Is It True About a Windfall in Cannabis Penny Stocks? Readers Ask Natalie.












January 31, 2017

Hi Natalie! I've been seeing all kinds of articles and info on Facebook today about putting $50 into the cannabis industry TODAY, before Feb. 1st and making enormous profits.  Is this true? I would love to know what Natalie has to say about this! I'm sure there are many others who would like to know what's happening on this front as well! Thank you for your time.

Signed: High on Pot Gains


Dear High:
I found the Agora Financial Facebook ad that you are referring to. I’m linking to it here. We’ll see how long this link stays live.

Since today is Jan. 31, 2017 and you have to respond by tomorrow, I’m turning this around as quickly as I can, in hopes of saving you $50 or an arm and a leg. Really this response should be: Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them.

One of the fantastic examples of massive gains of over 2000% listed in the Agora Financial ad -- Fusion Pharma – is a company that was accused of fraud and deceiving investors by the SEC and the Department of Justice on Sept. 16, 2016. Shares are frozen; the owners have been fined and are facing jail time. Another, Novus Acquisition, has no financial information available. The Novus CEO Gary Labrozzi had trouble with the SEC a decade ago with his former company Brandmakers. The sad thing is that those people who are not reading this blog could be on the losing end of fraudulent investments, if they are not careful. Keep reading to learn more about how to avoid these types of scams.

Here are 5 Tips That You’re Looking at a Scam, so that you can ID crooks in seconds next time. The thing about scams is that taking the $50 bait is only the beginning. The deeper you dive into the trap, the more it will cost you. Sometimes that’s thousands of dollars. Sometimes, it can bankrupt you.

What About Pot in General?
See my comments on the cannabis industry directly below the 5 Tips.

5 Tips You’re Looking at a Scam

1. You have to respond within 24 hours or miss the opportunity.
2. The charts and data are dated.
3. There aren’t any real testimonials.
4. The executives and owners of the business are hidden.
5. There is a long list of complaints on the company.
   
   

And here is more information on each tip, as it pertains to Agora Financial.

1. You have to respond within 24 hours or miss the opportunity.
No extra elucidation needed on this one. It’s classic pump-and-dump strategy. Experienced, successful investors know that investments are like a 100-piece puzzle. The more you know, the more likely you are to make great gains. The less you know, the more likely you are to be taken advantage of.

2. The charts and data are dated.
The Facebook ad shows a sexy chart of Abattis Bioceuticals Corp rising above $2.00/share and posting 9000% gains! If you look closely at the chart, you'll see that it is from 2014, and covers only a 3-month period. If you click over to Google Finance, you can access a 5-year chart, showing Abattis at the price it currently trades at – 10 cents. Most investors who bought Abattis have lost a ton of money. It is very likely that the only people who made any money at all were the insiders who were pumping and dumping the stock in March of 2014.
 
3.  There aren’t any real testimonials.
Agora Financial claims that “Agora Financial editors’ consistent ability to stay ahead of the mainstream has earned recognition from dozens of media sources, including The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Financial Times and others. The link to the proof of this claim is broken. There is no one lending their name to a testimonial. That’s a pretty big red flag.

4.  The executives and owners of the business are hidden.
So, who owns Agora Financial? How long have they been in business? Is the company profitable? You can see a list of “editors,” but the About Us page is extremely vague about who runs the show. If you invest in a publicly traded company, you’ll see who the executives are and even be able to see how profitable the company is. The more transparent the company is, the more likely it is on the up-and-up. The harder it is to find even basic information, the more there is to hide.

5.  There is a long list of complaints on the company.
Agora Financial has a long list of complaints filed with the SEC. Click to read. A simple Google search will reveal warnings from former subscribers. As I mentioned, the owners of Fusion Pharma have been charged with fraud by the SEC and the US Department of Justice. While I didn’t conduct a forensic dive into each of the massive wins outlined in the Agora ad, two out of three that I did look at had obvious problems and the third was rife with red flags. Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are.
 
What About Pot Penny Stocks in General?
Penny stocks are companies that aren’t making the grade to trade on the big boards yet. They are highly susceptible to pump-and-dump schemes and are often thinly traded, meaning that if you buy them, you might not be able to sell them – ever. (Meaning any gains you think you’ve made are really worthless.) If you’re interested in investing in a penny stock, it’s more like a 1000-piece puzzle that you need to put together before plunking down the dough. Novices should just avoid penny stocks altogether.

