The Principle of Free Exchange, Capitalism, and the Virtue of Kindness

ren123

-

January 23, 2019

The Principle of Free Exchange, Capitalism, and the Virtue of Kindness

Today's Audio Essay:

This is Jim Woods‘ latest article from his The Deep Woods column, which also appeared on StockInvestor.com. This piece, entitled, “Try to Be More Kind” was published on January 23, 2019.

Welcome to Season 2 of the Way of the Renaissance Man podcast. This is a show about ideas, personal empowerment, and celebrating the rational life. Our goal is to help each other discover the tools needed to better focus our minds, integrate our thoughts with actions, and live the lives we really want with your host Jim Woods.

What's Discussed:

The virtue of kindness
Why it matters to your life
Why kindness is supremely represented in the principles of capitalism
And the free market exchange of values

Learn more with Links:

Jim's Websites:

Successful Investing

Intelligence Report

Fast Money Alert

JimWoodsInvesting.com

Now, we want to hear from you! Would like to share your opinion or make a comment on the Way of the Renaissance Man podcast? If so, then please leave your comment or questions in the space provided below and share this article with your friends and family on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Your comments or question could be chosen as our featured Ask the Renaissance Man Anything on a future episode.

Tags: be more kind, kindness, audio essay, free eschange, capitalism, virtues, investing, inflation, stocks, bonds, options, trading, bull market, bear market, market crash, foreign currencies, precious metals, gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rare coins, jim woods, successful investing, intelligence report, renaissance man, renaissance woman, newsletter writer, newsletter, investing newsletter, newsletter editor

Doug Fabian Unveils the Science of Economic Freedom

ren123

-

January 16, 2019

0

Doug Fabian Unveils the Science of Economic Freedom

What’s the real importance of a pivotal person in a Renaissance Man’s life?

That’s the lead question in Season 2 of the Way of the Renaissance Man podcast. Our first season was a big success, and I want to thank all of you for listening and spreading the word about the show. If you like this podcast, I encourage you to tell your friends about it, and to follow us on social media. Also feel free to tag, post and link about the show, as that’s a great way to spread the word virtually throughout the entire world.

This season, I will continue speaking with many more interesting Renaissance Men, and Women, who can help us identify, understand and assimilate the key ingredients essential to constructing a life well lived.

Welcome to the Way the Renaissance Man podcast. This is a show about ideas, personal empowerment, and celebrating the rational life. Our goal is to help each other discover the tools needed to better focus our minds, integrate our thoughts with actions, and live the lives we really want with your host Jim Woods.

Who’s On:

In this episode, I welcome my friend, long-time business associate, and financial expert, Doug Fabian. Doug and I worked together for more than 15 years, first on his investment advisory newsletters, and then with his money management firm.

Doug is currently a Vice President at Mercer Advisors, which has been widely recognized as one of the top Registered Investment Advisers in the country and also is the host of a podcast I highly recommend, called “The Science of Economic Freedom.”

I really enjoyed reminiscing with Doug about our mutual past, but more importantly, I am excited to share with you our conversation, which includes the importance of active listening; a commitment to lifelong learning, what books we’re currently reading, and details about his new podcast and why it can help everyone achieve economic freedom.

What’s Discussed:

The symbiotic relationship between Jim and Doug and what qualities Doug valued most in their working relationship.
Why people need to be mindful of their words.
Doug’s emphasis on the two sides of the importance of listening.
The one thing Doug and Jim agree is the most important part of Jordan Peterson’s “12 Rules for Life.”
How Doug uses swimming to help him think and stay focused.
Jim’s first impression of Doug’s bookshelf.
What the Science of Economic Freedom podcast is all about.
Why having a million dollars doesn’t always mean you have achieved financial freedom.
How economic freedom begins with your spending.
Advice from Doug’s dad on how to handle a police officer during a traffic stop.
And much more…

Learn More with Links:

Doug Fabian's Podcast Website: Science of Economic Freedom

Jim's Websites:

Successful Investing

Intelligence Report

Fast Money Alert

JimWoodsInvesting.com

Now, we want to hear from you! Would like to share your opinion or make a comment on the Way of the Renaissance Man podcast? If so, then please leave your comment or questions in the space provided below and share this article with your friends and family on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Your comments or question could be chosen as our featured Ask the Renaissance Man Anything on a future episode.

Tags: doug fabian, employer, favorite boss, mentor, friendship, listening, investing, inflation, stocks, bonds, options, trading, bull market, bear market, market crash, foreign currencies, precious metals, gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rare coins, jim woods, successful investing, intelligence report, renaissance man, renaissance woman, newsletter writer, newsletter, investing newsletter, newsletter editor

Jedi Master Wisdom and Fear Featuring Jim Woods

ren123

-

January 9, 2019

0

Jedi Master Wisdom and Fear Featuring Jim Woods

Named must your fear be before banish it you can.

