Prominent Economists Call for End of Fractional Reserve Banking

April 30, 2014 Share It | Print This

Source: Washington’s Blog

Excessive leverage by the banks was one of the main causes of the Great Depression and of the 2008 financial crisis.
As such, lower levels of “fractional reserve banking” – i.e. how many dollars a bank lends out compared to the amount of deposits it has on hand – the more stable the economy will be.
But economist Steve Keen notes (citing Table 10 in Yueh-Yun C. OBrien, 2007. “Reserve Requirement Systems in OECD Countries”, Finance and Economics Discussion Series, Divisions of Research & Statistics and Monetary Affairs, Federal Reserve Board):

The US Federal Reserve sets a Required Reserve Ratio of 10%, but applies this only to deposits by individuals; banks have no reserve requirement at all for deposits by companies.

So huge swaths of loans are not subject to any reserve requirements.
Indeed, Ben Bernanke proposed the elimination of all reserve requirements for banks:

The Federal Reserve believes it is possible that, ultimately, its operating framework will allow the elimination of minimum reserve requirements, which impose costs and distortions on the banking system.

Economist Keen informs Washington’s Blog that about 6 OECD countries have already done away with reserve requirements altogether (Australia, Mexico,  Canada, New Zealand, Sweden and the UK).
But there is a growing recognition that this is going in the wrong direction, because fractional reserve banking can destabilize the economy (and credit can easily be created by the government itself.)
It was big news this week when one of the world’s most prominent economics writers – liberal economist Martin Wolf – advocated doing away with fractional reserve banking altogether… i.e. requiring that banks only loan out as much money as they actually have on hand in the form of customer deposits:

Printing counterfeit banknotes is illegal, but creating private money is not. The interdependence between the state and the businesses that can do this is the source of much of the instability of our economies. It could – and should – be terminated.
***
What is to be done? A minimum response would leave this industry largely as it is but both tighten regulation and insist that a bigger proportion of the balance sheet be financed with equity or credibly loss-absorbing debt. I discussed this approach last week. Higher capital is the recommendation made by Anat Admati of Stanford and Martin Hellwig of the Max Planck Institute in The Bankers’ New Clothes.
A maximum response would be to give the state a monopoly on money creation. One of the most important such proposals was in the Chicago Plan, advanced in the 1930s by, among others, a great economist, Irving Fisher. Its core was the requirement for 100 per cent reserves against deposits. Fisher argued that this would greatly reduce business cycles, end bank runs and drastically reduce public debt. A 2012 study by International Monetary Fund staff suggests this plan could work well.
Similar ideas have come from Laurence Kotlikoff of Boston University in Jimmy Stewart is Dead, and Andrew Jackson and Ben Dyson in Modernising Money.
***
Opponents will argue that the economy would die for lack of credit. I was once sympathetic to that argument. But only about 10 per cent of UK bank lending has financed business investment in sectors other than commercial property. We could find other ways of funding this.
Our financial system is so unstable because the state first allowed it to create almost all the money in the economy and was then forced to insure it when performing that function. This is a giant hole at the heart of our market economies. It could be closed by separating the provision of money, rightly a function of the state, from the provision of finance, a function of the private sector.

(The IMF study is here.)
In fact, a lot of experts have backed this or similar proposals, including:

• Bank of England Chief Mervyn King

• Prominent conservative economist Milton Friedman

• Prominent liberal economist Irving Fisher

• Prominent conservative economist Lawrence Kotlikoff

• Prominent liberal economist James Tobin 

• Prominent conservative economist John Cochrane

• Prominent liberal economist Herman Daly

• Prominent British economist John Kay

• Conservative Spanish economics professor Huerta de Soto

• German economist Thorsten Polleit

• Conservative French economist Jörg Guido Hülsmann

• Head economics writer at the Guardian Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

• Bloomberg columnist Matthew C. Klein

Interestingly, the Chicago Plan for full reserve banking came very close to passing in 1934. But the unfortunate death of one of its main Congressional sponsors – Senator Bronson M. Cutting  – in a plane crash reversed the momentum for the bill.
As Wikipedia notes:

Cutting played a key role in the political struggles over the reform of banking which Roosevelt undertook while dealing with the Great Depression, and which resulted in the Banking Reform Acts of 1933 and 1935. As a supporter of the Chicago Plan proposed by economist Irving Fisher and others at the University of Chicago, Cutting was among a handful of influential Senators who might have been able to remove from the private banks their ability to manipulate the money supply by enforcing a 100 percent reserve requirement for all credit creation, as stipulated in the Chicago Plan. His unfortunate death in an airliner crash cut short what may have been his most enduring legacy to the nation.

The U.S. Opts for Ineffective Sanctions on Russia

The U.S. Opts for Ineffective Sanctions on Russia
Geopolitical Weekly
Tuesday, April 29, 2014 - 03:05 Print Text Size
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By George Friedman

The United States announced new sanctions on seven Russian government officials April 28. A long-used tactic, sanctions can yield unpredictable effects or have no effect at all, depending upon how they are crafted. It is commonly assumed that sanctions are applied when a target country's actions are deemed unacceptable. The sanctioning nation presumably chooses sanctions to avoid war when war would be too costly or could result in defeat.

Sanctions' stated purpose is to induce behavioral changes in a target state by causing economic pain. To work, sanctions must therefore cause pain. But they must not be so severe that they convince the target state that war is more desirable than capitulating to the demands of the sanctioning nation.
When Sanctions Work Too Well

In July 1941, when the Japanese invaded Indo-China, the United States responded by freezing all Japanese assets. The United Kingdom and the Dutch East Indies (today's Indonesia) followed suit. The sanctions were quite effective, and Japan wound up cut off from the bulk of international trade, losing 90 percent of its imported oil. Japan had to respond, but instead of withdrawing from Indo-China, it attacked Pearl Harbor.

The Japanese example is worth considering. The United States placed Japan in a situation where its oil supplies would be depleted in months, at which point Japan would cease to be an industrial power. Tokyo could have accepted the American terms, but once it did this, it would have established a U.S. veto over Japanese decisions.

The Japanese did not trust the United States and were convinced that any capitulation to sanctions would simply lead to more U.S. demands. Tokyo understood the risks of war but calculated that these risks were lower than the risks of complying with U.S. demands (though the Japanese might well have been wrong in this calculation, and Franklin Roosevelt might well have known that Tokyo would choose war over capitulation). Faced with sanctions that would cripple the nation, Japan chose war.

Sanctions perform better against nations that lack retaliatory options, including the option of waging war. Iran is an example of a perfect target for sanctions. Without a deliverable nuclear device, it lacks the option to wage war, and it has few other ways to retaliate. (Even with countries like Iran, however, sanctions can have a limited effect if the target can find ways to get around the sanctions.)
Precision-Guided Sanctions

Placing effective sanctions on a country such as Russia is much more complicated than placing them on countries like Iran or the Central African Republic because the Russians have potential military responses. They also have the ability to retaliate by seizing Western assets in Russia: There are many Western companies doing business in Russia with significant equipment, factories, bank accounts and so on. Moscow also has the power to cut energy supplies to Europe. Whether it would be prudent for Russia respond in those ways is an important question, but the mere fact Russia has a range of retaliatory options is an important consideration.

Partly for that reason and partly because of a theory of sanctions that has emerged in recent years, the United States and some European countries have largely opted out of placing sanctions on Russia as a whole. Instead, they have place sanctions on individuals and a small number of companies in Russia deemed responsible for actions in Ukraine that the United States and Europe find objectionable. We might call these "precision-guided sanctions," or sanctions intended to compel a change in direction without inflicting collateral damage or risking significant retaliation.

