Gridlock! Whether you’re delighted or dismayed by the results of the midterm election, I’ve got encouraging news for you—a divided government in Washington isn’t such a bad thing for your investments. This month, I’ll show you how you can take advantage of the new paths to profit that the election has opened up. In fact, I expect gains of 40%-60% in the next two years for my top picks. December also marks the fourth anniversary of our Incredible Dividend Machine. This nifty portfolio has beaten the overall stock market by such a huge margin it’s almost amusing. In our latest lineup, I’m swapping two of the members of the Machine with new names that I’m confident will keep the streak going. Finally, the holiday season is the perfect time to do some housecleaning, and if you’re sitting on a mutual fund that has outlived its usefulness, raise a glass of holiday cheer and toast it good-bye. Then replace it with one of my four best funds for your specific needs.

In this month’s visit, I’ll show you how to reserve your seat for the ride up. Surprisingly, perhaps, some of tomorrow’s biggest winners
are likely to be stocks that most investors have heard of—but don’t happen to own. I’ll point you to three, in particular, that should
comfortably double your wealth over the next three to five years.

This is a dicey, toppy-looking stock market. But there are still enough long-term bargains to keep me buying selectively. If the bear does return to Broad and Wall in 2006, I suspect that some of these bargain-basement stocks will hold their own — and possibly even appreciate — in the face of a lackluster showing by the major indexes.

To pull ahead of the crowd, you need a plan—and we’ve got one! In this
month’s visit, I’ll share with you the two essential pieces of our strategy. Hint: It’s not just about buying the cheapest stocks we can find; when you buy is almost as important as what. Fortunately, we’ve got a raft of solid values to choose from—and a great opportunity to pounce should come during the month of March.

In this month’s visit, I’ll show you how to fine-tune your portfolio for
safety and profit. Radical surgery isn’t called for (certainly not if you’ve taken the baby steps I suggested in the July and August issues). Instead, I advise you to focus your efforts on generating more income here and now from your investments. If you do, the capital gains will flow back to you in due course.

Yesterday’s stock market rally was a barnburner. Most commentators today are focusing on the big point gains in the popular indexes, but I’m more impressed with the breadth of the advance.