TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says those aspiring to be rich need to find the stocks that can win now, and in any environment. Everything's great over the long term ... if you are really rich!
I am thinking that because of the pleasing words I always hear from really rich people on TV: really rich money managers and investors and analysts.
And it's true. When you are really rich things are great. When you are really rich you can go invest in those really good municipal bonds that yield more than treasuries, the ones that you have to buy in $500,000 increments typically, although maybe $100,000 will get you in. When you are really rich who the heck cares if you sit in cash for the next 18 months. Doesn't hurt you.
When you are really rich it is great to have cash and watch real estate go down to prices that are reasonable or be able to go to a bank and say "what do you have in foreclosure?"
When you are really rich you can be like Warren Buffett, and wait for stocks to be really cheap and if they aren't cheap enough you can do nothing. You can wait until there is blood on the streets and say, "I want to buy the great part of the muni reinsurance business from MBIA (NYSE: MBI) (Cramer's Take) and Ambac (NYSE: ABK) (Cramer's Take) and they can keep the bad stuff. Is that okay?"
These are really rich kind of questions asked by really rich people. You don't have to be concerned about finding stocks that have good yields that could go higher. The pursuit of the next Diebold (NYSE: DBD) (Cramer's Take) seems futile. Who the heck cares? The idea of trying to make money to make up for your paycheck's inability to rise, who cares? Some of these people don't need a paycheck, or they pretend to need one to seem like you.
I think about all of this because I sit here and read all of the things that people say about the fundamentals and I am just angry about it, and resigned, because if you are not really rich it is real bad out there.
Your house is losing value -- and it is, stop kidding yourself, if you try to sell it, that house will be worth less than it is right now. You buy a house, it is like a car, it is worth less the moment it comes off the lot. Your portfolio is down big since October unless it was a portfolio of gas and gold and fertilizer.
These people who say that everything is sound hate guys like me because my premise is that things aren't sound at all, but I am still going to try to find places to make you money because, well, that's what I did when things were bad. I still do it. I am thinking about people like the Yale money manager who criticized me for doing the exact opposite of what investors should do. Well, of course, if you are rich and you can do nothing for 10 years, then risk nothing.
But if you are not rich and you are never going to get rich if you do nothing, then you have to take some risks to do it. I am not about coming out on TV at night and saying "Sorry, you aren't going anywhere but down, and sorry you aren't rich."
That, however, is exactly what people said to me. I am glad I didn't listen to them but I do wish someone had been out there like me, saying with a lot of homework and a little bit of capital, and some common sense, you can get rich.
Anyway, I know that right now there are many situations that aren't working. But, if you know the dollar is going to be weak -- a real rich person's supposition -- if you know that real estate is going down -- another rich person's supposition -- and you know that there is uncertainty in Washington -- another supposition shared by all -- and you know there is a world wide energy shortage -- something everyone knows -- then why can't we try to profit from those and identify stocks that are in the gold, natural and gas and overseas markets?
What's so outrageous about that?
What's wrong with trying to find something in Brazil that makes sense that has come down like Petrobras (NYSE: PBR) (Cramer's Take)? Or what's wrong with taking a position in a British Pete (NYSE: BP) (Cramer's Take) with new management and a 5% yield? What's wrong with looking at an Asian stock, where business is excellent, or a Canadian or Mexican stock where the currencies are strong and minerals are abundant? Why not be in RIO (NYSE: RIO) (Cramer's Take), which is Canadian and Brazilian, or Bank of Nova Scotia with Canada and Caribbean properties?
Look, I am not trying to rationalize what I do or what other good people on this site do. I am saying that doing nothing is a luxury that 99% of Americans can't afford. You have to work your money to make more money.
For those who would criticize that drive and need to help those people, here's what I have to say: You are rich, good for you, let others try to be rich. Empathize with their plight in this environment. And stop knocking those of us who try.
Random musings: To me the Bunge (NYSE: BG) (Cramer's Take) thing is not disastrous. It is in the right sector. Might come right back.
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Jim Cramer is a director and co-founder of TheStreet.com. He contributes daily market commentary for TheStreet.com's sites and serves as an adviser to the company's CEO. At the time of publication, Cramer was long BP.











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-03-2008 @ 7:09PM
phillip said...
A BIG BOOYAHHHHH, Cramer from a real estate guy in Houston, TX!
Hey, I have to disagree with you a little on your blog here...it doesn't make sense!
First, people who aren't rich can go out right now and find a dozen foreclosures $50k below the market AND that cash flow 10-30%! They don't have to wait to "be able to go to a bank and say 'what do you have in foreclosure?' " like you say.
Our investors can do this with just 10% down on a house - that means sometimes just $5-6k (on a particular house I saw recently). With that 10% down payment, they can control the 50k of equity and keep all that cash flow (not to mention the tax benefits and amortization thanks to the lovely tenants who we rent to).
How do I know this? Because here in Houston, my wife and I and our investor group do it all the time!
Furthermore, once you have that cash flow coming in supporting your lifestyle, then you CAN wait for blood in the streets to buy that stock you've always wanted.
In fact, I'm waiting right now for Apple to get to $90-100 before I buy...Besides, thanks to this Recession, us Real Estate people have nice tax breaks and I'm going to Section 179 my MacBook Air...
Further-furthermore, waiting is not necessary because there is always blood in the streets at any point in time...look at MBIA!
PS - Potash ROCKS!
Phillip
http://www.mylifechanger.com
3-03-2008 @ 9:20PM
BHD said...
Sounds like we need some help from the DR---Ron Paul. You really should read his new book coming out and go to www.ronpaul2008.com. He understands the Economy better than anyone else. Vote Ron Paul for President 2008