The idea of placing sanctions on regimes rather than on nations originated with the obvious fact that if successful, sanctions on nations harm the entire population, most of whom are innocent and powerless, while leaving the leaders who have created the crisis in power and free to shift the burden to the population. The Iraq example is frequently cited. There, a strong regime of economic sanctions was imposed on the country, severely diminishing Iraqis' standard of living while allowing the leadership to profit from various loopholes intended to ease the burden on the public.

The idea of sanctions against specific leaders to avoid harming the general public emerged from this and other experiences. This approach has dominated the Western response to Russian actions in Ukraine. By attacking the economic interests of key Russian leaders, or at least of their inner circles, the West appears to be trying to force changes in Russian policy toward Ukraine. This raises a number of important questions.
Limits to Sanctions on Russia

First, there is the question of whether Russian leaders care more for power or for money. In the 1990s, money generated power, but the two are more aligned now: Those with power and those with money are the same. It is therefore hard to imagine that the Putin regime will shift policy -- and thereby admit weakness, a fatal error for anyone in power -- to preserve part of its members' fortunes.

Moreover, the Russian leadership has kept some of its money inside Russia to avoid seizure by Western governments. Certainly, some of the leadership's money has flowed out of Russia, but not all of it. The people who have been targeted will not suddenly be hurled onto the welfare rolls in Russia because of the current sanctions. The targeted individuals will respond to the U.S. sanctions with indifference. They may lose some assets in the ensuing treasure hunt. But their resulting domestic popularity boost will offset this, a boost perhaps costing no more than a high-power Washington public relations firm might charge. And given their positions, they can certainly earn back whatever they lose in seizures.

Second, there is the question of intertwined assets. Russian leaders have invested in many Russian companies with interests in Western companies. In some instances, they are involved in joint ventures with Western companies.

To illustrate the Western dilemma, let's assume there is a joint venture between Rosneft and a Western oil company. How exactly does the West proceed with sanctions in such a situation? Does it seize all or just some of the assets of the joint venture? What liability does it inflict on other shareholders, Western and Russian, who are not on the sanctions list? Now go further and consider an investment in a U.S. private equities firm by a Mexican fund with investors from Cyprus who may include people on the sanctions list. In modern capitalism, investment paths can be twisted indeed.

One might be able to track down assets in a relatively small country with limited assets. But Russia is the eight-largest economy in the world, and its wealth is intertwined with the targets of the sanctions, greatly complicating the challenge of crafting effective precision-guided sanctions.

Third, there is the political question. Russian President Vladimir Putin's popularity has soared since the Russian annexation of Crimea. As in the West, Russian leaders appearing to act decisively in foreign crises enjoy higher approval ratings, at least initially. Putin may find it difficult not to respond to the sanctions because if he fails to act, he could lose some of the popularity he gained by his appearance of strength.
Intentionally Ineffective Sanctions

In addition, the United States doesn't want to threaten regime survival in a country with massive military power. Nor does it want to engage in an action that would trigger an invasion of Ukraine and force the United States to either back away or join a war it is unprepared for. It also will try to avoid mistakenly seizing U.S. and European assets -- assets deployed by Russia deliberately to bait Washington into making just such a mistake.

The Obama administration has a final major reason to avoid effective sanctions. If someone had said a year ago that U.S.-Russian relations would reach the present point, they would have been laughed at, something I can attest to. Foreign investment is a major component of the U.S. economy, and distinguished political leaders are an excellent source of capital. If you are the leader of China, Saudi Arabia or India, all of which have problems with the United States that could conceivably mushroom, you might think twice before investing your money in the United States. And there are more countries than those four that have potential conflicts with the United States.

The U.S. sanctions strategy is therefore not designed to change Russian policies; it is designed to make it look like the United States is trying to change Russian policy. And it is aimed at those in Congress who have made this a major issue and at those parts of the State Department that want to orient U.S. national security policy around the issue of human rights. Both can be told that something is being done -- and both can pretend that something is being done -- when in fact nothing can be done. In a world clamoring for action, prudent leaders sometimes prefer the appearance of doing something to actually doing something.

America - Leading From Behind Or Not At All?

America - Leading From Behind Or Not At All?

April 29, 2014 | Debbie Smith
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“In Europe, Asia, and the Middle East and beyond, America’s most dangerous opponents are engaging in aggression and brinkmanship unseen in decades,” states Caroline Glick in a recent article in the Jerusalem Post.

The current administration’s policy of appeasement has been met with increasing hostility by the Chinese and other rivals.

Despite having a defense treaty with the Philippine’s, the US government has failed to respond to China’s seizure of the Scarborough Shoal and menacing the Second Thomas Shoal, another Philippine possession.

Similarly, Beijing is challenging Japan’s control over the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea and even making territorial claims on Okinawa.

Additionally, China has threatened Japanese and South Korean airspace and waterways, an attack on the principle of free maritime navigation and an act of aggression against these countries.

While the US responds to China’s antagonism with placation, Beijing answers with contempt.

When China sold North Korea mobile missile launchers capable of delivering ICBM’s, the US shied away from publicly condemning China’s government.

Shockingly, these very missile launchers have increased Pyongyang’s ability to strike targets in the US!

Consider also, Iran.

Iran’s nuclear chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, recently insisted upon Iran’s right to enrich uranium to 90%, thus furtively admitting that they are building a nuclear bomb.

In the face of a failed policy in Iran, the US changed its expectation from preventing Iran’s nuclear bomb production in “many years” to “six months”, according to John Kerry.

Additionally, the interim deal with Iran relaxed economic sanctions allowing a resurgence of the Iranian economy. Iran is now exporting 1.65 million barrels of oil a day rather than the 1 million agreed upon in the deal.

Instead of encouraging the mullah’s to shelve the nuclear aspirations of Iran, not only are they successfully building a bomb, they are rebuilding their economy.

So is the current policy a failure? Or a success as the current administration would have us believe?

Elsewhere in the Middle East, al- Qaida, is openly meeting under the leadership of Nasiral-Wuhayshi, second in command of the terror organization.

Wuhayshi directly threatened the US, saying, “We must eliminate the cross…and the bearer of the cross is America.” This meeting with hundreds of terrorist in Yemen was featured on a jihadist website.

This rise in al-Qaida activity follows last year’s suspension of drone strikes designed to eliminate targets with minimal collateral deaths and no “boots on the ground.”

Let’s not forget Syria.

Despite an agreement to destroy his country’s chemical weapons arsenal, Bashar Assad is now behind schedule and as late as April 12th, using the weapons against his citizens, again!

“As for Europe, the Obama administration’s responses to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and to its acts of aggression against Ukraine bespeak a lack of seriousness and dangerous indifference to the fate of the US alliance structure in Eastern Europe,” Stated Glick.

As Russian forces penetrated Ukraine, the US sent food to Ukraine and an unarmed warship to the Black Sea. Economic sanctions imposed against Russia have been mild and so far unsuccessful.

After six weeks, since the initial annexation by Russia of Crimea, the US is finally deploying 600 troops to the Baltic states for “military exercises” meant to show” European allies, and Moscow, the level of concern the US has for the situation!”

As contempt for the US authority grows, aggressors are emboldened and millions of lives hang in the balance.

Perhaps the most puzzling aspect of these developments is the lack luster response of not only the current administration, but of Congress as well, on both sides of the aisle.

As much as President Obama, and his senior officials, shuttle from country to country with the goal of reassuring nervous allies that trust in US security guarantees is still valid, the allies do not seem to be buying it!

This lack of trust led Israeli officials to openly state, for the first time, that the US cannot be depended upon to either secure Israel’s eastern frontier or to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

And it is because of this that South Korea, Japan, and Saudi Arabia, are considering acquiring their own nuclear weapons!

Not only is the US government apathetic about the aggression among these American foes, the American people also seem indifferent to these global events.

Clearly, the world is an increasingly dangerous place, and growing more hazardous daily, possibly the closest to WW III it has been since 1939.

Why does America not recognize the growing threats on the global stage? Some wonder, do Americans care about the rest of the world at all?

