How to Beat the Secret Tax That’s Draining Your Wealth

For decades, investors have been trained to believe the Federal Reserve is their best friend.

Any sign of trouble in the stock market … the Fed cuts rates in a flash.

Stocks are saved. And the party can keep going on. Right?

Here’s the truth:

Whatever the Fed does with rates is part of a smoke-and-mirrors show.

It does little to help investors build REAL wealth and purchasing power.

Instead, you are being robbed — every single day.

Taxes take a third of your income before you can spend it.

But there’s an even more relentless and dangerous force at work. One the average investor’s portfolio can’t overcome.

Since Weiss Ratings first launched its stock ratings electronically, it now takes $1.70 to buy what $1 once did.

That’s a 70% loss in purchasing power.

Think that’s just inflation? Wrong.

This erosion of wealth is no accident.

It’s the direct result of governments and banks flooding the system with money. Since commercial banks must settle with central banks every single day, this cycle is running 24/7/365.

You have zero control over that.

Then add inflation, and you’ve got a triple hit to your spending power.

It adds up to an almost insurmountable headwind for investors at every level.

If interest rates drop below inflation — exactly where political pressure is pushing — your savings don’t just stagnate …

They shrink even faster.

The only way to tilt the scale back in your favor is to grow your money faster than they’re shrinking it.

Weiss Ratings Plus Is Your Portfolio’s Most Important Defense.

• Weiss Stock Ratings keep your money safe and point you toward viable long-term investments.

• Special Screeners identify the exact stocks and buy levels to capture dips before the market’s strongest seasonal period.

• Special Reports give you deep-dive, actionable strategies.

• Plus, we cover crypto ratings, bank ratings and more — so you’re protected across asset classes.

This isn’t about hype.

Meme coins left investors with pennies on the dollar.

Meme stocks were a flash in the pan.

Chasing Reddit “vibe” trades like Opendoor and GameStop is pure speculation that will result in losses.

This is about using a system that has stood the test of time to help you outpace the hidden enemy that consumes every investor’s wealth over time.

Hype fades. Weiss Ratings Plus’s consistency builds wealth.

Since 2004, every stock Weiss rated a “Buy” (“A”s and “B”s) has delivered an average return of 317% — including the underperformers. 

That’s not a meme. That’s math.

It’s one of the only tools I know of that will turn time into an investors friend by consistently building wealth faster than the forces that steal it away.

Let’s dive into how Weiss’s Ratings Plus will help guide you through to the next wealth-building opportunities.

What’s New in the Weiss Ratings:
Powell’s Jackson Hole Shift Creates Income Opportunities

I know I’ve painted the Fed as a bad actor. 

But there are some specific moments in time when the Fed is indeed your friend.

Right now is one of those times.

That’s because the Fed’s policy change is teeing up a seismic shift in the market.

One you can leverage into a long-term wealth-building event.

Jerome Powell’s speech on Friday at Jackson Hole opened the door for interest rates to begin dropping as early as the Fed’s next meeting in September.

Investors have been waiting more than six months for this to happen. Some had even lost faith that the Fed would cut rates before the end of 2025.

But all that changed with a few simple sentences from the Fed Chair last Friday.

The possible policy shift carries a major impact for markets.

More important, it presents some incredible opportunities for Weiss Ratings Plus members.

When the Fed lowers interest rates, the entire landscape for income-focused investors shifts.

Dividend-paying stocks rise to the top of the opportunity list.

With Treasury yields and money market returns falling, investors are forced to seek income elsewhere.

That rotation drives capital into high-quality dividend payers …

Especially those with consistent earnings, low volatility and strong balance sheets.

Dividend stocks with pricing power, dividend growth histories and stable business models become essential portfolio assets.

They offer not just income, but resilience.

And in a low-rate environment — where capital preservation and compounding matter more than speculation — that’s the winning formula.

Weiss’ Ultimate Dividend Power List isn’t just about yield.

It’s about strength, consistency and upside in the face of rate shifts.

Let’s get to the names.

A few details on this “Dividend Top Ten” list …

Your full Ultimate Dividend Power List contains 22 different names.

The current list — which can change daily — is heavily weighted toward energy. As is normally the case with high-yielding stocks.

On average, the 10 stocks average a return of 194% over the past five years.

These are the types of stocks that put the balance of power back into the hands of investors.

They also serve as a great example of how Weiss Ratings Plus can help you build wealth faster than the Fed and inflation can steal it away.

This Top Ten list represents gems in an otherwise crowded and noisy dividend stock universe.

The bonus … all the stocks are rated “Buys” by their Weiss Ratings. Meaning that they provide the confidence of knowing that each stands up to Weiss Rating’s strict standards.

This Small Energy Name Gets
 High Marks from the Weiss Ratings

DHT Holdings (DHT) might be the smallest name on this list by market cap. But its Weiss Stock Rating just got upgraded on Aug. 21 — and for good reason.

This isn’t just another dividend stock. DHT runs a fleet of VLCCs (Very Large Crude Carriers), hauling the world’s oil across oceans.

And right now, that business is booming.

Every flare-up in the Middle East, every trade spat, every supply chain snag … it all drives shipping rates higher.

The bigger the headline, the more money DHT makes.

Look at the current Weiss Ratings profile of DHT Holdings. 

You’ll see the fundamental strength behind the stock’s “Buy” rating.

If you’re asking, “What could go wrong?” …

The answer for DHT appears to be “Not much.”

This stock is set to hike its rates unless two things happen:

1. Global oil demand collapses.

2. World peace suddenly breaks out.

In other words, volatility isn’t a threat to DHT — it feeds its profit engine.

Layer on its massive variable dividend (often double-digits, tied directly to earnings) …

And you get a stock that thrives in chaos while paying you to wait out that volatility.

