The Dow has just put in its biggest four-week gain since the bottom of the Depression in 1933, roaring more than 19 percent off its March 9 low.

Natural resources are also plowing higher, with oil leading the way — jumping more than 8 percent in a single day last week. The U.S. dollar, too, is acting as I forecast. It's starting to slide, albeit slowly, back into its long-term downtrend.

If you've been following my suggestions and forecasts in my Money and Markets columns, then you should be quite happy indeed with some of the investments I've recently recommended.

But today I want to talk about gold again. Why? Because short term, gold is not acting so well. It's broken some chart support at the $898 level, and it could easily pullback further, to around the $838 level.

For short-term traders, that's an opportunity to get out, go short, and make some money. But for investors, gold's pullback should not be alarming ... should not scare you out of any positions ... and instead, should be viewed as a "win-win" situation.

Consider the following ...

Two Possible Macroeconomic
Background Scenarios for Gold

Scenario #1:
The Fed's efforts to save the U.S. economy and financial system succeed ... the credit crisis eases.

Under this scenario, the Fed's recent actions of pumping at least $1.3 trillion of new money into the economy and the Treasury's TALF program are successful — the U.S. economy starts to recover and global growth resumes.

As a result, the credit crunch begins to ease and money flows through the pipeline. The big commercial and investment banks finally stop taking massive write-downs on bad mortgage securities. Foreclosures shrink, home prices stop hemorrhaging, and home sales pick up. Consumers start spending.

In this scenario, many talking heads on Wall Street say that gold's bull market would be over. They'd point out that there would be no reason for investors to flock to the safety of gold.

But holy cow, would they be dead wrong! Reason ...

The Fed is GOOD for Gold

If the Fed is successful at turning the U.S. economy and credit crisis around, it will only be because it flooded the system with trillions of paper dollars, sowing the seeds for eventual wild inflation.

If the economy were to pick up on top of that, between inflation and resumed economic growth, global demand for gold would soar.

Of course, the media mavens would then argue that when the economy turns back up, the Fed will jump in with both feet to head off inflation by aggressively raising interest rates, thereby choking off the bull market in gold.

That's also hogwash. Just check the recent record ...

From late 2004 to mid-2006, the Fed raised interest rates 17 times, in steady quarter-point increments to 5.25 percent from a low of 1 percent. And over that period, gold surged 127 percent!

Look at it this way: Even with the U.S. economy in a bad funk — gold demand hit a record $79 billion in 2007 ... and another record $102 billion in 2008.

Most of the increased demand — no surprise here — came from Asia and the Middle East. In 2008, China's gold demand jumped a healthy 21 percent, Vietnam — up a whopping 49 percent ... Indonesia — up 6 percent ... Egypt — up 12 percent ... Russia — up 12 percent (a new annual record).

So if the Fed's actions work ... the U.S. economy rebounds riding a new wave of inflation ... demand for gold will fly off the charts, sending the yellow metal's price skyward.

In other words, as a long-term investor, you would want to buy the dips in gold.

Now let's take a look at the second scenario ...

Scenario #2:
Fed's rescue efforts (continue to) fail ... credit crisis worsens ... depression deepens.

Bearish for gold? No way, Jose! Not only will the Fed just keep pumping trillions more dollars into the economy — confidence in government will plunge to such abysmal lows, that the greenback will lose dramatically more purchasing power than in the first scenario.

Do you think gold's bull market would end in such an environment? Do you think that would be bearish for gold?

Hardly!

The plunging dollar would cause investors to flock to gold even more than they already have. The price of the yellow metal would soar even more than in the first scenario, and it would likely even exceed my most bullish target — rising well above $2,270 an ounce!

Plus, in Either Scenario ...
The Supply of Gold Is Plunging

Many analysts are claiming that in either of the above scenarios, gold's current price is high enough to bring oodles of new supply to the market, hence killing, or at least smothering the bull market for a while.

But in fact ...

