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| . | | The Speakers
of SIC 2017 
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Dear Reader, I truly wish you could join me at the upcoming 2017 Strategic Investment Conference in Orlando... but with two weeks to go, this year’s SIC is completely sold out. The demand this year made me feel like I was organizing an investment Super Bowl... which, given the All-Star lineup, I guess it is. Passes for the SIC 2017 cost almost $2,500. Now that the event is sold out, you won’t get a seat for love nor money. One of the reasons for all the interest this year is because the 26 faculty members at this year’s SIC—a faculty that includes some of the world’s leading strategists—will be presenting their latest research on the Paradigm Shifts now destabilizing the world. The SIC faculty will also share their unique ideas on how investors can navigate their portfolios through the Paradigm Shifts. Paradigm Shifts aren’t merely cyclical events
like bull and bear markets... Paradigm Shifts fundamentally change the usual and accepted way of doing things... a revolution in how the world functions, if you will. Today, multiple Paradigm Shifts are unfolding simultaneously. The soaring impact of automation, de-globalization, rising populism, and a rearranging of geopolitical relations being among the most powerful. Each has truly profound investment implications.  Even though the SIC 2017 is sold out, we want to provide you, as a Mauldin Economics reader, the opportunity to access the same critical information the attendees will hear... the latest expert insights into how the Paradigm Shifts are effecting your portfolio. That is why we’re putting together the SIC 2017 Virtual Pass, a complete audio/visual record of all the presentations, speeches, and roundtables from the conference for you to download and listen to at your leisure. Simply put, the SIC 2017 Virtual Pass gives you the benefits of attending the year’s most exclusive investment conference, without any of the travel costs or headaches. Among the major Paradigm Shifts you’ll find covered in-depth with your SIC 2017 Virtual Pass... 1. Deglobalization Takes Hold Data from the World Bank shows global trade increased by over 15,000% from 1960–2014. However, that trend is now reversing with trade falling by over 15% since 2014. Foreign direct investment has also dropped sharply from its 2007 peak to levels not seen since the 1990s. The benefits of free trade, which had for so long been universally accepted, are now being called into question. In fact, according to Thompson Reuters, there are now more trade barriers between countries than at any other time in modern history. The move toward protectionist policies is a major sea change in how global commerce will function. And according to expert George Friedman, a speaker at the SIC 2017, this could bring down the European Union within the next year or two. The investment implications at both the macro and micro levels are profound. 2. A New Political Paradigm Since the end of WWII, centrist candidates have dominated the political arena. However, following the global financial crisis, many came to believe this system failed them... and they want change, whatever form it takes. History has proven that during times of economic hardship, Paradigm Shifts in politics occur. The current Paradigm Shift began with Brexit and the election of President Trump in 2016, and that was only the start... Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund, has shown that support for populism is usually preceded by high levels of unemployment, income inequality, and increased immigration. With all three criteria present today, we are likely to see increasingly radical politics adopted in the coming years. SIC 2017 faculty member and leading geopolitical analyst Ian Bremmer has just gone on record announcing that a rare geopolitical recession is already underway. At the SIC 2017, he’ll back that contention up with his latest research and analysis. As today’s economy has become completely politicized, fundamental changes in politics greatly effects investors. While there is currently an outbreak of optimism that President Trump can succeed with his reform agenda, the forces lined up against it are considerable. What happens if his administration fails to reduce regulations or revamp the tax code? At the SIC 2017, investors will receive a comprehensive briefing on the Paradigm Shifts in the US and global political scenes and discover ways to shield their portfolios from rising political risk. 3. Geopolitical Tensions Increase Trump’s “America first” policies risk ending the 70-year era of Pax Americana—US hegemony in global security and trade. With his recent tariff on Canadian lumber, a first shot in a new and unwelcomed round of global trade wars could be about to begin. Meanwhile, Europe is increasingly fragmented as tensions rise over the unresolved problems from the financial and migrant crises. Across the Middle East, a dangerous game of geopolitical chess is being played out by the US and Russia. And tensions have reached the boiling point in Asia, with the problems in North Korea and China threatening to spill over into the rest of the region. The last time we saw this setup was prior to the outbreak of WWII. With the US and EU focused on sorting out their own problems, an international leadership vacuum is opening up. As tensions rise between nations, geopolitics has rarely weighed so heavily on our portfolio decision making... so that is where we will look for answers at the SIC 2017. 