Keep A Cool Head And Create Your Own Stimulus Package

“I have some friends who deserve happier holidays than they’re getting. Wish I could create a stimulus program for that.” A colleague of mine from the National Press Club posted this today on Facebook. To this comment, many people simply replied AMEN.

After far too many months of economic upheaval, I am sure we all wish we could create a custom-tailored stimulus package for our friends, as well as our companies and our countries. Idealistic? Perhaps that is true. But there is nothing wrong with hoping for a better tomorrow, especially when a new fiscal year is just days away.

While the world-wide economy is trying to regain its footing, we’re all wondering what is going to happen next. The numbers we see every day are mind boggling to those of us who lived through the Glory Days of the Dow.

Every day tells a different story and depending on where your money lies that story can be good, bad or indifferent.

That’s why it has been so hard to hedge a bet on commodities, futures and securities.

Gold and oil are up one day and the dollar is down. The dollar is up the next day and gold and oil are both down. Yesterday Coal was the resource of choice one day for fueling electrical power plants. Now tons of cubic feet of natural gas have been discovered and the electrical power plants have abandoned their plans for burning coal. No wonder we are a little confused.

After all I have observed in the past 16 months, I have only this advice to lend those of you looking for those last minute investments — or sell offs for 2009 tax breaks — and it is a simple piece of advice. Keep a cool head.

Regardless of what happens in 2010, gold, silver, oil, gas, coal, and other natural resources are good investments. Companies offering cutting-edge clean and green technologies, especially solar power, lithium batteries, wind turbines and alternative fuels are certainly worth a serious look as the world strives for carbon footprint reductions and solutions to the problems commonly associated with topic of climate change.

No one will ever tell you to look at the markets on a minute by minute basis. Having a long and short term strategy requires a bigger picture view, a cool head and a steady never. As Craig Ferguson sings in his entrance song, “Tomorrow is your future yesterday.” And that is good advice too. So keep a cool head when you make investment decisions and create your own stimulus package.