The direction of the United States of America must rapidly be changed or the nation faces increasing strategic threats and retreat from any ability to lead, even “from behind.”

The Federal Reserve Explained In 7 Minutes

 

 

THIS ISSUE IS CENTRAL TO THE PROBLEMS PLAGUING THE USA.  Money is power!

          “It is the biggest robbery ever enacted on the American people.”

 

Military Wars, Economic Wars, Currency Wars & $10,000 Gold

 

 

 

Greyerz:  “Eric, sadly the potential of a major war is now increasing dramatically.  I would almost say that it’s certain we will either have a major military conflict or a full-blown economic war, which would be just as devastating.  And I wouldn’t be surprised if we have both....

Continue reading the Egon von Greyerz interview below...

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“The escalation of hostilities in Ukraine can easily lead to a world war as Paul Craig Roberts has been talking about over the last few weeks.  Isn’t it amazing that six months ago nobody talked about Ukraine as a potential catalyst for major conflict?

War and social unrest cycles point to the next few years being full of conflict that will involve human misery in most parts of the world.  Economically the world is in a mess that can only get a lot worse.  We’ve had currency wars for a long time already, but these will intensify.

We are seeing major currencies such as the yen, renminbi, and the ruble weakening.  The U.S. dollar will be the next currency to fall but it will fall fast, and that move is imminent.  The dollar should soon break solidly below the 80 level on the Dollar Index.

The U.S. economy has been sustained by money printing and the fact that the U.S. dollar has managed to retain world reserve currency status.  But you can’t have a reserve currency that has a foundation of tens of trillions of dollars of debt, especially when the debt is increasing exponentially.

Sadly, the weakening dollar is likely to lead to the U.S. getting involved in even more conflicts, both economically and militarily.  This is what happens to all empires before they collapse.  So there will be social unrest as well as major international conflicts.  This will lead to major political changes in many countries.

The world will see extreme parties come into power.  We will be talking about all of these events in the future, and gold will be a very clear barometer of these conflicts.  The escalation of the Ukraine conflict has been the catalyst for gold’s rise in the last couple of days.

The chart below shows what happened to gold over the last few years:

We start by looking at gold from October 2008 to August 2011, when gold went from $680 to $1,920.  That was a stunning 180 percent move higher in just under three years.  This was on top of major percentage gains in gold since the beginning of the decade. 

A lot of people don’t think that gold can move fast in a few months, but just look at what happened in 2011.  Gold was at $1,308 in January 2011.  By the end of August that year gold was $1,920.  That’s a move of 47 percent in just eight months.  So gold moved up more than $600 in just eight months.

That’s the kind of move we could see in 2014.  I could easily see gold moving to over $2,000 and possibly as high as $2,500 as I’ve shown on the chart above.  I believe the gold market is about to start the next major move.  This will be a fast move, in my opinion.

But this move in gold to $2,500 will just be the beginning because the conflicts we are seeing will lead to a skyrocketing gold price.  I believe we will see the beginning of a hyperinflationary depression accompanying gold’s next rise.

Gold could easily rise to $10,000 in that environment, but we could see a lot more zeros after the gold price if the hyperinflation gets out of control.  The bottom line is I think the waiting time is over and the next move higher is imminent and that move will continue for quite a few years before we see any significant top.”

© 2014 by King World News®. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.  However, linking directly to the blog page is permitted and encouraged.

The audio interviews with Felix Zulauf, Michael Pento, James Turk, Victor Sperandeo, Dr. Philipa Malmgren, Grant Williams, Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, Bill Fleckenstein, Dr. Marc Faber, Egon von Greyerz, Ben Davies and Art Cashin are available now. Other recent KWN interviews include Eric Sprott and Jim Grant -- to listen CLICK HERE.

Eric King

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Military Wars, Economic Wars, Currency Wars & $10,000 Gold

 

Today a 42-year market veteran warned King World News that the world now faces military wars, economic wars and currency wars.  He also believes this could easily lead to $10,000 gold and included an important chart.  Below is what Egon von Greyerz, who is founder of Matterhorn Asset Management out of Switzerland, had to say.

 

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© 2014 by King World News®. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast,

rewritten, or redistributed.  However, linking directly to the blog page is permitted and encouraged.

April 27, 2014

 

 Disclaimer:

The Obamacare debacle... The IRS targeting conservatives... The NSA’s “data collection”...
These political scandals will PALE
in comparison to what’s next...

The Deathblow to
Obama’s Presidency

The biggest presidential disaster in history “could happen imminently,” according to the outgoing homeland security chief...

And it could very well have a devastating impact on your stock holdings, the value of your home and the safety of your personal savings...

Find out if you’re at risk below.

Dear Reader,

President Obama’s administration is teetering after a year of scandals...

$500 million blown on a website that doesn’t work...

The IRS targeting conservatives...

The NSA spying on everybody and anybody...

But now a new controversy is brewing...

It threatens to do far more damage to Obama and dwarf anything we’ve seen yet.

This new scandal could severely impact the economy... Create a sudden surge in unemployment... And deeply hurt the stock market.

In fact, Obama is so afraid of this threat that according to The Wall Street Journal, he recently “convened an emergency meeting.”

He says he’s doing all he can to defend against it... But it’s too little too late.

The Economist writes that “The threat is complex, multifaceted and potentially very dangerous.”

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper revealed that it could have “Profound implications for U.S. economic and national security.”

House Intelligence Committee Representative Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md., said it could cost more than $400 billion in damage to the U.S. economy.

Make no mistake...

This new threat is now exponentially more serious than anything we’ve seen yet.

After all, this isn’t just a malfunctioning health care website.

Nor is it a “customer service” failure at the IRS.

And this isn’t a controversy about metadata collection of your phone records.

Rather, this threat could slam the stock market, the value of the U.S. dollar and the safety of your retirement account all at once.

It won’t affect just a few people here and there...

It will be devastating to all of us.

This is why Obama is calling underground emergency meetings.

It terrifies him.

He knows his presidency is on the line.

But again, there’s little he can do to stop it.

According to outgoing Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano, this event “could happen imminently.” It’s a question of when, not if.

My research team and I expect this scandal to hit within weeks... if not days.

Without question, this situation could directly impact each of the stocks you own. It could deeply reduce your cash savings. And may even hurt the value of your home.

That’s why it’s imperative you follow the steps I’m about to outline today.

In this presentation, I’m going to show you the perfect way to protect yourself, your family and your finances...

In addition, I’ve consulted one of the world’s foremost experts on this threat. He’s been called one of the “26 People to Save the World.”

His guide book is essential reading for navigating the waters ahead. That’s why I’ve arranged to mail a physical copy of his book (100% free of charge with no shipping and handling fees) to the first 500 people who respond to this message today...

I should mention... His guide goes for as much as $67.46 on Amazon... And yet within 15 minutes, we can have it on its way to you at no charge.

But beyond that, there is a silver lining here...

There’s a significant area of the stock market that is not only going to be safe, but will do extremely well because of this...

And I’ve zeroed in on a small cluster of special companies that could see gains of 311%, 539%, 635%, 1,268% and more...

I’ll reveal the specific action you can take today for a chance to turn every $10K into $63,966.

But time is critically important...

The moment is fast approaching.

So let’s get right to it.

Obama’s Emergency Meetings

My name is Sean Brodrick.

For more than four decades, I’ve been a top market analyst for some of the world’s most successful financial publishers. I’m also the author of the best-selling book The Ultimate Suburban Survivalist Guide: The Smartest Money Moves to Prepare for Any Crisis.

My expertise is in identifying crisis situations before they happen.

I help people avoid the collateral damage... And find ways to take advantage for big gains in the market... Simply by knowing what’s coming.

I’ve spent the last six months meticulously investigating the latest crisis that I want to share with you today.

