More »]
About Currency Trading
by Money and Markets, Staff Writer | Sunday, April 10, 2011 at 5:00pm
I don’t know about you, but I am a beginner when it comes to currency trading. The potential to make money trading currencies seems great, but if you’ve never done it before, there are probably some things ... [More »]
Should You Invest In India?
by Rudy Martin | Thursday, April 7, 2011 at 3:00pm
India remains an attractive market to invest in. It’s the second most populous country in the world, with more than 1.2 billion people. Of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), it has the lowest ... [More »]
World Currency Market Report
by Bryan Rich | Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 3:00pm
Currency market participants have been repositioning and our models are signaling to do the same. The drivers are several key fundamental influences ... [More »]
Interest Rate Outlook
by Mike Larson | Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 1:00pm
With the job market showing some signs of improvement and the Fed beginning to take into account broader economic factors, it’s a good bet we’ll start to see interest rates rise in the near future ... [More »]
Bullish on Corn
by Sean Brodrick | Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 5:00pm
We're really bullish on gold and silver, but those aren't the only commodities heating up. Take corn for example, it ended last week going up the absolute limit allowed by the Chicago Board of Trade ... [More »]
The Trend Is Your Friend
by Sean Brodrick | Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 3:00pm
Taking a look at recent trends can be a good way to get a feel for market direction and identify Electronically Traded Funds (ETFs) that are poised to take advantage of the anticipated market moves. Here are two ... [More »]
USDA Crop Report and You
by Money and Markets, Staff Writer | Sunday, April 3, 2011 at 5:00pm
The USDA released its planting projections for the coming spring and stocks report. These reflect farmers planting intentions and the current store of grains on hand. Planned Acreage (million acres) ... [More »]
S&P Upgrades Colombia
by Rudy Martin | Sunday, April 3, 2011 at 3:00pm
Grammy award-winning, Colombian singer Shakira was honored by Harvard University with 2011 Artist of the Year a few weeks ago. After accepting the award, Shakira challenged Harvard students to ... [More »]
Martin Weiss Answers Readers' Top Question …
by The Entire Money and Markets Team | Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 11:01am
Dr. Martin Weiss, our founder and publisher, gave readers advanced warnings of the tech bust of 2000 ... the real estate bust of 2007 ... the credit crisis of 2008 ... and the recession of 2009 ... [More »]
Washington's Not Listening to Weiss Research … But YOU Are!
by Martin D. Weiss Ph.D. | Monday, August 31, 2009 at 10:54am
On March 19, 2009, a team of Weiss Research analysts published an urgent report: Dangerous Unintended Consequences. In it, we warned how the unprecedented attempts by the Fed ... [More »]
Transcript: The Weiss Global Forum
by Martin D. Weiss Ph.D. | Thursday, August 13, 2009 at 1:37pm
Welcome to the Weiss Global Forum, bringing together our top experts from around the world for this international video conference. Our mission today is to explore with you a wide range of new ... [More »]
Dangerous Unintended Consequences
by Martin D. Weiss Ph.D. | Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 12:23pm
Within fewer than 18 months, the U.S. government has spent, loaned, guaranteed or committed an astronomical sum of $11.6 trillion in an all-out attempt to bail out failing companies, save ... [More »]
Response to Dan Dorfman
by Martin D. Weiss Ph.D. | Wednesday, March 11, 2009 at 10:25am
Dan Dorfman has written an insightful article regarding my pessimistic outlook for the economy. Here's my response: On Halloween day at one of our subsidiaries — The Weiss School in ... [More »]
Martin D. Weiss, Ph.D. and Mike Larson: The Only Ones Who Warned Ahead of Time
by Amber Dakar | Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 1:57pm
Martin D. Weiss and co-editor Mike Larson are the only analysts that have specifically named nearly all of the major institutions that have suffered a financial failure in this crisis, whether ... [More »]
Re: Global banking bailouts
by Martin D. Weiss Ph.D. | Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at 5:21pm
I am writing today out of deep concern that the global banking bailouts announced this week could backfire. I am president of Weiss Research, Inc., an independent research corporation ... [More »]
Weiss Research's Step-By-Step Guide To Long-Term Care
by Martin D. Weiss Ph.D. | Monday, October 13, 2008 at 1:02pm
Long term care is a very complex area. But it’s also very important. Therefore, we have broken it down for you in to a series of steps. Each step is simple, but there are many of them. So if ... [More »]
Weiss Research Emergency Q&A (Edited Transcript)
by Martin D. Weiss Ph.D. | Friday, October 10, 2008 at 3:19pm
You have just joined the Weiss Research's emergency question and answer session with Safe Money editors Martin Weiss and Mike Larson. Martin Weiss is the nation's leading advocate for ... [More »]
Proposed $700 Billion Bailout Is Too Little, Too Late to End the Debt Crisis; Too Much, Too Soon for the U.S. Bond Market
by Martin D. Weiss Ph.D. | Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 7:30am
New data and analysis demonstrate that the proposal before Congress for a $700 billion financial industry bailout is too little, too late to end the massive U.S. debt crisis; and, at the same time ... [More »]
Comrade Bernanke Does it Again
by Peter Schiff | Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 7:30am