One other thing to keep in mind is that this is an industry that has been run by the underground for decades (by “crooks”), and is still illegal in most states. Yes, it’s a massive industry. However, we are still pretty far away from bringing the pot industry completely out in the open, with transparent business practices, no jail time and no extra legal costs. Even opening up a bank account can be difficult for a pot business.

There is at least one pot stock that is traded on the big boards – GW Pharmaceuticals. GW Pharma is developing cannabis drugs for the treatment of epilepsy, cancer and pain. However, GWPH sales dropped almost 70% year over year, and the company lost $80 million in 2016 (on $13 million in sales). The stock is trading near its all-time high, but this has more to do with hot air than fundamentals.

If you are interested in learning how to invest successfully, then join me at one of my Investor Educational Retreats. There you'll learn how to invest successfully in real estate, stocks, bonds, gold, hard assets, how to adopt a Thrive Budget and how to save thousands of dollars every year with smarter energy, budgeting and investing choices. Two of my 2016 hot funds doubled. And my stock picking strategies earned me the ranking of No. 1 stock picker. Call 310-430-2397 to get more information, or click on the banner ads on the home page at NataliePace.com to learn more about my Valentine's Retreat in Santa Monica, California and my beachfront Florida Retreat to be held May 20-22, 2017.

Testimonials (Real Testimonials by Respected VIPs)
"Many people, including educated men and women, often get into trouble when they neglect to follow simple and fundamental rules of the type provided [by Natalie]. This is why I recommend it with enthusiasm." Professor Gary S. Becker. Dr. Becker won the 1992 Nobel Prize in economics for his theories on human capital.

"College students need this information before they get their first credit card. Young adults need it before they buy their first home. Empty nesters can use the information to downsize to a sustainable lifestyle, before they get into trouble," Joe Moglia, Chairman, TD AMERITRADE.

 
Investor IQ Test 2017. by Natalie Pace. 20 Life Math questions to help you score higher where it counts most.

January 15, 2017


Do you think you’re a rock star investor?  A complete novice?  Check your Investor IQ with the 20 questions below.

1. What is the one question you should ask your Certified Financial Advisor before hiring him/her?
2. How much of your nest egg should you keep safe?
3. What's safe?
4. What is the average return of stocks over the last 10 and 30 years?
5. What is the average return of gold over the last 10 and 30 years?
6. What is the average return of real estate over the last 10 and 30 years?
7. What was the top performing investment in 2016? 
8. How long will it take for you to have a nest egg as big as your annual salary if you put 10% of your income into a Buy My Own Island Fund and invest in stocks and bonds?
9. How long will it take for your nest egg to earn more than you earn, if you put 10% of your income into a Buy My Own Island Fund and invest in stocks and bonds?
10. What’s the better investment strategy in a slow-growth, high-debt world?
11. Which countries hold the most gold?
12. Are annuities safe?
13. What is the 3-Ingredient Recipe for Cooking up Profits?
14. What are the Four Questions for Picking Winning Stocks?
15. What were the top performing and the worst months for stocks over the past five years?
16. What was the top performing 3-month period for stocks over the past five years?
17. What was the worst investment in 2016? NASDAQ, gold, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, bonds or real estate?
18. Which year is expected to perform better, 2017 or 2018, based upon historical returns of election years?
19. How many companies are in the Dow Jones Industrial Average?
20. How many Dow Jones Industrial Average companies were bailed out or went bankrupt in the Great Recession?

 
Answers are listed in the article "Answers: 2017 Investor IQ Test" in the NataliePace.com blog.
 


 
If you want to live the life of your dreams you need to replace blind faith with wisdom and right action. When you stop making the taxman, the gas station, the utility, the landlord, the debt collector, the bond salesman, the insurance company and more rich at your expense, you can save thousands of dollars each year. (This is a very different strategy than just cutting out cafe lattes.) Those savings can go to things you love, like fun and bucket list vacations, while also providing far better for your future.

Join us at our next Investor Educational Retreat! Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to learn more now.


About Natalie Pace:
Natalie Pace is the author of the Amazon bestsellers The Gratitude Game, The ABCs of Money and You Vs. Wall Street (aka Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is in hard cover) and the co-creator of the Earth Gratitude project. The Earth Gratitude project features wisdom from the world’s most respected leaders, including The Dalai Lama, The Heir to The Throne of The United Kingdom, Elon Musk, The Duchess of Northumberland and the Earth Day Network. Natalie has been saving homes and nest eggs for two decades, while at the same time earning the ranking of No. 1 stock picker.  Natalie Pace is a blogger on HuffingtonPost.com and a repeat guest on national television and radio shows such as Good Morning America, Fox News, CNBC, ABC-TV, Forbes.com, NPR and more. As a strong believer in giving back, she has been instrumental in raising tens of millions for public schools, financial literacy, the arts and underserved women and girls worldwide. Follow her on Twitter.com/NataliePace, and Facebook.com/TheABCsofMoney. For more information please visit NataliePace.com. Click to access a longer bio on Natalie Pace.
 