I’ve given lectures on the subject to some of the most well-connected people in finance... Most recently at the Trump SoHo Hotel in downtown Manhattan and at the Aviara in Carlsbad, Calif.

I’ll tell you more about myself shortly, but first, I want to assure you of one thing...

I’m not here to bash the president...

This is one case where he really is trying to stop this situation from going down.

But facts are facts... He simply cannot defend against this threat.

Few people know about this, but he’s recently held emergency meetings with his top cabinet members and he’s brought in all of his homeland security and intelligence and defense officials.

He’s even met with eight CEOs of the most prominent companies affected by this situation.

But little of what’s gone on in Obama’s meetings regarding the threat is publicly known.

All we’ve heard from White House spokesperson Caitlin Hayden is that they’re “not going to discuss internal deliberations, but... we have substantial and growing concerns about the threats to U.S. economic and national security.”

But I’ve been able to uncover a few details and what I’ve seen is scary, to say the least.

We’re looking at possible hits to people’s pension funds, retirement accounts, stock holdings and personal savings.

They’re also discussing major economic damage like rolling power outages, gasoline shortages, water contamination and much more...

Yet nobody seems to have a clear action plan.

Ex-CIA Director Michael Hayden, who has undoubtedly been part of Obama’s meetings, has been extremely frustrated with the end result... Saying the government “lacked a clear picture” of what action to take.

Several others who are undoubtedly called into Obama’s emergency meetings agree... There are profound economic implications here...

Debora Plunkett, a director at the NSA, has said, “It could literally take down the U.S. economy.”

Gen. Keith Alexander said, “(It) could impact and destroy major portions of our financial system.”

But here’s what’s truly in danger: “Our financial institutions.” And those are Obama’s exact words.

An insider with intimate knowledge of this threat, speaking on the condition of anonymity, says this event could decimate the value of Fortune 500 stocks. “Trading that day would halt and uncalculated damage would be done,” the insider said.

Imagine logging into your brokerage account only to see your nest egg down thousands of dollars while in bold red letters the words “TRADING HALTED TODAY” flash across your computer screen.

  From everything I’ve heard coming out of these meetings, the effects could be devastating.

Across the nation, we’d see...

Stocks plummeting.

Housing prices sinking.

Mass layoffs.

Some of Obama’s officials have confirmed it. They’re preparing for it now as we speak.

But no matter how much Obama has tried to prevent this catastrophe, the problem isn’t going away...

I know you’re probably thinking to yourself... What could possibly come out of Obama’s presidency that could have this sort of impact?

What could be this devastating?

You likely won’t be surprised to find out it has something to do with the Edward Snowden leaks... And the chain of events he set off.

Snowden Blindsides Obama, Brings Threat to the Forefront

On Feb. 14, 2013, President Obama uttered what may become infamous words in years to come.

No, it wasn’t, “if you like your plan you can keep it.”

It was calling his tenure, “the most transparent administration in history.”

Because in reality, no other administration has been more shrouded in secrets.

New York Times veteran Chief Washington Correspondent David E. Sanger told the National Review, “This is the most closed, control freak administration I’ve ever covered.”

And it would have stayed that way...

Until whistleblower Edward Snowden came along...

It’s believed Snowden has access to 1,700,000 classified documents.

In early June of 2013, he began unveiling the agency’s top secrets... One by one.

First, Snowden revealed that the phone records of virtually every person in America were being collected and analyzed by the NSA.

Then it came out that the NSA tapped into Yahoo’s and Google’s servers... Tracking the search patterns of all your Internet traffic.

What Snowden revealed upset many American citizens, and rightfully so.

But it pales in comparison to the damage Snowden’s leaks did to our global standing...

The NSA “is like the Stasi”

In order to understand what’s going on, you have to think about how America is perceived worldwide.

You see, Obama’s administration has been marked by controversies, insults, threats and ongoing conflicts across the political spectrum...

Obama snubbed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he visited the U.S... Refusing to meet with the Israeli leader due to a “scheduling conflict.”

He stirred up Russia by declaring a red line on Syria... Before backing away at Putin’s demand.

Since the Obama administration began, we’ve been caught hacking into Chinese computers...

We destroyed an Iranian nuclear facility using the “Stuxnet” virus...

Our enemies and friends abroad were angered that the U.S. was overstepping its bounds.

Then the Snowden leaks confirmed it.

Spying...

Hacking...

Wiretapping...

Data collection...

You name it, we’ve done it. And to virtually everyone in the world.

Enemies and allies.

We’re even tapping our friends’ cellphones.

And it has made a lot of people VERY angry. German Chancellor Angela Merkel even compared the U.S. spying operation to “the Stasi” after discovering we tapped her cellphone.

Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported: “Snowden’s revelations demonstrate that the United States, which has long been trying to play innocent as a victim... has turned out to be the biggest villain in our age.”

Sir John Sawers, head of the British Secret Intelligence Service, said the Snowden leaks were “Very damaging... our adversaries and al Qaida were lapping it up.”

This was supposed to be the era of the U.S. mending relationships with the rest of the world.

But instead, our government’s actions created something very dangerous in our foreign adversaries...

A desire for vengeance.

That’s why Obama is calling these emergency meetings with the CIA, homeland security and defense officials.

Because he’s heard the reports in the Department of Defense. He knows that other governments are actively planning attacks in retaliation.

And as Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has said, without taking appropriate measures, “We are and we will be vulnerable.”

Here’s what’s going to happen...

The Coming “Cyber-Pearl Harbor”

Dozens upon dozens of world governments want revenge against America.

In fact, they’re actively pursuing it.

And the best way to get it is not through a direct conflict, which America could easily defeat... But rather through the easiest and most powerful way to hit America where it hurts...

Electronically.

That’s why, based on the evidence I’m going to share with you right now, I’m convinced that sometime very soon in 2014, we’re going to see the first major cyberattack launched upon the United States.

It could come from a number of countries...

Iran... China... Russia... Pakistan... Germany... Brazil...

In fact, most of these countries spent almost all of 2013 probing our networks...

Iran was suspected of testing the vulnerabilities of U.S water, oil and electric companies throughout all of 2013.

China nearly brought down the entire U.S. economy with the “BIOS” plot, although most Americans didn’t hear one word about it.

China’s intention was to destroy our financial system. (I’ll tell you more about that a little later.)

A recent investigation just found Russian cyberattackers actually hacked into Nasdaq’s computer network and manipulated data... Almost certainly to see how easily they could take down Wall Street.

One American utility company alone is telling Congressional investigators it is hit with 10,000 cyberattacks in a typical month.

Even the U.S. Department of Defense, State, Commerce and Energy and NASA have been hacked... Boatloads of our top secrets have been stolen...

“We probably lost the equivalent of a Library of Congress worth of government information,” said Jim Lewis, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Then there’s the domestic attacks scaring consumers half to death.

How about the pre-Thanksgiving hack at Target? Approximately 110 million people had personal information and credit cards compromised.

It might surprise you who else has been hacked recently:

  There are several other indicators suggesting the worst is yet to come...

As former CIA Director Leon Panetta has said, he envisions “a cyber-Pearl Harbor” in the days ahead...

Ex-Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano warns a “cyber 9/11” could happen “imminently.”

Our adversaries are merely taking jabs at us right now... Tiring our defenses...

Before launching a ferocious deathblow...

Based on the frequency of the intrusions (Napolitano says “Attacks are coming all the time... Increasing in seriousness and sophistication”), I believe we have just weeks left before a major attack hits...

Are You Prepared?

Look, a major cyberattack could come in any number of ways.

I’ll get into some of the more serious ones here in a moment.

But some of the “smaller” types of attacks are probably the most dangerous for you personally.

And I won’t sugarcoat it... a cyberattack could directly hit you very hard financially.

You already know about cybercriminals stealing credit card info, social security numbers and draining personal bank accounts.

But really, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The attacks are getting more complex and sophisticated every day.

