There are two main types of options: calls and puts. The investor can either buy or sell the option.

Since 1865, the U.S. has gone through 30 economic expansions, not counting what has happened since 2012.

Frontier Markets Frontier markets are appealing due to their cheap labor, massive young populations, and natural resources.

Perhaps the best advice to always follow is to rely on: common sense, patience, thrift, realistic expectations, and perseverance.

There appears to be no convincing evidence why stocks have traditionally performed poorly during September. Despite this historical information compiled from 1896 through 2012, investors and advisors alike should avoid any “system” or market timing program. The reality is causation is not correlation.

Here are six positive features the U.S. enjoys:

 

[1] #1 in the world in computers connected to the Internet (505 million)

source: The World Factbook 2013-2014, CIA

 

[2] 9.8% annualized return for the S&P 500 (1926-2012)

source: Ibbotson Associates

 

[3] 19 of the world’s top 25 universities

source: World University Ranking 2012-2013, Times Higher Education

The number of bank closed by regulators due to an inability to meet their financial obligations has fallen steadily since 2009: 25 (2008), 140 (2009), 157 (2010), 92 (2011), 51 (2012), 16 (June 2013). Housing prices remain affordable, as shown by the Housing Affordability Index (source: National Association of Realtors). The Index means a family with a median annual income has enough money to qualify for a mortgage on a median-priced home (a 20% down payment).

U.S. Innovation A 2012 study by Thompson Reuters shows 47% of the top 100 worldwide innovators are from the U.S. These U.S. innovations include: the Internet, time-shifted TV, search engines, smartphone operating systems, social networking, and advanced networking technologies. The table in the article is a forecast of 2013 gross expenditures on research and development. A 2012 survey of scientists and engineers from around the world named the U.S. as the leader in research and development in eight of 10 areas of technology and technology research.

U.S. Economy After a sharp drop in corporate after-tax profits in 2008 and 2009, the U.S. has gone on to have three consecutive years of earnings; 2012 represented the highest level of after-tax profits for U.S. corporations in the country’s history. Profits now account for 11-12% of GDP, up sharply from 4.8% during the 2008-2009 recession. At the very beginning of 2013, large U.S. companies had $1.3 trillion in cash equivalents. According to FactSet, the U.S. has 10 of the top 25 most profitable companies in the world, twice as many as China.

This article includes an Annualized Index Returns table based on Bloomberg data from Barclays, Citibank, JP Morgan, S&P Dow Jones Indexes, and MSCI.