–Yoda, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Are you spooked about putting money to work after the disaster that was the end of 2018? I don’t blame you if you are, but there is no reason to be. The first step in getting over your fear is to name it. By first identifying why you are afraid to invest — e.g., lack of market understanding, fear of taking losses, fear of being wrong — you can banish it from your being and begin the path toward, as Jedi Master Yoda might say, the light side of the Force.

Wisdom about money, investing and life can be found anywhere. If you have a good quote you’d like me to share with your fellow Renaissance Man readers, send it to me, along with any comments, questions and suggestions you have about my website, newsletters, podcast or anything else.

In The Name Of The Best Within Us,

Jim Woods

Renaissance Man

Jim Woods Season 3 Guest Appearance on Unlock Your Wealth Today

ren123

-

January 4, 2019

0

Jim Woods Season 3 Guest Appearance on Unlock Your Wealth Today

Today I was the special guest on one of my favorite financial TV shows, Unlock Your Wealth Today, with host Heather Wagenhals. If you’d like to see me interviewed about what happened in markets in Q4, how politics and algorithms influence the financial markets, and the focus of my various newsletters and websites, then this show is must-see TV.

.

Here's the special offer link I gave to Unlock Your Wealth fans for my new advisory service Bullseye Stock Trader for a Free special report and no-risk trial click here.

Renaissance Man 2019: An Antidote to Chaos

ren123

-

January 2, 2019

0

Renaissance Man 2019: An Antidote to Chaos

Repost from “The Deep Woods”

One of the biggest breakout best-sellers of 2018 was the intellectual self-help work, “12 Rules for Life” by Dr. Jordan Peterson. The subtitle of this excellent and highly recommended book is “An Antidote to Chaos.” As Peterson explains throughout the work, life by its very nature is fraught with chaos that must constantly be put into order. This order is hierarchical, philosophical, political, social, and most importantly, personal.

I agree with much of what Peterson writes in “12 Rules for Life,” although I disagree with a lot of his overall work. I’ll save our points of disagreement for another time, as I want to focus on the key takeaway here, which for me is that the chaos of life—as well as the chaos in financial markets that we all painfully lived through in the fourth quarter of 2018—does demand an antidote.

For subscribers to my newsletter advisory services, we take on this chaos by employing sound investing principles, proven tactics and strategies, focused fundamental and technical analysis, a psychological understanding of market behavior and an awareness of the current zeitgeist in markets (something I call “NewsQ”) to help us navigate accurately.

Well, in life, we also need tools to help us navigate accurately.

And, in the year ahead, perhaps more than ever, it’s important to put as many tools in our kit to deal with what appears to be some truly overwhelming societal, political, financial and even personal chaos.

Last year, my team and I launched a tool to help with that personal chaos, and it is the Way of the Renaissance Man website and podcast.

From fighter pilots to West Point grads; from Samurais to psychologists, from anarchists to anti-tax warriors, and from radio hosts to FBI agents to war heroes, the inaugural season of the Way of the Renaissance Man podcast had a little something for every curiosity seeker.

We kicked off the season with Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. Grover is a man on a mission to help you keep more of your money. More importantly, we discussed what it really takes to be truly committed to an idea.

In my discussion with Rich Checkan, West Point graduate and businessman, we talked about the military ethos and how it can help define one’s focus and help integrate concepts and ideas into real-world action.

West Point grad, former U.S. Army officer and businessman Rich Checkan of Asset Strategies International dons his very own Way of the Renaissance Man t-shirt.

I found a similarly invigorating discussion with former Marine Corps fighter pilot Ed Rush, who shared some success-enabling habits he learned during his military service. Ed also let me in on some of his fascinating “21-day adventures” in self-improvement.

With psychologist Dr. Joel Wade, author of the fantastic book, “The Virtue of Happiness,” we discussed the nature of happiness, what it is to actually be happy and what the “success of being human” really means.

Life is never dull when you’re speaking with the always-entertaining creator of the Financial Survival Network, Kerry Lutz. Here we riffed on Facebook, the value of skepticism, and even Yossarian, the unforgettable protagonist from Joseph Heller’s masterpiece, “Catch-22”.

In season one I also spoke with the eminently interesting anarchist and “dollar vigilante,” Jeff Berwick, an extremely passionate man who takes life seriously, and who also has a lot of fun doing so.

The inaugural season also brought us two major figures in the war on terror, retired FBI Special Agent and counterterrorism expert John Iannarelli, and Afghanistan subject matter expert and interpreter for the Coalition Forces during the war against the Taliban, Saber Rock.

