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How would you like to wake up to a blaring alarm clock and report to a 28-year-old boss every morning in retirement?
Unfortunately, this is the grim reality for many retirees today. Gallup is reporting that there are more and more post-retirement job-seekers out of necessity than ever before.
But I've found a way to cash in on a windfall that could pay you for life so you can avoid a nightmare retirement. And it has nothing to do with a 401(k) or making any risky moves in the market. Details here.
| | | 10/15/2014 By David Dittman 
Remember The Jetsons, the old cartoon where George Jetson zipped around in a flying car and pushed buttons to have machines do things for him?
Remember how far-fetched everything seemed back then?
When Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera created the series back in 1962, it was their vision of what the world would look like a century later.
We still have a long way to go until 2062—and until we see a flying car.
But the Jetsons' "home of the future" is a lot closer than most people think.
Thanks to the Internet, smartphones and big data, new homes are getting a high-tech makeover that's making Jetsons-like things a reality.
David VanderWaal, a senior marketing leader for LG Electronics, recently told the Wall Street Journal, "We will have a Jetsons-like life. I think the real question is just how soon."
Growing Lifetime Payouts From the Next Tech Megatrend
I'm talking about smart homes—a new technology that will revolutionize how we live, work and play.
And because the one service virtually every household in the country pays for is a utility, the big action is happening in the utility sector.
Cisco president Rob Lloyd says the smart home trend could add $600 billion to utilities' bottom lines. Just to give you an idea of how big that is, the entire GDPs of Denmark and Switzerland clock in at $314 billion and $632 billion, respectively.
And if you zero in on the handful of companies moving toward this new technology now, you can collect growing payouts for life.
And you don't have to invest in volatile tech stocks to do it.
In a moment, I'll tell you how to get full details on the four strongest—and most risk-averse—utilities getting in the game now.
But before I do, let me show you why I'm firmly convinced that…
Smart Homes Are Here to Stay
Picture this: You wake up in the morning and roll out of bed. Your thermostat instantly recognizes you're awake and warms or cools your house depending on the season.
As you head into the kitchen, the smell of fresh coffee is already in the air, and your cup is waiting for you—fixed just how you like it. The blinds open automatically and the morning sun beams through the windows.
Sound like science fiction?
It's already starting to happen in San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood, where new homes have a fingerprint entry system that's programmable for housekeepers, dog walkers or anyone else who needs to get in. You can control the homes' security, lighting and climate systems from an iPad or smartphone.
In Florida, a new condo has an elevator that lifts your car to your front door while you're still sitting in it. The units have high-tech features like glass partitions that turn opaque when you push a button.
Now it's true that these gizmos are still out of reach for most people, but it's only a matter of time before the trend starts flooding households everywhere.
The technology will improve and costs will go down—just like it has with every new technology throughout history.
How do I know?
Because one of the world's most successful companies wants to make smart homes accessible to everyone—just as they have with another ground-breaking technology.
Google: Ringing the Doorbell
I'm talking about Google—the most widely used search engine in the world.
Right now, 74% of consumers use Google, so the company already has a strong footing in households. But it's going even further.
In January it acquired Nest Labs, which has taken boring thermostats and smoke detectors and turned them into high tech.
Nest's thermostat programs itself to your preferences. You can control it from your smartphone, and it has energy-efficient settings for when you're away. According to Nest, the thermostat can save you 20% on your heating and cooling bills.
The company's smoke detector is another remarkable device. Instead of a piercing alarm when you're cooking in the kitchen, it notifies you in a human voice exactly where the smoke is coming from and flashes the lights in that room.
When your Nest system is in "away" mode, it randomly switches on lights to give the impression that you're home. And if your Nest detects smoke when you're not home, it sends a text message to your neighbors.
With Google's backing, Nest now has more than 5,000 of the brightest software developers on the planet working to make smart homes an everyday reality.
In all, the search giant has spent $3 billion snapping up Nest and other companies developing smart home technology. That's a lot of money, even for Google.
All this is already happening.
"Like Google's other moon shots—Google Glass and driverless cars—Nest will steer the world toward the house of the future. Only faster," wrote Entrepreneur magazine.
The key takeaway: the smart homes trend in utilities is here. And it's a huge profit opportunity right now.