Important Disclaimers
Please note: NataliePace.com does not act or operate like a broker. We report on financial news, and are one of the most trusted independently owned and operated financial news corporations in North America. This article is intended to educate and inform individual investors, and, thus, to give investors a competitive edge in their personal decision-making. Any publicly traded companies or funds mentioned in this article are not intended to be buy or sell recommendations.

ALWAYS do your research and consult an experienced, reputable financial professional before buying or selling any security, and consider your long-term goals and strategies. Investors should NOT be all in on any asset class or individual stocks. Your retirement plan should reflect a diversified strategy, which has been designed with the assistance of a financial professional who is familiar with your goals, risk tolerance, tax needs and more. The "trading" portion of your portfolio should be a very small part of your investment strategy, and the amount of money you invest into individual companies should never be greater than your experience, wisdom, knowledge and patience.  

Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable however NataliePace.com does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Opinions constitute our judgment as of the date of this publication and are subject to change without notice. This material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. Securities, financial instruments or strategies mentioned herein may not be suitable for all investors.
 
 
 
 

Happy New Year!
 
And now 2017 begins. May it be one where we serve our conscience and the highest good well. In that service, may we find joy and rewards beyond measure!
 
Wisdom helps.
 
So, here are three gifts to start 2017 out right.
Each app takes less than one minute to use.
 
The Thrive Budget App
http://old.nataliepace.com/pie/thrive.php
 
The Nest Egg Pie Chart App
http://old.nataliepace.com/pie/pie.php

The Earth Gratitude mini ebook.
http://earthgratitude.org/
 
The Thrive Budget
You'll receive an easy strategy for living a richer life, by allocating 50% of your income to thrive, and limiting your basic needs to 50% of your income. Yes, this is impossible to achieve with conventional thinking. However, conventional thinking is what got us where we are, with one-third of American adults in debt collections and a cumulative consumer debt that is almost $12 trillion. There's a better way. It requires an effective, time-proven system (The Thrive Budget), financial wisdom and bold, brave choices. Once you get the information and apply it, your life transforms, at a pace that is in direct proportion to how closely you adhere to the system (and how far off the path you were to begin with).
 
The Nest Egg Pie Charts
These pie charts make investing (money while you sleep) into an easy, time-proven system. After you learn the basics of keeping enough safe and diversifying (with the Nest Egg Pie chart app), you also need to learn what’s hot, what’s safe, annual rebalancing and how to avoid the bailouts. I teach this at my investor educational retreats.
 
Earth Gratitude mini ebook
Download tips on how to get closer to personal net zero in your own life, saving thousands of dollars every year with smarter energy choices, without any change in life style and comfort.
 
Take the Earth Gratitude Challenge on Earth Day (April 22nd).
 
What is the Global Earth Gratitude Celebration?
On April 22nd, Earth Day, we're encouraging everyone to power up the gratitude and power down the grid, getting as close to personal net zero as possible for at least one hour. Count all of the blessings that we receive from Mother Nature. Focus on energy efficiency. Spread the word about the benefits of conservation and sustainability. Plant a tree or a garden. Replace incandescent bulbs with LEDs and plastic bags with canvas. Clean up a local water source. Ride a bike. Insulate your home. Test drive an electric car. Have dinner by candlelight. Be epic. Observe the fresh insights that flood our awareness and the world consciousness. Challenge your friends. Organize an awesome event.
 
Wisdom is the cure.
 
You can read about this wisdom in my three bestselling books.
 
You can learn and implement this system in 3 easy days at my Investor Educational Retreat. There are only 3 seats still available at the Valentine’s Retreat to be held in the beautiful beach town of Santa Monica, California. Call 310-430-2397 to learn more now.

There is so much that we all share. Each of us wants peace with our neighbors and the freedom to pursue a better life. We want a strong economy. We know the importance of having clean air to breath, fresh water to drink and healthy food to eat.

The power for change lies in our own hands. That is why (for my chartiable giving project) I've co-created the Earth Gratitude project. I hope you'll join us in 2017 in the simple challenge of leading a life that is part of the solutions for all that we desire. Get additional information, and download a free mini ebook full of wisdom and inspiring messages, as EarthGratitude.org.