Forget The S&P…Follow The Vice Index

Every Guru wannabe or talking head on TV wants you to believe that the S&P or DOW index accurately predicts the market movements.

(Keep in mind these cretins live by a quote from W.C. Fields: “You can fool some of the people some of the time—and that’s enough to make a decent living.”)

They avoid reporting about another true indicator of consumer spending called “The Vice Index.”

I’m not making this up.

A company named SouthBay Research  has a “Vice Index” that that tracks spending on gambling, alcohol, drugs, and prostitution.

And as of February, the index collapsed.

Normally, splurging on gambling, hookers, booze, drugs, etc. is based on the consumer believing they won’t need this cash for something else.

Yes, it’s a waste of money.

However, human nature NEVER changes.

And since vices have been around forever, you can’t expect them to disappear any time soon.

The interesting point is, a falling Vice Index indicates that our consumer-driven economy is in trouble again.

But you won’t see government statistics pointing this out.

You can, however, have a chat with your friendly neighborhood drug dealer.  (Their information about consumer spending habits may be more valuable than you think.)

Ultimately, when consumers stop buying, everything grinds to a halt.

And the Vice Index is a great leading indicator.  (Again, you won’t hear about this from the Lame Stream Media).

The best way to profit from leading indicators is to: (1) know what they are and (2) Act on them ahead of the crowd.

Learn more about them (HERE).

And don’t be like W.C. Fields who also said, “I spent half my money on gambling, alcohol, and wild women.  The other half I wasted.”