Review by sheeple123jump, July 25, 2009

Overall Rating
Performance of Picks/Advice
Consistency
Interesting to Read/Educational
Customer Service
Value for the Money

Newsletter Title Chris Mayer’s Special Situations

From Agora, this newsletter from Chris Mayer is very good in my opinion. Very well written,Chris appears to be insightful,and thoughtful, with a good understanding of global markets and he does due diligence on fundamentals,finding value investments,off the beaten path,based on an awareness of the big picture of the complex and distressing economy we are in…. investments he calls ’special situations’, like a junior miner that is set to break out, or an oil company in kazakstan that sells to china…I like that kind of idea.
or understanding the importance of the Water industry for the future…his outlook is not about blue chip american stocks. It’s about finding the savvy investments around the world (still too many of his picks in the USA,in my opinion…) but investments that are close to the changing trends in global economic development,world problems that need addressing, etc…so it is ‘contrarian’, and well researched. Many of his picks are stable ‘infrastructure’ stocks ,which I think is the right idea,so it’s a combination of established stocks,alongside savvy idea stocks well thought out.
I like it because it provides me with the research that I am looking for but unable to find on my own…steers me in the right direction…it’s a very good newsletter.
What I dont like, (right nowadays) is that it is mostly a ‘buy and hold’ strategy….which in this current world economic crisis….is dangerous…so even though his stock picks are well advised and researched… it remains a dangerous market to be in for any stocks out there,and ‘buy and hold remains dangerous idea . He does advise when to get in and get out.It’s a good newsletter.
So it’s hard to write a conclusion to this review. I like his picks,his thought processes,the due diligence, the ‘hidden opportunities’ etc… but the timing of this uncertain market ,in my mind, currently overrides any potential ‘buy and hold’ investments…in favor of remaining safe…in cash, gold,a few bonds, and alot of patience to wait for the right time to reinvest at bigger bottoms,or double bottoms, or after the next wave of commercial real estate defaults trigger the next collapse of the market next year, or the next war that causes chaos, or whatever it is that I am instinctively waiting to befall the ongoing crisis in investing.
Therefore I cancelled my subscription for now, but would highly recommend it,at another time when the investment climate is safer.
This is not a cheap newsletter . It costs about $ 1000 a year.
But I do think Chris Mayer and his newsletter is top notch.