Dear SIC Enthusiast,

You probably already know of the Strategic Investment Conference (SIC) as the premier event of its kind.

Yet you’d be wrong if you thought of it as an “investment conference”.

Even though those words make up part of its name!

The reality is that SIC is something else.

It’s an “Investor’s” conference.

The somewhat subtle difference is that the SIC is planned from the ground up to meet the very specific needs of serious investors.

Which is why almost half of the audience is comprised of investment professionals whose very livelihoods depend on trading, managing money, or providing clients with clear direction and strategies to cope with constantly changing markets.

They are joined at the SIC by passionate individual investors who thrive on developing a deeper understanding of what’s really going on in the global economy and markets, and who are willing to climb under the hood to achieve that understanding.

If you fall into either of those two camps – a financial professional or passionate individual investor – then I can categorically say that there is no more important event in the world for you than this year’s SIC.

What You Don’t Know WILL Hurt You

Given the record breaking performance of the US stock market since 2009, it’s only natural to have a positive outlook.

That said, you and I both know that things never stay the same. Change is inevitable, and given the long bull run, those changes will carry a tremendous amount of risk.

And for those who plan ahead and are positioned correctly, tremendous reward.

Consider the battering China has taken of late. Starting with Trump’s aggressive push-back on the trade imbalances, followed by the upper cut to the jaw caused by the Coronavirus.

The ultimate consequences emanating from a staggered China, a key cog in the global supply chain, are yet to be fully realized, but you can bet they’ll be serious.

Across the pond, we are witnessing the not-so-gradual unravelling of the European Union. Brexit is only the beginning, with the very real possibility that other member states will want to peel off.  And even within the so called core EU member states, internal political opposition to paying the way of the weaker members is growing stronger every day.

There will be consequences.

Here in the United States we have what seems to me to be the most toxically dangerous political environment since maybe the Civil War. Strong words, I know, but the national divide is unlike any I have witnessed in my increasingly long life.

Sure, we can celebrate the improvements in the economy over the last few years, but as investors we must also be concerned – deeply concerned – that much of that improvement has been floated on a sea of debt.

It simply cannot end well… no matter who wins the Presidential election this November.

So, yes, what you don’t know will hurt you.

In this era of living dangerously, failing to have a deep fundamental understanding of the situation, and the strategies you can deploy as an informed investor, is the height of folly.

Welcome to the NEW Strategic Investment Conference

As previously announced, this year we will return to our roots by strictly limiting the SIC to no more than 450 investors.

That is the single best way to assure a collegial atmosphere at the conference.

And more importantly, to assure that you have abundant opportunities to get the answers you want and need from the world-class faculty, most of whom are normally available only to ten-digit clients, but who are part of the immersive SIC experience.

Among the faculty already confirmed for this year’s SIC, being held May 11 – 14 at the simply fabulous Phoenician Hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona, are:

• Sam Zell. Chairman of Equity Group Investments and perhaps the leading real estate expert in the country. Zell was recently honored with inclusion in the Forbes list of the “100 Greatest Living Business Minds”. Given that the real estate market underpins much of the US economy, why we asked Mr. Zell to present the Keynote address at SIC 2020. You won’t want to miss it. 
• Leon Cooperman. Chairman and CEO of Omega Advisors and a member of Bloomberg Markets magazine’s “50 Most Influential” list, Mr. Cooperman will share decades of hard won experience as a top-performing money manager with you.
• Felix Zulauf, Switzerland-based hedge fund manager and 30+-year Barron’s Roundtable member will share his thoughts on portfolio positioning and the risks to market investors. Given the global interconnectedness of markets, having an international perspective to inform your decision making is crucial.

Joining those investment legends as faculty are some of the smartest people I know… in market analytics, in investment strategy, in geopolitics, in fixed income, in hard assets, in evolving technologies and more.

Including Ben Hunt of Epsilon Theory… political pollster Michael Barone… market analyst Jim Bianco… venture capitalist David Blumberg… Bain’s Head of Macro Trends Karen Harris…DCinsider Bruce Mehlman… economist Samuel Rines… longtime friend Barry Ritholtz… China expert Jonathan Ward… and two additionalreal estate analysts Ivy Zelman and Barry Habib.

Then there are SIC favorites Louis Gave of Gavekal, economist David Rosenberg, bond expert Lacy Hunt, geopolitical expert George Friedman, and the always popular money manager Mark Yusko.

Of course, members of the Mauldin Economics team, including Jared Dillian, Patrick Watson, Robert Ross, and Chris Wood will all be there too.

If you’ve attended SIC before, you know the blue-ribbon faculty is just one ingredient in the event’s ‘secret sauce’.

As an “Investor’s Conference” we already know you’ll have a lot of questions, which is why we allow amble opportunities to get the answers at social events and smaller group gatherings where you’ll rub elbows and share notes with the faculty and with the other 450 investors who will be fortunate to be part of this year’s SIC.

We even have an app you can use to communicate your questions directly with the stage during the sessions.

This is not our first rodeo, and so we can promise you a well-run, comprehensive and immersive experience.

By the close of the event, you’ll be completely up-to-speed on everything you must know in order to fully understand the risks and rewards in today’s unique economy, and the specific strategies to do well while others stumble.

Don’t Miss Out: Early Registration deadline is fast approaching

As mentioned, for SIC 2020 we are limiting attendance to just 450 seats, a reduction of nearly 40%.

A smaller crowd ensures you’ll enjoy a VIP experience and more intimate interactions with the faculty and other guests.

Even though general registration has only been open a few weeks, more than half of the limited number of seats are already gone.

A complete sell out is a certainty.

However, when you register today you’ll not only be sure to lock in your seat, but you’ll still be able to do so at the early registration price, a significant savings.

All we ask is that you register very soon as the early bird registration fee will expire and, if there are any seats remaining, you’ll pay more.

Sign up now. Make sure you don’t miss this one.

Please circle May 11–14 on your calendar—SIC 2020 is lining up to be one of the most timely and important SIC events we’ve ever held.
If you are an investor, you simply must attend.

I look forward to meeting you personally in Scottsdale.

John Mauldin
Co-founder

P.S. Remember, seating is very limited, and the early bird pricing is ending soon. It’s easy to procrastinate, I do it all the time myself. But in this case, please don’t or you’ll miss out. Reserve your seat now.