In 2007, the world's gold supply dropped 2.6 percent to 3,488 metric tonnes. And it dropped further to 3,468 in 2008. When you compare that to total world demand of 3,659 tonnes, you're left with a supply deficit of 191 tonnes!

In 2008, gold mine production fell 3 percent to 2,407 metric tonnes, declining for the third straight year. South Africa and Australia had the steepest production declines. In fact, South Africa's production dropped an estimated 14 percent, to 220 tonnes, its lowest level in 86 years!

Australia's gold production hit 19-year lows in 2008, falling 12 percent to 299 tonnes.

So let me set the record straight on the supply situation in gold:

Do not, I repeat, do NOT expect any relief from new supplies of gold.

The Long-Term Bull Market in Gold
Is Alive and Well. Consider Buying the Dips!

I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that gold will ultimately reach at least $2,270 an ounce, and perhaps even higher.

So any time you hear that gold's bull market is over, I strongly suggest you ignore those sound bites, and instead, consider using virtually every price dip — like we have now — as an opportunity to buy.

Because as I just showed you, gold is in a "win-win" situation.

With that in mind, and given gold's current pullback, I want to make ABSOLUTELY sure you've got the basics you need to have gold in your portfolio ...

Four Ways to Make Your
Portfolio Shine with Gold

Gold ingots are available at most reputable gold dealers. Store in your bank's safety deposit box, or at home in a safe that's securely bolted to the floor.

As I've mentioned previously in Money and Markets, I think up to 25 percent of your total net worth should be devoted to gold investments.

My suggested allocation would be one-fourth of your total liquid funds for gold going into each ...

1. Gold bullion. There are gold bullion coins such as the American Eagles and Canadian Maple Leafs. But I prefer the one- and five-ounce gold ingots available at most reputable gold dealers. Store in your bank's safety deposit box, or at home in a safe that's securely bolted to the floor.

2. The SPDR Gold Trust (GLD). An exchange traded fund (ETF) that owns the physical gold for you, but without the storage hassles. Each share of GLD equals 1/10 of an ounce of gold.

3. Gold stock mutual funds: Consider spreading this fourth of your gold investments as evenly as possible amongst my three favorite funds: Tocqueville Gold Fund (TGLDX) ... U.S. Global Investors World Precious Minerals Fund (UNWPX) ... and the U.S. Global Investors Gold and Precious Metals Fund (USERX).

4. Top-notch gold mining shares. This fourth way is best suited for more accurate timing. See my Real Wealth Report for specific buy and sell recommendations.

Best wishes,

Larry

P.S. If you're not yet a Real Wealth Report subscriber, you can pick up an annual subscription — with 12 hard-hitting monthly issues ... all recommendations ... all flash alerts ... special reports ... and 24/7 members' access to my website — for a mere $99. That's just 27 cents a day.

P.P.S: IMPORTANT NOTE: At the end of this month, I'll be focusing all my efforts on UncommonWisdomDaily.com, where you'll find in depth analysis of natural resources and international investment opportunities — straight from the front lines during my travels around the world. The complimentary e-zine includes a video update from me every Thursday and a new column every Monday, and more. Be sure to sign up for it at UncommonWisdomDaily.com.

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Money and Markets (MaM) is published by Weiss Research, Inc. and written by Martin D. Weiss along with Tony Sagami, Nilus Mattive, Sean Brodrick, Larry Edelson, Michael Larson and Bryan Rich. To avoid conflicts of interest, Weiss Research and its staff do not hold positions in companies recommended in MaM, nor do we accept any compensation for such recommendations. The comments, graphs, forecasts, and indices published in MaM are based upon data whose accuracy is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Performance returns cited are derived from our best estimates but must be considered hypothetical in as much as we do not track the actual prices investors pay or receive. Regular contributors and staff include Kristen Adams, Andrea Baumwald, John Burke, Amber Dakar, Dinesh Kalera, Red Morgan, Maryellen Murphy, Jennifer Newman-Amos, Adam Shafer, Julie Trudeau, Jill Umiker, Leslie Underwood and Michelle Zausnig.

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