For investors hunting income, inflation protection and a way to benefit from geopolitical turmoil …

DHT could be one of the sharpest high-yield plays on the board.

Meanwhile …

CALM Just Made More Waves at Weiss

Last month, we highlighted Cal-Maine (CALM), the nation’s largest egg producer and distributor.

Not just because of its position near the top of our High-Potential Undervalued Stocks Set to Soar Special Screener … where it continues to sit.

Now, Cal-Maine has also joined Weiss’ Ultimate Dividend Power List.

That’s thanks to the “Excellent” Dividend Index score from our proprietary stock ratings.

The stock has held a “Buy” rating since January 2024, except for one volatile week.

The return over the span of Cal-Maine’s “Buy” rating is nearly 150%.

Those returns are bolstered by a variable — but LARGE — dividend yield, making Cal-Maine a great growth and income play that, again, our system still believes is undervalued.

On July 22, the company knocked the socks off Wall Street’s earnings target, beating analysts’ expectations by 77 cents a share. Those results are now fueling another strong rally of the shares.

While the Volatility Index suggests that CALM will see some bumps, the longer-term outlook and income opportunity are clear.

You can find more ideas like this with just one click with our Special Screener, The Ultimate Dividend Power List: Top-Rated Stocks Paying the Highest Yields Right Now.

Weiss Ratings Gold Upgrades:
Beating the Fed at Its Own Game

The Weiss Stock Ratings have always been your best defense against the Fed.

And right now, our ratings are picking up on a clear trend:

Gold mining companies are rising up in the ranks.

This new trend of fast-rising mining stocks is no accident. 

Gold companies are well-known for using their tight margins to leverage their operations as gold prices rise.

That’s something that we’ve seen for years and should continue to see. 

Here’s the story:

Gold has surged for the last two years as central banks ramped up their purchases by multiples.

What are they preparing for? They know they need to play defense against the U.S. dollar and the Fed’s reckless policy cycle.

Here’s how it plays out:

• When the Fed lowers interest rates, the dollar weakens and gold becomes more attractive as a safe-haven alternative.

• If the economy slips into a recession, gold takes on its historic role as the ultimate store of value.

That combination — easier money and rising risk — is exactly why gold keeps outperforming.

Which brings us to Barrick Gold (B).

As one of the world’s largest gold miners, Barrick operates massive mines across North America, South America, Africa and beyond.

The company is a direct beneficiary of higher gold prices, with scale and efficiency that give it a competitive edge.

For investors looking to defend their portfolio against the Fed, Barrick sits at the top of the list.

It’s a stock with staying power, upside tied to a generational gold bull run and the Weiss Ratings “Buy” stamp of approval.

Shifting Gears & Looking Forward to September’s Update

With Labor Day right around the corner, investors are reminded of one unavoidable reality: the return of volatility.

September has a well-deserved reputation as one of the most volatile months of the year, with trading volumes thinning and price action historically leaning lower.

But instead of cursing September’s volatility, smart investors recognize it as an opening.

Think of September as a healthy reset.

Corrections, while uncomfortable, serve the same purpose as turning the soil after a long summer.

They clear the ground and set up fertile conditions for the next growth cycle.

September’s seasonal weakness often provides the entry points that fuel some of the market’s strongest rallies in the fourth quarter.

From a technical perspective, buying opportunities emerge when sentiment turns negative and prices test support levels.

That’s where disciplined dividend strategies shine.

More importantly, that’s when your Weiss Ratings Plus membership will guide you in the right direction.

Stocks with strong cash flows, stable payouts and resilient business models can be scooped up at discounted valuations just before the market shifts into its most favorable seasonal stretch: October through December.

The message is simple: Volatility is not your enemy.

Use September and your access to Weiss Ratings Plus wisely, and you position yourself for the year’s most powerful tailwind.

This Month’s New Release

We promise to deliver at least one new release every month.

Today, we’re giving you two.

For those of you just joining us, we have been upgrading your Weiss Ratings Plus MasterClass.

Lessons 1 and 2, The Rating Scale and Reward & Risk Ratings, are now being joined by two more upgraded tutorials.

You received those in your June issue.

In your new Lesson 3, Rating Factors Deep Dive, you’ll see the six factors that affect our reward and risk ratings …

Growth, efficiency, solvency, total return, volatility and dividend …

And, ultimately, how those affect a stock’s overall rating.

Lesson 4, Practical Application, shows you how to use Weiss Ratings Plus to find the right stocks for you based on these factors.

This short video also shows you how to set up alerts so that you know when to buy the stocks that fit your risk appetite:

• Rating changes (downgrades, upgrades).

• Investment recommendation changes.

• Price changes by a percentage.

• Price reaches a target.

You’ll find these lessons and more under your Tutorial Videos tab.

To your success,

Dallas Brown

Publisher

P.S. There’s another reason besides dividends to be excited about the upcoming Fed meeting: 

A rate cut announcement could open the floodgates of liquidity into crypto …

And set the stage for a bull run you’ll be hard-pressed to catch once it starts.

But don’t look to Bitcoin to lead this rally. 

The stage is set for altcoin season — when cryptos other than Bitcoin outperform.

According to cycles expert Juan Villaverde, this next altcoin season will likely be focused on projects with working products and real-world use cases. 

As such, it’s entirely possible it’s so contained it barely registers on traditional metrics. 

In other words, it might be almost invisible … unless you know exactly where to look.

Which is why Weiss Ratings founder Dr. Martin Weiss is hosting an urgent crypto briefing on Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 2 p.m. Eastern. 

In it, he and crypto expert Mark Gough will show you how to position yourself to catch this wave … before the Fed's decision on Sept. 17 potentially accelerates this entire rotation.

This briefing is free to attend. All you need to do is save your seat here.