For instance, one cybertheft ring will send you an email that steals your online brokerage info right off your computer.

Then, they use an autodialing system to jam your telephone so that as your accounts are drained, the bank can’t call you (and you can’t call them) to check if the withdrawals are legitimate.

The cyberring was able to steal $70 million from accounts at JPMorgan Chase, E-Trade and TD Ameritrade before the FBI got on to them.

Other new hacking techniques include stealing your info through fake credit card “skimmers” installed on gas pumps and ATMs...

  Taking over “My Social Security” accounts online and directing social security payments to the thieves’ accounts...

Calls from phony IRS agents looking to steal your info...

Roaming “cybervans” that could automatically connect to your phone’s Wi-Fi and grab your banking passwords...

Or even new “wallet swipers” that can read your credit card info within a simple “pass” of your pocket in a crowded area.

Of course, the big threat to Obama’s presidency is likely to be a much higher profile attack with grand repercussions.

But the point I’m trying to make is that we live in very dangerous times... Your wealth is at risk.

And that’s why it’s imperative you take measures to protect yourself...

I’ve created four easy-to-follow and potentially very lucrative steps to protect yourself and your wealth...

These steps are not “suggestions.” You need to start thinking about this right away.

I’ll also lead you toward gains as high as 155%, 311%, 635% or more... And show you how the direct impact of a major cyberattack can actually create vast fortunes...

I’m going to get into these steps in detail here shortly, but first I want to go in-depth on what a real cyberattack could look like... because it’s terrifying what a cyberwar can do if you’re not prepared...

It’s Gonna Get Nasty

Most people have no idea how bad a cyberattack could be.

As Senator Ed Markey, D-Mass., said in a May 2013 Congressional report, “With one well-placed keystroke, Americans could be plunged into darkness and chaos.”

What does Senator Markey mean by this?

Imagine what would happen if the Internet gets shut down for weeks or even months at a time...

Companies like Amazon and Google would collapse in value.

Debit and credit card systems would freeze up, causing everyone to rush to the banks for cash...

Or consider the impact of a blackout in New York City for days during a “snowmageddon” type event in February or March...

All it would take is for nine of the 55,000 U.S. electric substations to get hit in order to black out the entire country, The Wall Street Journal reports.

A memo by the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission noted power could go out in America for “at least 18 months, probably longer.”

“If the power grid was taken off line in the middle of winter, and it caused people to suffer and die, that would galvanize the nation. I hope we don’t get there. But it’s possible that we will,” Admiral McConnell, the former U.S. national intelligence director, told CBS.

You may not realize, but this sort of thing happened in Brazil in 2007...

Where millions were without power for days on end... No water... No cellphones... And no Internet...

One prominent Brazilian company lost $7 million in just one day after it was knocked offline.

Then there was the full-blown cyberattack that preceded the 2008 Russia-Georgia War...

Where Georgia’s political, media, communication and transportation companies were hit. Its national bank too... All fingers pointed at Russia.

Then, amidst the chaos and confusion, came the Russian bombs and gunfire.

Many died.

These are terrifying, real life examples...

It’s also clear proof that infrastructure, individuals, businesses, cities, states and countries are all in harm’s way... Including the United States.

Gen. Martin Dempsey, the U.S. chairman of the joint chiefs of staff said, “We are vulnerable. Make no mistake about it.”

Or course, the easiest and most likely attack would be a hit to the financial systems.

In fact, foreign governments have already tried this...

China’s Plot to Destroy Wall Street

Remember the “Flash Crash” in 2010? Stocks dropped 700 points in a matter of minutes...

People initially thought it was a hacker.

Turns out, it was set off by a firm’s effort to make a single trade worth $4.1 billion...

Or so the government says.

But the Flash Crash showed a real vulnerability in our system. With all our trading done online these days, almost every transaction is merely a movement of data on computers.

It’s all electronic.

And this vulnerability was nearly exploited by China last year.

On December 16, 2013, a 60 Minutes report named China as the mastermind behind a plan that could have taken down the entire U.S. economy.

The name of the cyberattack was the “BIOS” plot.

BIOS was intended to send a software update across the entire United States...

If a user agreed to the software update (the kind we thoughtlessly click “Agree” to all the time), the virus would infect the computer, effectively turning it into a cinderblock.

Imagine if this would have happened at a major bank like Chase or a brokerage house like Charles Schwab.

The trading accounts of millions of people would be reset to zero in a moment’s time.

Unraveling that would be utter chaos.

And that’s what the Chinese were trying to do... To institutions and individuals all over the country...

Immediately destroying all computers, thereby wiping out all data...

Somehow, we managed to foil the plot.

But China could have destroyed the U.S. economy.

And they were this close.

It may sound unbelievable that a computer program could cripple the U.S. financial system, but NSA director for cybersecurity Deborah Plunkett told CBS, “Don’t be fooled. There are absolutely nation states who have the capability and the intention to do just that.”

In fact, Russia recently hacked into Nasdaq’s computer network and changed data, so you can see just how easily it could hack the U.S. financial system.

Wiping out the bank accounts of just one major bank would create a cascading effect in the financial systems, dropping the markets thousands of points.

Now I don’t know this will happen. But I do know the people running our financial markets are doing everything in their power to protect against it.

And I believe it’s a near certainty that we’re going to see a successful cyberattack in the early stages of this year.

The sheer number of attempts is becoming so large, eventually one of these attacks is going to hit.

Look at Iran.

They’re “probing our... financial structure, our critical infrastructure vulnerabilities, so they can attack,” House Intel Committee member Adam Schiff said on CNN.

It’s coming at us from all sides now... Which is why I can’t help but believe we’re going to see one of these punches land sometime soon.

Even if it’s only a small one, a lot of people will be hurt financially.

That’s why I’ve made it my mission to protect innocent American citizens...

I’ve created four easy steps you can take right now to quickly protect your wealth and even come out way ahead because of all of this...

Better yet, I’ll also tell you one specific move that could quickly turn every $10K into $63,966.

Just the mere thought of an attack has already propelled some of these investments to rocket higher...

We’re looking at a chance to lock in an entire lifetime of retirement gains in a few short months... Profits of 311%, 424%, 635%, 1,268% and more...

These gains are not off the top of my head. These are the real returns you could be seeing right now as the cybermarkets lift off. Just four returns like these could turn $5K in each into $128,485.

There’s no market I know of delivering bigger returns in a shorter period.

Let me emphasize that what I’m going to share with you is very safe and profitable... Even if there isn’t a major cyberattack in the next few weeks, just the mere threat of it is enough to make you a ton of money.

Here’s what you need to do right now...

Step One: Know Your Enemy

RECEIVE THE NO. 1 USER’S GUIDE TO BEAT THE CYBERWAR, FOR FREE...

As I said earlier, one of the main goals of my research is to warn people ahead of time so that they are fully prepared.

There will be winners and losers in this situation. The winners will do extraordinarily well. And the losers will be hit hard.

I don’t want that to be you.

I can help you protect your personal wealth. Here’s the first way...

I’ve just obtained the most comprehensive book ever created on cyberwar... And I’m blown away by what’s in it.

It’s called Cybersecurity and Cyberwar, What Everyone Needs to Know, by renowned author P.W. Singer.

I want to send you his book FOR FREE today.

Singer is a friend of my organization, The Oxford Club. He’s spoken at several of our events... Which is how I was able to arrange this special free offer for you today.

He’s been called “one of the 100 most influential people in defense issues” by Defense News.

And one of the “26 People to Save the World” by Turner Broadcasting.

Singer has seen this stuff firsthand.

He has witnessed Obama being in over his head...

I must say...

I was floored by Singer’s revelations in this book. It is an absolute must-read for every U.S. citizen.

It includes who the winners and the losers are in a time of cyberwar... and other need-to-know facts...

Like on Page 3 – Singer shows you China’s secret plan to disconnect its Internet from the rest of the world.