By nationalizing nearly 80% of AIG for $85 billion, the Fed is doing a lot more than simply flushing taxpayer money down the toilet. The greater wrong is allowing the agency that has the power to print money to take control of a private enterprise, especially without the approval of the company’s shareholders. The move [More »]
Credit Crunch: How to Protect Yourself and Profit
by Martin D. Weiss Ph.D. | Thursday, July 3, 2008 at 7:55am
Learn how to protect yourself and profit! While it will drive oil and food prices through the roof. [More »]
The Greatest Wealth Shift of All Time
by Martin D. Weiss Ph.D. | Wednesday, March 26, 2008 at 12:00pm
In this report, I’d like to let you in on a Big-Picture reality check that too many investors are ignoring. For several years, observers called the U.S. a “Goldilocks” economy — blessed with low inflation, rising profits and no major … [More »]
Watch What the Chinese Are Buying
by Tony Sagami | Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 12:00pm
Do you remember the gasps when the Japanese were snapping up some of America’s most-loved landmark properties during the 1980s? Back then, the business news almost always included a segment about the Japanese buying an American icon, whether it was … [More »]
The Collapse of the Great Ratings Scam
by Martin D. Weiss Ph.D. | Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 7:30am
Tens of thousands of ratings have been issued for virtually every major bond, loan and debt in America. They're the brains and nervous system of our nation's entire credit markets. And the credit markets, in ... [More »]
Why Dividends Will Almost Always Make You Money
by Nilus Mattive | Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 12:00pm
I’d like to use this opportunity to tell you more about a topic that too many analysts have neglected for too long: Dividends. See, I’ve been passionate about dividends for a long time. In fact, with a little help from … [More »]
Dangerously Close to a Money Panic
by Martin D. Weiss Ph.D. | Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 12:00pm
With credit markets sinking into deeper turmoil … With more severe losses spreading to a wider range of financial institutions … And with the Fed’s rate cuts thus far failing to stem the crisis … We are coming dangerously close … [More »]
Bond Investing Just Got Easier!
by Mike Larson | Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 12:00pm
I’m not afraid to roll up my sleeves and get my hands dirty when it comes to investing. But once I’m done with my research, and I know what sector, stock, or market I want to buy, I want the actual buying process ... [More »]
Named Inside: A Great Stock for Recession
by Nilus Mattive | Thursday, January 10, 2008 at 12:00pm
The U.S. stock market is off to a rocky start in 2008, so I wanted to tell you about a dividend-paying company that can help you diversify your portfolio away from weakness here in the States.… [More »]
The New Savings and Loan Crisis
by Mike Larson | Tuesday, November 27, 2007 at 12:00pm
In the marbled halls of this nation’s leading banks … and the wood-paneled boardrooms of top investment firms … They’re facing the biggest credit meltdown since the Savings and Loan Crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s! Back then … [More »]
How to Protect Your Stock Portfolio
by Martin D. Weiss Ph.D. | Sunday, November 25, 2007 at 12:00pm
Before Dad passed away, he asked me to make a solemn promise — to stay on the lookout for the next major stock market decline and do everything I could to help you protect yourself ... [More »]
15 Rules To Get The Most Out Of Options
by Martin D. Weiss Ph.D. | Tuesday, November 13, 2007 at 12:00pm
Most investors who buy options wind up losing money — usually for the very same reasons that investors lose money in the stock market or any other investment: They let their emotions get the best of them. Plus, they don't ... [More »]
Five Golden Rules
by Martin D. Weiss Ph.D. | Tuesday, November 13, 2007 at 12:00pm
If we look back over the recent past, we can see some of the tallest peaks and deepest valleys of our time. Just five years ago, in December of 1999, the U.S. economy was booming, the Nasdaq ... [More »]
Two Global Megatrends
by Martin D. Weiss Ph.D. | Monday, October 1, 2007 at 7:30am
Matin D. Weiss, Ph.D. Discuses Two Global Megatrends and investement opportunities. [More »]
How To Get Immediate Crash Protection
by Sean Brodrick | Wednesday, August 29, 2007 at 12:00pm
Martin’s “Final Warning” on Monday, reaching readers one day before yesterday’s 280-point plunge in the Dow, came just in the nick of time — especially for all those investors who needed a little extra shove to start acting on his urgent recommendations. The key is this: While sick sectors of the stock market, like real [More »]
Massive credit crunch striking now!
by Martin D. Weiss Ph.D. | Monday, August 20, 2007 at 12:00pm
A massive credit crunch is striking, and you sit at a critical juncture like none other in history. Never before have you seen so much wealth at stake. Never before have you seen such massive threats to that wealth. And … [More »]
Day of Reckoning!
by Martin D. Weiss Ph.D. | Monday, August 6, 2007 at 12:00pm
I was born in New York but raised in Brazil. Elisabeth was born in Brazil but has spent most of her adult life in the U.S. When we first met, she was 13, and I was 17. She was going … [More »]
How Federal Regulators, Lenders, and Wall Street Created America’s Housing Crisis — Nine Proposals for a Long-Term Recovery
by Mike Larson | Thursday, July 19, 2007 at 12:00pm
For many Americans, the dream of home ownership is turning into a nightmare. Despite the absence of an economic recession, delinquencies are surging, home sales are falling, prices are declining ... [More »]
