At the Cambridge House Investment conference there was an emphasis on Jr. Mining stocks. This was only natural, as their presence at the conference was paying the bills. I found the individual stories fascinating. But if I wanted to invest I would have to really study mining, engineering, and the geopolitics of the country where the mine was. Another option would be to follow an expert in these matters and buy his advice.
But then I heard one presentation that eliminated any thought of such "investment." He said that if you invested in ten penny stocks you could expect to lose money on 9 out of 10 stocks, but hopefully make enough on that tenth stock to make it worthwhile. That does not fit my definition of investment.
Nothing wrong with a little speculation. It serves a useful societal purpose by keeping prices from dropping too low or too high. But when government becomes the speculator to the point of becoming a market manipulator, we begin to have problems, big problems.
How then should a person invest? I will discuss this tomorrow. But in the meantime here is a video that discusses the various types of governmental interference and manipulation.