Then on Page 26 – Singer unveils how a hacker can figure out your social security number just by finding a picture of your face online.

And on Page 33 – Singer reveals the new model of car you should never buy – it’s far and away the easiest to steal... There’s an epidemic of thefts because of the simple-to-hack technology inside it.

And on Page 133 – A senior military official bluntly describes the biggest gaping hole in the U.S. security system.

And on Page 171 – Singer describes a shocking failure by the Obama administration to protect America.

On Page 191 – Singer details the stalled privacy bill that would have required companies who lose customers’ data to disclose the breach – the hypocritical manner in which the legislation finally passed it (years later) might knock you off your seat.

A hardcover copy of Singer’s book retails for $67.46 on Amazon...

But I’d like to mail you a FREE copy...

Because YOU NEED to have it.

Eric Schmidt, the chairman of Google, called it “an essential read.”

A former supreme allied commander of NATO describes the book as the “most approachable and readable book ever written on the cyber world.”

Look, I’m not going to beat around the bush. This book is a must-have for everyone in this country.

But as of now, we only have 500 copies of Singer’s book in our possession... We’ll mail them to the first 500 who respond.

Again, a copy of this invaluable material is yours for free...

But that’s only a small portion of what I’m offering you today.

I think it’s important that you understand how the cyberwar will happen.

That’s the first step you need to take.

The second is moving to protect yourself.

Step Two: Protect Your Personal Wealth

While P.W. Singer gives you his riveting take on the threat in his book Cybersecurity and Cyberwar, What Everyone Needs to Know (which you’ll receive FOR FREE), I’m going to provide you with the precise steps you need to take to defend yourself in my report How to Protect Yourself From Cybercriminals. AGAIN, FOR FREE.

In it, I’ll unveil to you:

• “Seven Warning Signs Your Identity Has Been Stolen”
  • Hackers can absolutely wreak havoc once they have access to your bank account, credit card or social security number... The devastation might be occurring without you even knowing it!
  • In the matter of a few short minutes, I’ll show you the seven “eye-opening” ways your identity may have been (or could be) comprised.
• “Ten Ways to Protect Yourself Online”
  • These 10 tips will undoubtedly safeguard your wealth.
  • I’ll show you how to quickly secure your wireless network.
  • You’ll find out how hackers are targeting the latest technology (which you most certainly use).
  • You’ll find simple ways to secure your social sites (yet another hot spot for hackers).
  • If you shop online, you’ll develop one specific way to make online purchases.

Last year, an American was hacked every two seconds.

Every two seconds!

These cybercriminals are finding more and more ways to get at the wealth you’ve worked hard for.

They’re cranking out new dangerous computer viruses in an effort to get your data...

They’re on Craigslist, Facebook and online dating sites pretending to be someone they’re not... Prying away at your personal information.

And once they have tidbits of your info, the amount of damage they can do can be downright devastating.

They can zap the funds straight out of your brokerage into a foreign account... Open up credit cards in your name... Even buy homes with your credit.

Hackers have found ways to steal certain cars just by tapping into the new computer systems found under the hood.

And it can happen to anyone.

Look at Ben Bernanke for instance.

The guy was the head of the Federal Reserve.

And yet even Bernanke’s identity was stolen back in 2008 by a crime syndicate known as the “Cannon to the Wiz.” (Cannon is slang for “pickpocket.”)

They got his credit card numbers... check information... and a social security number.

Pretty soon they were cashing Ben Bernanke checks for thousands of dollars.

Again, this is happening to people all over the country... Every two seconds.

And it could happen to you at any moment. Maybe it’s happened already.

That’s why it’s so important for you to receive my report today.

It’s an easy-to-use tool for you to determine whether your personal information has already been compromised.

It will show you how to stay online without worry that the next email you open will install a hacker’s program on your computer...

How to do online banking safely...

And everything in between...

I’ve spent months researching every cyberthreat imaginable. And I’ve found simple ways to fix them all. You’ll find the complete details in my FREE premium report.

That’s step two.

So far, I’m prepared to give you P.W. Singer’s book and my personal cyberprotection report.

That will set you up to defend your personal wealth from whatever attack we might see.

But step three is far and away my favorite.

You see, there is another element to all this that could end up making some people extraordinarily wealthy.

I’m talking hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars.

The fact is one sector of the stock market is set to do exceptionally well when all of this goes down... And it happens to be my personal area of expertise.

The cybersecurity market.

I’ve traveled the world, meeting with leaders within the cybertechnology realm, asking the tough questions...

What I’ve found:

This one sector is set to take off just at the mere threat of a cyberattack...

Step Three: Three Companies Are Essentially Guaranteed to Soar Because of the Cyberattack Threat

You can bet on one thing happening almost instantly in the moment headlines read “Major Cyberattack on U.S. Soil.”

“We’re going to spend a fortune” on cybersecurity according to Martin Hill, vice president of defense for EU and NATO Affairs.

Let me restate that... Once it becomes obvious that we can’t ignore these cyberattack threats, fortunes will undoubtedly pour into the cybersecurity companies with the technology to protect us.

And those who get in early stand to bring in very large sums in a matter of months.

I realize I’m making some pretty bold claims here. But hear me out...

For instance, in early 2012, I tracked one cybercompany trading at $14.80. A few months later, it developed a key mobile security product that made cellphones practically impossible to hack.

It gained an additional 72 million users in just one year’s time, as word quickly spread about the new product.

As a result, revenues skyrocketed.

The company recorded eight straight quarters of growth.

And the stock price jumped from $14.80 to $94.67 by the fall of 2013.

That’s a gain of 539.7% in just 14 months, quickly turning every $10K into $63,966.

And the cybercompanies I’m recommending to you today have developed disruptive technologies far more important than what this company did...

Company No. 1:

“The Great Firewall Company”

The first cybersecurity firm I’m pinpointing recently built a new type of “super firewall” capable of doing exactly what Singer talks about the Chinese doing in his book.

I call it, “The Great Firewall Company.”

It can essentially “disconnect” vital services and infrastructure from outside attacks.

This could work for the stock market, oil pipelines, electricity grids and even your personal bank account.

Imagine how valuable that would be for, say, a bank like Chase.

Even the hint of a big cyberattack threat and boom, it flips the switch and cuts the hackers off before they can get anything.

In the wake of the revelations about China and Iran, virtually everyone is turning to The Great Firewall Company...

For example, it recently confirmed that every single one of the Fortune 100 companies is coming on board.

Every one of them.

For the companies, it’s a no-brainer. They simply can’t afford a major attack.

The rest of the business world is quickly following the lead.

The Great Firewall Company now has tens of thousands of business customers... And it’s growing very fast.

Every corporation has to have this technology and they’re all willing to put millions of dollars on the line in order to make sure hackers can’t get in.

The Great Firewall Company now controls the lion’s share of the worldwide market for its firewall product.

ABI Research shows that global cybersecurity spending in critical infrastructure areas had exploded to $46 billion in 2013.

And future growth could be exponential in the years ahead.

The Great Firewall Company, which recently smashed analysts’ earnings projections, is set to go through the roof...

And here’s another one I expect to be a headliner...

Company No. 2:

Invest in “The Gatekeeper”

Another cybersecurity firm, who I like to refer to as “The Gatekeeper,” basically controls and operates the Internet from behind the scenes.

You may not realize it, but if you want to run a website, you pretty much must go through this company.

It gets to decide who gets in... What access they get... What websites they can connect to.

And I don’t have to tell you the kind of moneymaking position that puts it in.

Think about this: One poll showed 24% of people said they could go without the Internet for only five minutes.

People can’t live without it!

Now picture this... If a cyberattack hits the Internet, guess who governments, corporations, businesses and individuals will be paying handsomely to keep the bad guys out?

The company that operates the Internet, of course.

The Gatekeeper stands poised to rake in billions thanks to its position as the first line of defense...