Which brings me back around to…
Your 4 Best Smart Home Buys Now
Right now I'm recommending four utilities poised to deliver you a steady stream of rising payouts for the rest of your life—all thanks to the coming smart home bonanza.
I've put everything you need to know about each of them in a new special report called "The Jetsons' Home of the Future Is Here: How to Cash in on a New $600 Billion Opportunity."
Even better, I've made arrangements with my publisher to let you have a free copy today when you try out my Utility Forecaster advisory risk-free for three months.
It reveals picks like Jetsons Home of the Future Opportunity #1, which has been around since 1875. In the past 10 years, the stock is up 137%, beating the S&P 500 by 21 percentage points. As a bonus, it yields 5.2%. Now it's offering home automation services for as little as $4.99 a month to its current customers.
I've been researching this company for years, and I'm convinced it will be a key player in bringing the Jetsons' home of the future to millions of utility customers.
You get a full breakdown of this company—and three other smart home winners-in-the-making—in my new free report.
But I must tell you, all four of the stocks I reveal in "The Jetsons' Home of the Future" are moving fast, so you'll want to make sure you check them out now.
Click here to learn more about this amazing opportunity now.
Editor's note: The rich are always the first to adapt to new technologies, then everyone else follows along. Google knows it. Now you know it.
You do not want to miss out on being an early investor in smart homes. And with these four forward-thinking utilities, you can do it without investing in volatile tech stocks.
Don't be left behind.
Go here to grab your share of the profits now! | | |
Apple generates a lot of buzz whenever they release a product. But there's a hidden investment opportunity within Apple's iPhone and iPad that few investors know about.
It has nothing to do with microchips or processors… touch-screen technology… or any app on the phone. But it's singlehandedly creating a $600 billion market. That's nearly twice the GDP of Singapore!
See how we're cashing in on this opportunity by going here.
| | | 10/15/2014 By Chad Fraser 
Simply put, the Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the web's spread beyond computing devices, such as laptops and smartphones, and into things like industrial sensors and everyday objects like thermostats, refrigerators and parking meters.
Right now, the poster child for the IoT is the Nest thermostat. When you adjust the Nest, it "learns" your preferred temperature and schedule. The thermostat also has a sensor that can tell when you're not home and adjusts the temperature accordingly.
The Nest also has a Wi-Fi connection that lets you control it from a computer or smartphone and comes with apps you can use to monitor your energy consumption. In addition, the device can keep track of local weather conditions, helping it calculate how they affect your thermostat use.
Nest, acquired by Google (NasdaqGS: GOOGL) in January, also makes the Nest Protect, a connected smoke alarm that, among other things, sends a message to your smartphone or tablet if it detects smoke or elevated carbon monoxide levels while you're away.
The Internet of Things in Action
But for every popular product like these, there are dozens of humble sensors, tracking devices and other types of equipment quietly streaming data to other machines and users around the world.
Examples include Lindsay Corporation's (NYSE: LNN) FieldNet system, which lets farmers control and monitor complex irrigation systems, right down to individual pumps, with a smartphone or tablet.
Vehicle-based systems, like Trimble Navigation's (NYSE: TRMB) Fleet Management Solution, are another well-established IoT application. With this technology, dispatchers can monitor a vehicle's location, power use and condition. The system can also set off an alert when drivers exceed local speed limits, are idle for too long or make unauthorized stops.
Explosive Growth Ahead
Even with these innovations, the Internet of Things remains very much in its infancy, but recent forecasts point to continued strong growth.
For example, a March 2014 report from IT research firm Gartner predicted that the IoT will consist of 26 billion units (excluding PCs, tablets and smartphones) by 2020, and related suppliers will generate more than $300 billion in revenue. If that forecast comes to pass, it would represent a massive leap from just 900 million connected devices in 2009.
Consumers certainly seem enthusiastic about adding connected gadgets---like thermostats, smoke detectors and even smart fridges---to their homes: in an August 2014 study, market research firm Acquity found that 69% of Americans plan to buy such a device within the next five years.
By the end of next year, Acquity estimates, about 13% of U.S. homes will have at least one IoT device, up sharply from just 4% now.