Both John and Saber are fighting the same battle, namely the forces of theocratic tyranny. And, both of these men helped us understand how to be your best self in the face of incredible adversity.

Finally, I got a chance to connect again with my long-time friend, fellow market analyst, motorcycle enthusiast and real-life Samurai Keith Fitz-Gerald. If you want wisdom from one of the smartest men on planet earth, this episode is a must listen.

Now, in addition to the amazing guests I had the privilege of spending time with, I also was able to share some interesting views via my articles, speeches, media appearances, and quotes in the areas of ideas, high-intensity pursuits, human relationships, health and fitness, and finance and money. We also featured some great guest contributions this year.

Some of my favorite articles include:

How You Park Your Car is How You Approach Life

3 Renaissance Man Rules of Wealth Building

5 Favorite Renaissance Man Quotes to Live By

8 Keys to Cultivating a Renaissance Man Mindset

In the spirit of the aforementioned antidote to chaos, I started this project as a free adjunct to my work here at The Deep Woods, and as a supplement to my newsletter advisory services Successful Investing, Intelligence Report, Bullseye Stock Trader and Fast Money Alert, which all can be accessed simply by going to JimWoodsInvesting.com.

I did so, because in an era of chaos characterized by a frequent lack of intellectual curiosity, mental laziness, destructive “conventional wisdom” that is anything but wise, and even the willful evasion by good people in the face of evil, it’s important to put as much ammunition in your arsenal as you can in order to win the battle for your values.

The Way of the Renaissance Man website and podcast is there to help us all focus on what matters, and to integrate that knowledge and meaning into our lives so that we can rationally celebrate our victories and continue battling our dragons. Anything short of that is just letting yourself down in the most important pursuit you’ll ever engage in… the pursuit of your own values.

In 2019, the Way of the Renaissance Man will continue this pursuit with a vengeance, and together, we help each other discover the tools needed to better focus our minds, integrate our thoughts with actions, and live the lives we really want.

May the new year bring you continued focus, integration, celebration… and a true antidote to chaos of all stripes.

The Deep Woods ‘Best of’ Issue From Jim Woods Investing

ren123

-

December 26, 2018

0

The Deep Woods ‘Best of’ Issue From Jim Woods Investing

An exciting look at the past year of the Deep Woods publication from Jim Woods Investing

By Jim Woods

When historians look back at the year that was 2018, it’s probably going to be remembered for the bearish turn of events that began in early October.

The sharp selling started then, and it continued through the night before Christmas. Today, stocks are up sharply, and the bulls are hoping Santa will keep bringing the holiday cheer for the remainder of the year.

So, while the markets enjoy this long-overdue, oversold bounce, I’ll take this opportunity to look back on the year and present to you what I call the “Best of” issue, i.e. The Deep Woods articles I thought were the most important of the year. And this was a very important year for this publication, as it was only in July that we changed our name from the Weekly ETF Report to The Deep Woods.

We did this to better reflect the broader scope of this publication, and to more accurately define the in-depth focus on the principled issue affecting markets, the economy, society and culture.

As one reader put it, “I like that you peel the onion skin back to show us what’s going on beneath the surface of things.”

There was perhaps no better example of an issue that required peeling the onion skin back this year than the trade war. Throughout the year, the market has been plagued by what I consider an unnecessary, dangerous and destructive trade war between the United States and China that is anti-individualist, anti-free trade and even borders on being anti-American.

I say that because America is not about the government erecting barriers to your freedom to trade with others. America is about erecting barriers that protect the individual from government.

The tariffs imposed by the Trump administration as a “negotiating ploy” are one of the biggest causes for the market selling, because it’s causing uncertainty and fear that corporate bottom lines will come in a lot softer in the fourth quarter and for the full year.

In “Whiskey, Tailpipes and Tribalism: Singing the ‘Trade War Blues’,” I wrote about the damage of the trade war and its casualties, including companies such as Brown-Forman Corp. (NYSE: BF-B) and Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG).

In August, I addressed the trade war’s detractors, the libertarian-leaning Koch brothers, and their fight with President Trump. In what was one of the most widely read columns of the year, “Forget Pepsi Vs. Coke, Now It’s Trump Vs. Koch,” I asked you to tell me which party you thought was on the correct side of the tariff debate. The results were almost evenly split, with a slight edge going to the president.

Other columns related to freedom, free markets and free trade that made my Best of 2018 list include “Reflections on the Best FreedomFest Ever,” “Dear Uncle Sam, Please Stay out of My Mouth,” and my takedown of Columbia University law professor and antitrust champion Tim Wu in “In Defense of Economic ‘Bigness’.”

Yet this year wasn’t just about advocating for freedom. This year also was about celebrating our good fortune and remembering the importance of sharing that good fortune with others.

