The aftershock investor: a crash course in staying afloat in a sinking economy

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part I. Aftershock

Chapter 1. Bubblequake and Aftershock-A Quick Review of How We Got Here and What's Next: Why Read This Book? Because We Were Right, Now You Can Be Right, Too

You Are Not Asleep with the Sheep

Bubblequake! First a Rising Bubble Economy, Now a Falling Bubble Economy

Future Inflation Will Cause Rising Interest Rates

From Boom to Bust: The Virtuous Upward Spiral Becomes a Vicious Downward Spiral

Why Don't Most Conventional Investors See This Coming?

What's a Savvy Aftershock Investor to Do?

Chapter 2. Since We Last Spoke …: Aftershock Update: They Read Our Playbook, the World Is Printing Money

Ignoring the Massive Money Printing (the Dollar Bubble) Is a Key Goal of the Cheerleaders

Potential Triggers That Could Accelerate a Downtrend in the U.S. Economy

A Closer Look at the Current U.S. "Recovery"

Bottom Line: "Recovery" Is Stall Driven by Massive Borrowing and Massive Money Printing

Our Investment Outlook

The 2012 Presidential Election

In Conclusion

Chapter 3. Conventional Wisdom Won't Work This Time: Introducing Aftershock Wisdom Investing

The Key to Conventional Wisdom: The Future Will Be Just Like the Past

The Myth of a Natural Growth Rate

Real Productivity Growth Is Slowing Down, Here and Around the World

Warren Buffett: Master of Conventional Wisdom

The Key to Aftershock Wisdom Investing: The Future Is Not the Past!

This Debate Is Really Not About Inflation or Deflation, It's About Protecting the Status Quo with Denial

How to Invest in a Falling Bubble Economy

What's a Savvy Aftershock Investor to Do?

Part II. Aftershock Investing

Chapter 4. Taking Stock of Stocks: Facing the Future of Stocks, Mutual Funds, and Index Funds

Love Story: How Stocks Became the Heart of Most Investment Portfolios

How Are Stocks Valued? It's All about Earnings

Conventional Wisdom on Stocks

Why Conventional Wisdom Is Wrong

What's a Savvy Aftershock Investor to Do?

Our Current Recommendations

Chapter 5. Bye-Bye Bonds: Why Bonds Are Getting Risky and When to Get Out

What Are Bonds?

Conventional Wisdom on Bonds: The Safety of the Recent Past Means We Can Count on More Safety Ahead

Why Conventional Wisdom on Bonds Is Wrong

The Final Two Bubbles in America's Multibubble Economy Will Pop

Bonds Will Fail in Three Stages

What's a Savvy Aftershock Investor to Do?

Chapter 6. Getting Real about Real Estate

What Really Drives Real Estate Prices?

The Real Estate Bubble Rises

Conventional Wisdom about Real Estate: Continued Low Interest Rates for as Far as the Eye Can See

Why Conventional Wisdom about Real Estate Is Wrong

What's a Savvy Aftershock Investor to Do?

Timing Your Exits Out of Real Estate

The High Cost of Doing Nothing

Chapter 7. Threats to the Safety Nets: The Future of Whole Life Insurance and Annuities

All Insurance and Annuities Are Essentially Investments in Bonds, Stocks, Even Real Estate

Conventional Wisdom on Whole Life Insurance and Annuities: Perfectly Safe and Worth Every Penny!

Why Conventional Wisdom Is Wrong: Facing the Real 800-Pound Gorilla in the Room

What's a Savvy Aftershock Investor to Do?

Chapter 8. Gold: The Once and Future King

Gold Was Golden for Centuries

Current Conventional Wisdom on Gold as an Investment: Warren Buffett Says Stay Away!

Why Conventional Wisdom on Gold Is Wrong

What's a Savvy Aftershock Investor to Do?

How to Buy Gold

Owning Gold as Part of a Well-Diversified Actively Managed Aftershock Portfolio

How High Will Gold Go?

Part III. Your Aftershock Game Plan

Chapter 9. Aftershock Jobs and Businesses

The Rising Bubble Economy Created Huge Job Growth; Now the Falling Bubble Economy Means Fewer Jobs

Conventional Wisdom about Future Jobs Is Based on Faith that the Future Will Be Like the Past

Why Conventional Wisdom on Jobs Is Wrong

What's a Savvy Aftershock Investor to Do?

The Falling Bubbles Will Have Varying Impact on Three Broad Economic Sectors

Opportunities after the Bubbles Pop: Cashing In on Distressed Assets

Should I Go to College?

Chapter 10. Aftershock Retirement and Estate Planning

Types of Retirement Plans

The Conventional Wisdom on Retirement Plans

Why the Conventional Wisdom on Retirement Is Wrong

What's a Savvy Aftershock Investor to Do?

Retirement Q&A

Estate Planning: Making the Most of Your Assets for Yourself and Your Heirs

Chapter 11. Your Aftershock Investment Portfolio

Aftershock Portfolio Strategy

Key Components

Do It Yourself or Bring in Help?

Timing-Better to Move Too Early than Too Late

The Last Resort: The Stock Market Holiday (the Ultimate Reason Why You Need to Move Early Rather than Later)

The Moral

Epilogue

Appendix: Additional Background on Stocks and Bonds

Stocks

Bonds

Inflation, Interest Rates, and the Aftershock

Index