4. Central Bank Distortions The Federal Reserve is on a clear rate-hiking path... but its counterparts at the ECB and BOJ are still buying over $120 billion in assets between them per month... and holding interest rates below zero. In the era of currency wars, how long can the Fed “go it alone” without sending the dollar skyward? Eight years of quantitative easing and zero interest rates have distorted asset prices in every facet of the market... and where asset prices go from here will greatly depend on the Fed. Where does the Fed go from here? Where should you put your capital with such a distortion in asset prices? These are the questions that will be answered by Federal Reserve insiders and top asset managers at the SIC 2017. 5. The Rise of the Robots Globalization may have gotten the blame for the five million manufacturing jobs that have vanished from the US since 2000. However, it’s the robots who have taken 88% of those positions. A 2013 study from the University of Oxford concluded that 47% of jobs in the US will likely be automated over the next two decades... But automation and advances in technology aren’t only affecting manufacturing workers, they also have profound investment implications. For example, despite being deeply unprofitable, Tesla, which promises to fundamentally change how cars work, became America’s largest car maker by market cap in April. But is it a good investment, even at today’s elevated prices? And what about Amazon, which continues to redefine retail? Investors caught on the wrong side of the automation Paradigm Shift could suffer the same fate as the five million manufacturing workers. Likewise, being on the right side of this shift could guarantee you years of steady profits. Investing in the New Paradigms As the Paradigm Shifts fundamentally change how the world functions, they are potentially perilous for investors. Take the rise of industries like automobiles and telecommunications in the 20th Century... According to Credit Suisse, more than 80% of the publicly listed US firms in 1900 were in industries that today are either extinct, or soon will be. On the other side of the coin, an astounding 62% of US firms listed today operate in industries that didn’t even exist in 1900. 
Investors who bet on the right side of the Paradigm Shift of the rise of technology profited mightily from one of the most transformative centuries in human history... ... but those who failed to pay heed to the changes saw their portfolios enter terminal decline. Today’s rise in extreme politics and geopolitical tensions mirrors the 1930s... when authoritarian leaders came to power and war engulfed the world. Lest we forget, the 1930s was a decade during which the Dow dropped 85%... and then fell another 50%. Even the legendary investor Benjamin Graham was down 60% over the course of three years. Despite the challenging environment, armed with the right information and analysis you can actually profit from the unfolding disruptions. It’s just a matter of preparation. And that’s where the SIC 2017 comes in. It’s perhaps the most timely and important SIC ever. I know you're busy, so I'll quickly run through what you get with the Virtual Pass...  | 22 hours of audio: We'll record every presentation, panel, and the always popular on-stage discussions from the SIC 2017 for you to study at your leisure.. | | SIC's most exciting lineup yet: In addition to John Mauldin, Jared Dillian, and Patrick Cox from the Mauldin Economics stable, you’ll hear from a total of 26 expert faculty members including Eurasia group President Ian Bremmer, Gloom, Boom & Doom Report publisher Marc Faber, geopolitical forecaster George Friedman, best-selling author Matt Ridley, and hedge fund manager extraordinaire Mark Hart. | | How to be on the winning side of the Paradigm Shifts: The entire conference will be a deep dive on how to position your portfolio to be on the winning side of the Paradigm Shifts... and just as important, how to avoid being on the wrong side. | | Information-packed presentation slides: To supplement the audio, the Virtual Pass contains all the slide presentations from the SIC 2017. This means you can peruse each speaker’s key points at your leisure... ensuring you get the most out of every session. | | Written transcripts of all the presentations: So you can quickly find the information you want. | | SIC 2017 highlights video: A special bonus video of the highlights of the SIC 2017, which includes some of the most important and valuable presentations as ranked by the Mauldin team. | | A hassle-free format: Your MP3 download means you can listen to the SIC 2017 anytime, anywhere, and on almost any device |
Today, I'm pleased to let you know you can now pre-order the SIC Virtual Pass for just $350. That's a $100 savings on the $450 that the Virtual Pass will cost once the conference is over... Pre-ordering your SIC 2017 Virtual Pass ensures once the conference has wrapped up, you will be among the very first to receive the 22 hours of audio, information packed slides, and session transcripts from the four-day conference. Note: This special early-bird price is only available for a limited time, so click below to get your name on the list now. As the Paradigm Shifts named above begin to take hold in earnest, you will be very happy to have your SIC 2017 Virtual Pass at hand as an invaluable resource to refer to time and time again. Please don’t miss this opportunity to prepare yourself for the sweeping changes now descending upon our world. Order your SIC 2017 Virtual Pass now at the special pre-order price. Sincerely, 
John Mauldin
Chairman
Strategic Investment Conferences have been
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