Ask Doc

I'm an advocate of scouring the real world for information. I call it my "Cabbie Index." When I'm in a new area, I like to ask cab drivers how things are going. They always know where the construction is happening... who's getting laid off... and how the business at local spots seems to be. (Though I suppose I might have to rename it the "Uber Index.")

For example, when I stay at a Hampton Inn in Madison, Wisconsin, I mingle in the morning with folks enjoying the great breakfast foods. (I love the self-made waffles.) I might hear about a new pipe or valve company from a couple of engineers or hear thoughts on electronic medical record (EMR) systems from some visiting nurses.

"I lived there and I can tell you... Maine isn't the cultural capital of America."

That's what one of my researchers said after reading Bankrate's recent ranking of the best and worst states for retirement.

For decades, doctors have told millions of Americans with high cholesterol that they're at risk of heart disease...

It's exaggerated nonsense, of course. Longtime readers know cholesterol isn't the danger mainstream medicine wants you to think it is.

I can't stand Las Vegas...

The casinos reek of cigarette smoke. The din of bells and chimes as fools are parted from their money at slot machines is deafening. The waiters in phony French and Italian restaurants stare at you like extras playing B-movie zombies.

We invest to make money. At the very least, we invest to protect our purchasing power against inflation. (Earning 0.5% in a savings account just doesn't do much.)

And of course, more than anything, we don't want to lose money.

Last night, I aired my first ever Trading Master Class.

Thousands of people watched while I taught real readers – like you – my strategy that is designed to transform any stock into a potential triple-digit winner in a matter of just a few weeks.

The "Bond God" loves to make predictions...

Jeffrey Gundlach, founder of the $120 billion-plus investment firm DoubleLine Capital, is one of Wall Street's biggest winners. Over the past 20 years, he has specialized in fixed-income investments... which earned him the nickname the "Bond God." (He got the name to distinguish him from the equally renowned "Bond King," Bill Gross.)

My passion for teaching is the one thread that ties all my many, varied interests together.

Early on in college, I realized how much I loved taking what I had discovered and teaching it to others. For example, I started sharing my thoughts on wine during group wine tastings... and by my senior year I was teaching ballroom dance classes.

If you weren't careful, you may have read these headlines and jumped to the wrong conclusion...

Energy drinks linked to frightening side effects for your heart – MarketWatch Beware what's in your favorite energy drink – The Business Journal Energy drinks cause heart problems in as little as three hours – CBS

I'm sure many folks immediately thought of cutting caffeine...

I just returned from a whirlwind tour in China...

The incredible nature of the country's boom is impossible to fully comprehend unless you've been there, on the ground. And after my first visit last year, I understood.