Insiders at the company must feel the same way I do because they are buying back millions upon millions of shares... Nearly 7 million shares repurchased in the third quarter alone.

So The Gatekeeper’s insiders know its shares are highly undervalued... and could surge at any moment.

I would not be surprised to see triple-digit gains at the minimum within the next two years.

But the last one might be the best of all...

Company No. 3:

“The Identifier”

One of the toughest things about cyberwar is that when an attack hits, you don’t really know who did it!

Even if we have some idea, it is almost impossible to track a good hacker.

That makes it harder to prosecute criminals... And it emboldens them to hit us again and again.

Think about the Target leak.

110 million people’s info exposed... And do we have any clue who did it?

No!

That’s why the last company I’ve found is so important.

I call them The Identifier.

Very simply, this company has developed a system that verifies exactly who a person is...

Keeping unauthorized users out.

It secures data, devices and environments to protect corporate and customer assets with 800 patented technologies.

Just consider for a moment the implications here...

If there was a way to successfully block hackers from private networks...

How much money do you think Target would pay for that technology?

Keep in mind, Target’s total value dropped from $41.8 billion to $35.4 billion in the 75 days after it was attacked.

Surely it would have paid at least $1 billion to avoid that $6 billion loss.

And The Identifier is offering that chance.

You know corporations and governments will be piling up the money to avoid future hacks.

Which is why this company is sure to go through the roof.

And the executives running it know it.

They recently bought back about 4 million shares of their own company’s stock... A clear sign to me that its shares are an incredible value right now.

Which leads me to believe The Identifier is simply poised to explode in profits.

What’s even better... You’ll also collect a fat dividend along the way...

It’s a growing dividend too, having nearly doubled over the past three years.

According to my research, investors in The Identifier are looking at potential 115% gains (or more) in the months ahead.

As you can see from the examples I’ve mentioned, the cybersecurity sector as a whole is going to have free-flowing cash filtering into these stocks.

I’d like to send you the three stock tickers for The Great Firewall Company, The Gatekeeper and The Identifier FOR FREE... All of them come in my premium report The Last Cyber Stand: Three Companies That Defend and Grow Your Wealth.

So in total, you could soon be getting:

• P.W. Singer’s $67 book, Cybersecurity and Cyberwar, What Everyone Needs to Know (mailed to you free of charge with no shipping and handling fees). We’ve only obtained 500 copies, so I can only guarantee them to the first 500 who respond.
• My premium report How to Protect Yourself Against Cybercriminals that shows you the easiest and best ways to defend yourself online.
• My additional premium report The Last Cyber Stand: Three Companies That Defend and Grow Your Wealth, which provides you with the ticker symbols for the top cybersecurity companies that could make you a fortune.

I’d like to send you all of this free of charge within 15 minutes...

But there’s one final step you must take...

Step Four: Expand Your Wealth With
The Oxford Communiqué

I’ve already laid out the precise steps you’ll need to take in order to defend your wealth against cybercriminals... Within the next 15 minutes, you’ll begin receiving my two FREE premium reports as well as P.W. Singer’s book.

All of this is a great head start.

But there’s one more thing I really think you need to do in order to expand your wealth... as I’ll explain in a minute.

Like I’ve told you before, I’ve been in the investment business for a long, long time (four decades)... And along the way, I’ve witnessed the growth of a financial organization that I’ve long respected and admired.

It’s a publishing company that’s been around nearly 30 years...

Its track record of market calls is unmatched.

The Hulbert Financial Digest ranks this company’s flagship publication as one of the top five performing newsletters over the past decade.

It’s more than doubled the compounded return of the S&P 500 since 2001.

The name of the company I’m talking about is The Oxford Club.

I must say, when Oxford Club Executive Director and Publisher Julia Guth called me last year to ask whether I’d be interested in coming onboard as the Club’s newest editor, I couldn’t have been more thrilled.

Having recently authored the best-selling Ultimate Suburban Survivalist Guide: The Smartest Money Moves to Prepare for Any Crisis, Julia knew of my ability to prepare folks for potential disasters.

And I was well aware of the Club’s highly respected analyst and author Alexander Green and his uncanny track record of market calls.

The opportunity to work alongside Alex, a man whose predictions often ring true, was very enticing.

Without a doubt, this was the perfect fit.

And if you’re looking to grow your wealth, then I believe it’s also the perfect fit for you.

Which is why I’d like to invite you to try out an Oxford Club Membership and begin receiving its flagship publication, The Oxford Communiqué.

Now that I’ve shown you how to protect your wealth, I believe receiving The Oxford Communiqué is the final step you must take in order to grow your wealth...

You see, our goal at The Oxford Club is to turn ordinary investors into millionaires and multimillionaires.

To do this, we follow a tried and true strategy of diversity including high-yielding income investments, momentum stocks, special precious metal situations, undervalued real estate plays and many more unusual techniques for delivering well-above-average market returns.

We offer our Members special strategies on legally avoiding taxes, access to special business opportunities between Members and special access and opportunities through our hand-selected Pillar One Advisers.

But we also have a unique perspective on the world and the economy...

If we see a particular sector of the market poised for huge gains, we let our Members know right away so they can maximize their profits.

For example, going into 2013, in our big annual forecast issue of The Oxford Communiqué, we predicted that health care stocks would be the prized sector of the year.

We said certain companies that “execute well will make a lot of money.”

A year later, the biotech sector had outperformed the S&P nearly 3-to-1.

And we did even better with many of our picks.

For example, some Oxford Club Members got in on stocks like Celldex... Which jumped from $5.95 to $30.90 for a 419% gain. Or Astex Pharmecueticals... Up 138%. Or NPS Pharmaceuticals... Up 188%.

Member Bob E. said he made “$40,600” on these types of plays.

That’s what we’re aiming for.

By targeting the sectors set to outperform, we’re able to deliver much higher gains than the broad market can provide.

Perhaps that’s why, since 2001, The Oxford Communiqué has delivered more than double the compounded return of the S&P or the Dow.

Or why the current portfolio has a 96.5% win rate on 29 recommendations with an average gain of 74.6% per position.

I’ll tell you, the track record Alex Green has amassed as the Chief Investment Strategist is truly astonishing.

He and his team of editors have helped our Members not only create extraordinary wealth, but protect that wealth through virtually every major market turn...

• In February of 2000, at the height of the dot-com craze, we sent out a special report to Members, warning, “We are nearing the peak of the Greatest Speculative Mania in all financial history... We think it’s time you take some of your gains off of the table.” Over the next two and a half years, the Nasdaq dropped more than 77%, but our Members were safe.
• Instead of riding the collapse, we shifted strategies to the ultra-cheap commodities markets. We recommended gold and hard asset stocks like Ford Canadian Coal and BHP Billiton that jumped 267% and 263%, respectively.
• In January of 2008, nearly nine months before the financial crisis struck, we warned our Members that “the housing market is going through an adjustment like no one has seen in the past 100 years.” We closed out of all but one single position in our portfolio and actually posted an average gain of 28% while the markets crumbled around us.
• Then in 2009, Alexander Green called the exact bottom of the market in a message to Members that read, “2009 will be a terrible year for the economy. But, shocking and surprising most investors, it should be an excellent year for the stock market.”

The stock market went on to jump 65% by year’s end. And our Members had the chance to ride the gains all the way to the top thanks to Alex’s sage advice.

Member Joe M. of California, for example, wrote to tell us he made more than $1.3 million thanks to Alex’s market calls. “The bottom in 2008 was $1,400,000. Yesterday I was at $2,741,000.

“The point is that when I was at the bottom, [The Oxford Club] gave me the courage to stay in the game.”

But while our market calls and overall performance have helped our Members grow their wealth steadily over many years, it’s the rare opportunities like the one I’ve mentioned today that are the true game changers.