Acquity expects the most popular products to be wearable fitness devices (with an expected 43% adoption rate in the next five years), smart thermostats (also with a 43% adoption rate) and connected security systems (35%).
"High-Margin" Opportunities for Wireless Providers
One way to invest in the longer-term growth of the Internet of Things is through major wireless carriers like AT&T (NYSE: T) and Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ).
The sector is already benefiting from the IoT's expansion: according a January reportfrom Raymond James, the IoT generated $16.2 billion in revenues for global wireless providers in 2013, and that total is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 16%, to $31.1 billion in 2017---higher than the growth rate for overall wireless services.
Even so, the brokerage estimates that IoT revenue will account for less than 5% of wireless companies' total revenue by the end of 2017---but the trend will still add to their profits:
"Although small in revenues, connected devices and machines that can talk to each other and the network represent large, very high margin revenue opportunities for the likes of AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile," says the Raymond James report.
"In general, IoT applications use very little data, and traffic is generally not as time-sensitive as voice, resulting in a margin-rich service opportunity that in effect can make use of excess network capacity and provide a recurring revenue stream for five to 10 years, given the long life of many IoT assets in the field."
Verizon: Logging On
Verizon, America's largest wireless provider and a buy recommendation of our Utility Forecaster advisory, continues to pursue new opportunities in connected devices on a number of fronts.
For one, the company has been making big investments in its wireless and wireline networks in the past few years, to the tune of around $4 billion a quarter. Verizon finished the rollout of its high-speed 4G LTE wireless network last year and now offers 4G LTE service to 97% of the nation.
The company also offers a range of applications to help organizations manage and secure their machine-to-machine networks, including its Managed Certificate Services cloud-based platform, launched in November 2013. The system helps users authenticate each individual machine's identity, manage access to sensitive data and protect the information each device transmits.
In addition, Verizon recently entered into a new agreement with General Electric (NYSE: GE) to help connect and secure the various machines---from turbines to lighting systems---GE is developing under its "Industrial Internet" initiative. Under the deal, the companies will also work together to further develop GE Predix, the software that backs GE's IoT efforts.
Wireless Growth Powers Second Quarter Earnings
Meanwhile, Verizon's second quarter revenue rose 5.7% from a year earlier, to $31.5 billion, beating the consensus forecast of $31.1 billion.
Earnings came in at $4.3 billion, or $1.01 per share, compared to $2.25 billion, or $0.78, a year ago. On an adjusted basis, earnings gained 24.7%, to $0.91 a share from $0.73, topping the Street's forecast by a penny. The growth was driven by Verizon's wireless segment, which comprises more than two-thirds of its total revenue. Wireless added 1.4 million customers under contract in the latest quarter, up from 941,000 a year earlier.
Verizon trades at 12.5 times its forecast 2015 earnings of $3.88 a share. The stock boasts a 4.5% dividend yield.
4 More Ways to Profit From the Home of the Future
Most investors don't realize it, but utilities are at the center of the action when it comes to smart homes.
Cisco says this game-changing shift could add $600 billion to utilities' bottom lines. And Utility Forecaster chief strategist David Dittman has zeroed in on four that are poised to grab the biggest share of the profits.
He's put all the details in a new free report called "The Jetsons Home of the Future Is Here: How to Cash in on a New $600-Billion Opportunity." Just click below to get your copy free.
Click here to get the full story now! | | |
Heading into 2014, investors were bearish on utilities after the sector underperformed the S&P 500 in 2013. But utilities are turning out to be one of the best-performing sectors of the year so far.
What's driving this trend? Low interest rates and green energy have something to do with it, but there's another driving force that many people don't know about. It's based on a 1962 prediction that's finally becoming a reality and creating a $600 billion market in its wake.
