“we kinda owe you”... $1,000?!?!

Mark your calendar for Thursday, 2 p.m. ET.

That’s when one of our top analysts will go live with his predictions for the rest of 2024…

While giving you a chance to win $1,000 every minute!

I’ll share some of the details in a moment — including how to tune in for your chance to win.

But first, let’s take a look at our Top Stories and the Reader Forum.

Your Top Stories & Analysis of the Week:

• “Steroids for the State — And You’re the Dealer” (Rude Awakening, Sean Ring): Tax Day in the United States should make everybody angry — even if you’re due for a refund from Uncle Sam. But we’re being hoodwinked by an innovation that was developed to pay for World War II. Sean walks you through the whole ordeal, from how it started to where it’s gotten us. He also shares an unconventional strategy to see exactly what the government takes from you.

• “Hold on! The Gold Branches Are Shaking” (Morning Reckoning, Greg Guenthner): Gold continues to hit new highs — and mainstream analysts are suddenly making sky-high price predictions for its top. But Greg cautions that there are some problems with this newfound optimism. While he’s still bullish on the precious metal, he also thinks the Johnny-come-latelies are giving everyday traders bad intel. So he lays out a strategy for riding out the volatility he sees ahead.

• “Tesla Is Stalling” (Jim Rickards’ Strategic Intelligence, Andrew Zatlin): Jim Rickards recently added a new heavyweight to his team — Moneyball Economics’ Andrew Zatlin. Bloomberg ranked him at the top of their list for payroll and jobs forecasting. Andrew used those skills to walk Jim’s Strategic Intelligence readers through the latest layoff news from Elon Musk’s electric car company. Then he names a company whose growing staff gives it a strong outlook. Andrew’s analysis is a great representation of what he brings to the table, which is why I unlocked his six-minute video for you.

Remember, we publish tens to HUNDREDS of stories. The write-ups and presentations above are our TOP ones for the week — including one that had been roped off from the public. If you want to stay ahead of the pack, make sure you’re caught up now.

And if you’d like to nominate any of our stories for next week’s “Top 3,” just let me know at concierge@paradigmpressgroup.com.

The Reader Forum:

First in the Reader Forum today, Emily Clancy was kind enough to pass along Rich B.’s comments for the 5 Bullets crew:

Thank you for offering such a dynamic service. While we may not agree on every point discussed or raised, the advice, information, insights and intel that you've been offering since I joined Paradigm Press in 2022 has been invaluable. In fact, so much so that I am now better informed across a whole array of disciplines (which, of course, is essential for investment strategy and decision-making purposes).

Thanks for the kind words, Rich. And I hope you’re reading this because Paradigm Pressroom’s 5 Bullets and this weekly Paradigm Concierge Letter have similar goals. We take insights from our broad spectrum of analysts and then distill their insights into information you can use.

Of course, sharing such a wide range of opinions means not everyone will agree with them. So I’m glad to hear that you understand that. We look forward to continuing our partnership and supporting your investment journey!

Next up, Richard C. wrote Jim Rickards to say:

Great job by you and your team on your very thorough research and follow-up on today's important topics! I am very impressed and want to thank everyone for their time and efforts.

Consider us thanked, Richard! Jim hand-selected his team to bring you the best and brightest minds in the industry. They dig deep and go the extra mile to tell you what’s really going on in the world.

I’ll be sure to pass along your encouragement!

Finally, for today, Rolando R. asks Zach Scheidt, our in-house income specialist:

What sector is the best to invest in for a 12-year-old kid so she can learn about investing?

Thanks for writing in, Rolando! I know you addressed this question to Zach, but I assume a lot of Paradigm Press members have similar questions. So I hope you don’t mind that I shared it with the team.

Trading specialist Alan Knuckman offered his usual pragmatic view of the markets.

“It’s more important how you invest than what you invest in,” he says. “Have a money management plan in advance — knowing when to get out if things move in your favor or against you.”

Once you lock down that discipline, you’re ready to profit in “any liquid market, any direction, any time frame.”

Jim Rickards’ go-to analyst, Dan Amoss, suggests starting with retailers.

“They are businesses that a 12-year-old knows and recognizes,” Dan says. “The notion that they buy products wholesale, hold them in inventory, and sell at a markup is easy to grasp.”

That’s important, Dan tells us, because “learning how retail stocks create value will take a young student one step beyond the overly simplified Peter Lynch notion of ‘buy what you like.’”

“Plenty of people like Teslas,” Dan explains, but the company’s underlying fundamentals are just lousy.

And he’s not the only person who suggests starting with retail. As a father of seven, Zach has some experience helping kids learn how to grow their money.

“For kids — especially 12-year-olds,” he says, “it's all about helping them stay engaged, interested and helping them see the potential for profits over time.”

Starting with a well-known name with a simple business model makes the first step easy. Then you can “dive right into what it means to own a piece of the company.”

He explains:

It's easy to talk about how Target Corp. (TGT) buys a thousand baseball gloves for maybe $15 each, then sells each one for a price near $25 — a net profit of $10. From there, you can explain that Target needs to rent its storefront, pay employees, keep its lights on and so forth. Eventually, you can even talk about retail companies going into debt to buy merchandise — and whether that's a wise decision or creates too much risk.

I hope these insights help, Rolando, and that they put your child on a path toward life-long prosperity!

That wraps up this week’s Reader Forum.

Remember, your feedback is vital to our success… so please email me at concierge@paradigmpressgroup.com.

Questions? I’ll get answers! Comments? Let me hear them! Problems? I’ll try to solve them!

This is YOUR forum!

(And don’t forget, we also have a FREE library of introductory investment guides on our Wealth Desk. For customer service issues, please use our contact page.)

Now, here’s what’s happening around the water cooler this week…

The Water Cooler — Upcoming Events and More

2024 has already been a huge year for cryptocurrencies… artificial intelligence stocks… billion-dollar buyouts… private equity deals…

And it’s not even May yet!

So whatever investment roadmap you had for this year has probably gone out the window by now.

That’s why James Altucher will be going live on Thursday, April 25, at 2 p.m. ET.

He’ll reveal what to expect for the rest of the year, focusing on several major investment pillars.

You’ll also have a chance to submit your questions, getting answers straight from James himself.

Now, you might remember his similar broadcast from the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference back in March.

Unfortunately, that event was marred by technical problems. And to make it up to you, he’s doing something extra special for this next one…

Just tune in on Thursday, and you’ll have a chance to win $1,000 every single minute of the broadcast!

James will be speaking and answering questions for about an hour — meaning you’ll have at least 60 chances to win.

Keep in mind, this is a FREE, zero-obligation event. You don’t need a credit card to watch… or to be eligible for one of the $1,000-a-minute giveaways.

Instead, winners will be chosen from a list of registered viewers.

All you have to do is click here to be added to the list.

Remember, you don’t need to enter a credit card — just a valid email address in case you win.

Then tune in on Thursday to learn what the rest of 2024 holds for you… and whether you’re $1,000 richer!

Click here to make sure you’re registered through Zoom for the event.