Every once in a while, an opportunity comes along that can hand you years worth of gains over a very short period of time.

Alex and I both see cybersecurity as one of the big growth sectors...

Alex calls it “an unstoppable trend” and for folks “to get on the gravy train before it’s too late.”

And he has done very well in the tech sector... Like when Alex recommended a play on VMware in his Momentum Alert service and handed subscribers a 103.48% gain in about a month and a half.

Or, when he recommended tech company Western Digital Corp., his play went up 194% in 37 days.

Then there was Riverbed Technologies, a key creator of cloud computing technology. It handed Members a quick gain of 134%.

This situation I’ve uncovered today is no different... In fact, it’s likely to be very profitable in the year ahead.

But the point of our investment research group is not to simply tell you about a one-time opportunity and send you on your way.

We’d like to help you develop and maintain a level of wealth that you wouldn’t have thought possible prior to being part of our group.

Why am I so confident?

Because, along with my Oxford Club colleagues Alexander Green, Marc Lichtenfeld, Matthew Carr, Steve McDonald and David Fessler, we’ve helped our Oxford Club Members grow vast fortunes...

We had a banner year in 2013... Which also meant boatloads of cash for our readers...

In 2013 alone, our editors’ Oxford Club VIP services offered readers gains of:

445%	431%	924%
1,480%	329%	419%
775%	669%	and more!

Our mission is to provide Members with insights and investing intelligence they can’t get from the mainstream news media or the traditional brokerage houses.

And never has it been more important than now to hear from an independent voice.

With The Oxford Communiqué, we offer independent research and recommendations for independent people.

This is what our Members are saying about us...

Like Member Norma W., who says, “I want to let you know how pleased I am with all your recommendations.

“They have been so successful that I was able to purchase a $100,000 annuity, which came from these stocks.”

Or Member Gary S., whose only regret was not joining earlier: “I love your service and wish I’d discovered it 20 years ago. That would have saved me $500,000 and a sooner goodbye to Salomon Smith Barney.”

And Lance B., who said, The Oxford Communiqué “has made me a couple mil over the years.”

Then there’s Nicolai S., who wrote, “It’s not just about how to make money, which is important, but also how to prioritize one’s wealth.”

Daniel G. said, “You guys are always keeping me ahead of the curve.”

And Michael O. wrote, “I am deeply indebted to the Club for providing me with my wealth primer... primer on how to live a wealthy and productive life.”

Examples like these help to explain why I think this is one of the best deals, if not the best deal in the financial world.

In the months ahead, we’d like to make sure you have a similar experience to that of our many happy Members.

We’ll send you our monthly Communiqué newsletter detailing the top five or six market opportunities each month. You’ll also receive password-protected access to our website, including details on current recommendations, special situations reports, invitations to Club events and much more.

Between issues, we also offer weekly portfolio updates, free access to our daily e-letters and our weekly Market Wake-Up Call broadcast, with video messages regarding current market developments. In other words, we keep our Members well-informed about everything going on at the Club.

And if you ever have any questions or concerns, our Members Services team is always just a phone call away.

So by now I’m sure you’re wondering how much membership costs. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised...

A Special Offer for New Subscribers to The Oxford Communiqué

By now, I would hope you’re considering giving us a try.

With all these benefits, however, you may be worried that the cost of subscribing to The Oxford Communiqué may cost hundreds of dollars. After all, I’m offering you the chance to protect your wealth and potentially make thousands in the cybersecurity market... And the chance to join an organization that’s beat the S&P approximately 2-to-1 since 2001.

One that currently sports a 96%-plus win rate.

You’d be hard-pressed to find an organization with a better track record.

In addition, you’ll be getting all of my premium reports as well as P.W. Singer’s must-read book that normally retails for $67.

For all of those benefits, you might expect to pay $500 or more for an annual subscription.

Consider our subscriber Lance B. He’s made “a couple mil” following our advice.

No doubt, he would pay a large sum to keep it up.

However, our priority is helping ALL investors. From the lucky ones who have multimillion dollar accounts to those of us striving to hit our retirement targets.

That’s why we’re currently offering new Communiqué subscribers the chance to join for one year – and get all the special bonuses I’ve mentioned – at a special introductory price.

Normally, the retail price of a one-year subscription to The Oxford Communiqué is $149. That’s about $12 per month.

Considering the average person pays an estimated $2,583 per year in fees on their 401(k) account, I’d say that’s more than fair.

But since this is an urgent situation and I think it’s absolutely essential that you receive P.W. Singer’s blockbuster book and my free premium reports, today we are opening membership up at a special price.

You can get a full annual subscription for just $69... Total.

To be quite frank, that’s almost nothing for everything you’re going to get. It equals out to about $6 per month or $0.19 per day.

For that, you’ll get 12 monthly issues of The Oxford Communiqué, access to all our specialized portfolios, password-protected entry to our websites, weekly updates on our positions, our weekly Market Wake-Up Call videos and much more.

And as a new subscriber, the first order of business will be sending you these three promised gifts right away...

• You’ll get P.W. Singer’s riveting book, Cybersecurity and Cyberwar, What Everybody Needs to Know, delivered by mail at no cost to you. But I can only guarantee this for the first 500 who sign up.
• My premium report: How to Protect Yourself Against Cybercriminals
• My additional premium report: The Last Cyber Stand: Three Companies That Defend and Grow Your Wealth

I don’t think I could make this offer any easier. But just in case you have any lasting doubts, let me make one suggestion.

Go ahead and sign up as a Member right now.

Remember, we’re talking about $0.19 a day.

And I’m going to be blunt here.

Considering our track record of doubling the S&P’s compounded return since 2001... $0.19 a day is an absolute steal.

If you don’t think that’s worth it, I don’t think I can help you any further.

But if you’re ready to change your approach and really start making your way towards your personal wealth goals, then you’re the type of person we want as part of our group.

We’ll immediately send you each of the promised reports and give you full access to all benefits of an Oxford Communiqué subscription.

Then take your time and try us out. See if everything I’ve claimed in this message is true.

And then, if at any time over the next 60 days you feel that The Oxford Communiqué is not right for you, we’ll give you a full refund, no questions asked. Plus, you’ll get to keep everything you’ve received so far, including the $67 book and the reports, as our gift to you.

How can I possibly make the deal any better than that?

A free book... a premium report I spent months researching... And 60 days to try out our proven organization.

I can’t think of any reason not to give it at least a shot.

Just listen to longtime Oxford Communiqué subscriber Robert J., who is now in the midst of the perfect retirement... Robert wrote that after six years of an Oxford Communiqué membership, “I have made enough money to last me a couple of lifetimes and now I am going to spend it!”

The amount of money you generate could be downright staggering.

I hope you’re as excited about this opportunity as I am for you.

Just click here or call Member Services at 866.415.8492 or 443.353.4234 to pay the low introductory annual rate of just $69 ($0.19 a day). But I do recommend you do so quickly in order to protect yourself, your family and your wealth.

Because Obama’s biggest threat could take shape at any moment now.

And ask yourself this... Is my account protected against international cybercriminals?

Will my retirement be safe when this all goes down?

Soon, millions upon millions of U.S. citizens will have no idea what to do when the power grid goes down.

But I sure hope you’ll be ready.

Best regards,

Sean Brodrick
Editor and Senior Analyst
The Oxford Communiqué

Sign Up Now

P.S. My latest cybersecurity recommendation is starting to take shape right now. It’s a company set to unveil a disruptive new “super firewall”... It can protect the stock market, oil pipelines, electricity grids and even your personal bank account. It just announced a share buyback of up to $1 billion... Which is why I’m convinced its insiders see it as a “value” pick. Just click below to get this report immediately.

P.P.S. Consider this an important step toward financial freedom. I think once you’ve experienced everything the Club has to offer, your only regret will be waiting so long to try out membership... Remember, you have 60 days to try it out, totally risk-free.