.floatimg-left-hort { float:left; } .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 12px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} Dear Mr. Berko:

Dear P.H.:

During the past four decades of watching Washington, it has become increasingly evident to me that “the guy with the biggest slop bucket will always be elected swineherd, no matter how many pigs he slaughters.” This Ponzi-Economics has severely crippled most of Europe, as well as the United States. And in the past decade, Ponzi-Economics has created a bloodbath for most U.S. investors. A vicious commercial and residential real estate bubble; a banking and mortgage industry gone berserk; the bankruptcy of Chrysler, GM, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; 10 percent unemployment; an unprecedented economic collapse; and a cabal of corrupt Wall Street brokerages formed an economic quicksand in which most Americans are mired today.

Impossibly low interest rates and government stimulus programs for housing, autos and appliances will not raise interest rates nor return your equities to the highs of 2005-2008. Nor will they repair the terrible losses to your retirement income. Government policies are designed to put people back to work, not to help Americans afford their retirement. And retirees have no ombudsman, no representation in Congress and no union support to help them cope with lost income.

If you are hurting, you have four choices: (1) Get a job stocking shelves at Wal-Mart or flipping burgers at McDonald’s or ask your kids for an allowance; (2) Remain in low-yielding investments, reduce your living expenses and wait for rates to rise; (3) Invade principal and leave less or nothing for your heirs; or (4) Change investment strategies and purchase a multiplicity of strong issues yielding between 6 percent and 12 percent that will increase their dividends and provide modest appreciation potential.

There are many issues like Copano Energy LLC (CPNO-$27.43), which yields 8.4 percent and has increased its dividend annually since inception. When the market crashed, CPNO fell to $15. But as investors waited for CPNO to return to $25, it not only continued to pay a swell dividend, but increased its revenues and its payout.

There are many issues like this that will make your retirement more secure. Boardwalk Partners, Energy Transfer, Century Link, Plains All American, TC Pipeline, Bristol-Myers, Duke Energy and Enbridge Energy are a few examples that have attractive yields and provide dependable retirement income. A wise money manager would direct your investments there.

Please address your financial questions to Malcolm Berko, P.O. Box 1416, Boca Raton, Fla. 33429 or e-mail him at malber@adelphia.net. ©2010 Creators.com