In “The Best of Times Is Right Now,” I wrote about attending a lecture by Harvard University psychologist Steven Pinker on the topic of his great book, “Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress.” This lecture not only inspired me, but it allowed me to keep in perspective just how great we have it in 21^st-century America, and what that greatness is built upon, i.e. reason, science and enlightenment values.

In “The One Frequency to Tune in This Holiday Season,” I wrote about how fortunate I feel to be in a position to help support my favorite charity, Texas-based Upbring, a nonprofit organization working to break the cycle of child abuse by empowering children, families and communities. There’s still time to make a difference in 2018, and I encourage you to do so via a donation to Upbring.

This year, I also reflected on the deaths of two high-profile political figures, President George H.W. Bush and Arizona Sen. John McCain. The respective passing of these two men of character reminded the nation that character still matters, and that class, respect and love for America isn’t just about slogans and bluster.

In 2018, I also was proud to announce the launching of two new projects in The Deep Woods. The first was my new podcast and website, Way of the Renaissance Man, a show about ideas, personal empowerment and celebrating the rational life.

The goal of this project is to help us all discover the tools needed to better focus our minds, integrate our thoughts with actions and live the lives we really want.

Later in the year, I also told you about my new advisory service, Bullseye Stock Trader, a stock and options trading publication designed to identify the best-of-breed stocks displaying the fundamental and technical attributes that allow them to continue leading the market higher.

Finally, although I was proud of all The Deep Woods issues in 2018, perhaps my very favorite came the day before Thanksgiving, when I told you “This Year, Also Be Thankful for Dragons.”

I’m not alone here, as I had several readers tell me this also was their favorite. I even had one reader tell me they thought it was directly about them, as the message of struggling mightily to achieve one’s values, even in the simple tasks of life, can be supremely liberating and supremely personal. The reason why is because when you prevail in such a fight, you are both better and more gratified than you were before the engagement.

It is this embrace of these battles, both big and small, that I will take into 2019 and beyond. Because in The Deep Woods, we love to slay dragons of all varieties, both the mighty, exogenous kind, and the smaller, more personal kind.

Thank you for a fantastic 2018, and here’s to a tremendous 2019.

Now, we want to hear from you! Would like to share your opinion or make a comment on the Way of the Renaissance Man podcast? If so, then please leave your comment or questions in the space provided below and share this article with your friends and family on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Your comments or question could be chosen as our featured
Ask the Renaissance Man Anything on a future episode.

Jim Woods Media Appearance With The Wall Street Reporter

ren123

-

December 19, 2018

0

Jim Woods Media Appearance With The Wall Street Reporter

In this reprise interview, Jim shares a few of his coveted secrets for profiting in the markets that he saves for his newsletter subscribers with the host of the Wall Street Reporter which first aired on the WallStreetReporter.com as well as his views on 2019.

Welcome to the Way the Renaissance Man podcast. This is a show about ideas, personal empowerment, and celebrating the rational life. Our goal is to help each other discover the tools needed to better focus our minds, integrate our thoughts with actions, and live the lives we really want with your host Jim Woods.

Copyright Wall Street Reporter

To learn more about Jim's publications, check out these links:

JIM WOODS

Successful Investing

Intelligence Report

Fast Money Alert

JimWoodsInvesting.com

Tags:

united states military, investing, inflation,fed rate hike, subject matter expert, sme, market crash, foreign currencies, precious metals, gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rare coins, jim woods, successful investing, intelligence report, Bullseye Stock Trader, renaissance man

Decisions, Motorcycle Adventures, and the Way of the Bushido featuring Keith Fitz-Gerald

ren123

-

December 12, 2018

0

Decisions, Motorcycle Adventures, and the Way of the Bushido featuring Keith Fitz-Gerald

Some men exude robust confidence.

Others radiate intelligence and intellectual prowess. Still others project a quiet physical strength that tells the world, “I got this.”
But all of these qualities are rare to find in one man, and Keith Fitz-Gerald is just such a man.

Welcome to the Way the Renaissance Man podcast. This is a show about ideas, personal empowerment, and celebrating the rational life. Our goal is to help each other discover the tools needed to better focus our minds, integrate our thoughts with actions, and live the lives we really want with your host Jim Woods.

On this episode of the Way the Renaissance Man podcast, I converse with investment expert, husband, father, Samurai, and most importantly, my friend, Keith Fitz-Gerald. Keith is a seasoned analyst, trader and consultant with 35 years in global markets and extensive international media experience. And as Chief Investment Strategist for a leading financial research publisher for the last 10 years, he is one of the most widely read market experts on the planet. He is a sought-after speaker, motorcycle enthusiast, and world adventurer.