Are you missing out on this opportunity right before your eyes? Find out here.
| | | 10/13/2014 By Robert Rapier 
Despite the current declines across the energy sector, I firmly believe that energy should be a core long-term holding in most portfolios. As a result, I haven't sold any of my core energy holdings in response to the recent volatility. Investors in the energy sector shouldn't panic if they are investing in quality companies. However, I have personally avoided speculative energy holdings this year given my expectation that oil prices would soften. Next week's Energy Letter will elaborate on this theme. This week, I want to discuss a recent bankruptcy by a supplier to solar energy equipment manufacturers, because there are lessons there for investors in every sector. Last week a company called GT Advanced Technologies (NASDAQ: GTAT) caught investors completely off guard when it declared bankruptcy seemingly out of the blue. GTAT is a supplier of materials used to make polysilicon, a key ingredient in solar cells and wafers, and of crystallization furnaces used in the manufacture of photovoltaic cells. In addition, the company was partnered with Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), and had been expected to supply sapphire glass for either the new iPhone 6 or the Apple watch. As a result the share price of GTAT ran up by more than 100% this year leading up to the September announcement of the new iPhone. Shares sold off by about 40% after Apple announced it would not be using GTAT's sapphire glass in the iPhone 6, but a June update from GTAT had indicated that the company still had $333 million in cash on hand. Analysts reassured investors that the long-term future was still bright, and numerous investors accumulated on the dip. Then, on Oct. 6, with no previous warning, the company declared bankruptcy. The share price immediately dropped 93%. There are a number of lessons here for investors, and given the deep recent declines across the energy sector, they are worth repeating.
1. The single most important lesson is to diversify. I have read many accounts now of people being overly concentrated in this company. Those investors saw wealth vanish in the blink of an eye. Though very bullish on the long-term outlook for the energy sector, I still have less than 30% of my portfolio in the sector. I do admittedly have 15% of my portfolio in one company, but it's a blue chip that pays a good dividend, has a solid long-term business, and consistently reports good earnings. Which brings me to my second point.
2. Pay attention to the balance sheet. I rarely invest in a company that isn't consistently profitable, but if you do invest in a business that's burning cash, keep an eye on the burn rate and the balance sheet. If you invest in a company that is consistently cash flow negative, you are naturally at greater risk no matter how bright the outlook might seem.
3. Invest in management you can trust. In the GTAT case, investors may have learned that lesson too late, but I avoid companies in which management frequently provides disappointing guidance or makes moves that are unfriendly to shareholders. It doesn't matter how cheap a stock appears to be, if you can't trust management then you can't really trust that it offers good value. Just look at Westport Innovations (NASDAQ: WPRT) or Eagle Rock Rock Energy Partners (NASDAQ: EROC) -- both of which have made a habit of disappointing shareholders. I am frequently asked whether I would be a buyer of either at the prevailing price, and my answer is always the same: I don't trust management. I lost trust in Westport when it was trading at $28/share. Right now it's at $6.05. I lost trust in EROC when it was at $8.50. Today it closed at $2.95. Management worthy of your trust doesn't guarantee a good return, but it can limit your downside by providing realistic guidance.
4. Don't invest in a company that is overly dependent upon one supplier or one customer. In the case of GTAT, the relationship with Apple was critically important for its survival. When that relationship apparently soured, GTAT really had no other options.
5. Pay attention to significant insider transactions. Heavy insider selling is always a red flag. In this case, GTAT CEO Tom Gutierrez was definitely not putting his money where his mouth was, dumping 75% of his stake ahead of the iPhone 6 announcement. This also speaks again to investing in management teams you can trust. If they are providing rosy outlooks but selling their shares, those actions speak louder than words. Conclusions Over the past 10 years, the energy sector has led all sectors three times in annual returns, and was the runner-up once. Never has it been the worst-performing sector. The energy industry will weather this storm as it has weathered every storm before. But there are winners in the worst-performing sectors and losers in the best-performing sectors. Invest in quality companies, apply the lessons from GTAT's bankruptcy to protect yourself from nasty portfolio shocks and you will profit despite some periodic volatility. This article originally appeared in the The Energy Letter column. Never miss an issue. Sign up to receive The Energy Letter by email. | | |
Right now, in your neighbor's house, and maybe even in your house, a $600 billion market is quietly being created. Google has invested $3 billion in it in the past year alone. Apple and Microsoft are getting in on it, too.
But most investors still aren't aware of this new business. Why? Because it's taking place in a "boring" industry. The media and stock tipsters out there would rather talk about the next great hype than a solid investment that'll pay you for life.
Here's your opportunity to invest in growing, stable companies that have a history of paying consistent yields. Details here.
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