The 10 Best Stocks to Hold Forever
 

Dear Reader,

Around our research office in Austin, Texas, we just call them our "Forever" stocks. We've talked about them so much over the past few months, the nickname is just easier. Everyone here knows exactly what we're talking about.

Put simply, this is the set of stocks you can buy today and hold for the rest of your life. When you own them, you no longer need to worry about things like inflation or deflation... bear markets or recessions... flash-crashes or rising interest rates.

For example...
 

I've got more details on each of these ideas -- including several names and ticker symbols -- a little later in today's report.

Just know that this sort of "worry-free" performance is exactly the reason many of the world's richest investors, politicians, and businessmen have owned shares of these stocks for decades, using them to obliterate the market.

Let me show you what I mean...

One of our "Forever" stocks is owned by a staggering 21 members of Congress. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-WI) reports that via his wife, he has a stake of up to $500,000 in the stock. And in 2010 (the last year data was available), that stake earned at least $15,000 in dividends from the shares.

You can see for yourself in his latest financial disclosure I had our research team dig up on the Representative, courtesy of OpenSecrets.org:

Here's the funny thing. When you find a stock that a herd of Congressmen love... you usually find that some of the richest people in the world also invest in it. It's almost like there is a direct link between the two...

In fact, Representative Sensenbrenner and his wife could shake hands with the world's richest man -- Mexican telecom magnate Carlos Slim -- at this company's annual meeting. That's because along with a couple dozen members of Congress, Mr. Slim also has a stake in this world-dominating company... owning more than 14,800 shares worth $1.2 million.

It's the same story with another "Forever" stock I found. It's owned by dozens of the market's biggest players. Legendary investment firm Fidelity owns more than 12,800,000 shares worth more than $8 billion. Goldman Sachs owns another 2,300,000 shares.

More than 25 members of Congress also own the stock.

That includes Jane Harman -- the third-richest member of Congress, with an estimated net worth of $326 million. That is to say she was the third-richest member of Congress.

Ms. Harman resigned in 2011. At last count, she held over $315,000 of this company's stock.

This company also counts former presidential candidate John Kerry (D-MA) as an investor. He has an interest worth more than $600,000.

But what's most surprising about this select group of 10 stocks I've identified? It's not the fact that millionaire Congressmen... or billionaire "super" investment firms like Fidelity and Goldman Sachs... are lining their pockets with the shares.

Instead, it's that everyday investors like you, your family, and your friends are able to invest in these exact same companies.

Let me be clear -- these ideas ARE NOT solely reserved for Congressmen, billionaires, or the elite.

In fact, people just like you have been making money from these types of stocks for decades...

George A. from Weatherford, Oklahoma told us recently that he's held shares of General Electric for 45 years. During that time, his holdings have turned from $27,000 to $108,000... while also paying him "tons" of dividends.

Arthur R. of Sandy Springs, Georgia told us he invested in 200 shares of Automatic Data Processing at just $8.00 per share. After holding about five years, he sold at $59.90. His profit? Through splits, his original $1,600 investment turned into $106,000 when Arthur sold.

Tony R. of Reading, Massachusetts bought $2,000 of Esso -- Exxon's predecessor -- more than 50 years ago. "I never purchased any more, I just reinvested dividends. For years it was the only stock I owned."

Tony says that stake topped out at more than $100,000.

Now, I'm not here to tell you about General Electric or Exxon. They've done well by long-term investors, but I don't want to hold them forever now. However, these stocks prove just how big a difference "Forever" stocks can make to your overall wealth.
 

Meanwhile, I've found a new breed of stocks I think are "Forever" candidates. My name is Paul Tracy. I'm the co-founder of StreetAuthority, one of the country's fastest-growing financial research firms. I started StreetAuthority more than a decade ago. My business partner and I literally started the business from our kitchen tables. It's funny to think about now, but I can tell you back then we tried to keep our humble start a secret. But then a funny thing happened... People began to see StreetAuthority knew what we were talking about. We were making investors money. Gradually more investors learned about us. Then our analysis started to appear on AOL, Forbes, Nasdaq, and Yahoo Finance. That brought more readers.

Over the years, our business has grown like a weed. We now have two offices -- one in Gaithersburg, Maryland and another in Austin, Texas. We employ dozens of people, and we have analysts and researchers from all over the U.S. and Canada.

Today, we publish our research to over 2 million readers in 175 countries.

But I think the research we've done on our "10 Best Stocks to Hold Forever" might be our best to date...

I'll get into more details on our 10 "Forever" stocks -- including some specific names and ticker symbols -- later on in today's report.

But first, I think it's my duty as a fellow investor to tell you why holding a stock forever may be the smartest investing decision you'll ever make...

The Profitable Advice You Won't Get From Your Broker

I want to tell you a little secret about your brokerage firm. They are in business to make money.

Big shock, I know.

But that means your broker would never suggest holding a stock forever. The more you trade in and out of stocks, the fatter their profits get.

I personally use E*Trade for my buys and sells. They are always trying to sell me on using their latest and greatest trading tools. They'd rarely (if ever) recommend that I buy a stock and simply hold it... letting the shares pay me year after year. They want commissions.

I don't mean to single out E*Trade. Scottrade, TDAmeritrade, nearly every brokerage house... they all push for you buy and sell frequently.

Now, I'm not knocking trading. I've seen plenty of people make money doing it. But it's not for me. And if you're reading this research, I bet it's not for you either. Here's the good news...

You don't have to trade every day... or every week... or even every year to beat the market. In fact, your success actually increases the fewer trades you make and the longer you hold.

A recent study by mega-investment firm Oppenheimer showed that the S&P 500 has NEVER suffered a loss in a 20-year period (measured in rolling monthly periods). Their study went all the way back to 1950.

Of course, we all know you can't say the same for holding stocks for a year or two. When you hold stocks for a short period of time, your odds of losing money are much, much higher.

And you can lose a boatload of money in a hurry...

In fact, in its worst 1-year period, the S&P 500 dropped -44.8%.

No wonder Warren Buffett has always said his favorite holding period is "forever."

Let me be clear...

I believe the simplest way to turn any amount of money into a windfall is to find a stock you want to hold forever, invest, and then forget about it.

But it's not just me.

Listen to the story of Grace Groner.

Grace lived nearly her entire life in Lake Forest, Illinois, about 45 minutes north of Chicago. After she graduated from Lake Forest College in 1931, Grace was hired as a secretary at Abbott Laboratories, where she worked for more than four decades.

Grace never earned an amazing salary as a secretary. She never drove a fancy car. According to the Los Angeles Times, she got her clothes from garage sales. She lived in a one-bedroom house that was willed to her when a friend passed.

But in 1935, a few years after she started her job at Abbott Labs, she bought three shares of the company's stock for about $60 per share. Her total investment was under $200.

As I bet you can guess, Grace never sold those shares. Through dividends, share splits, and dividend reinvestment, when she died in 2010, her three share purchase was worth $7 million. She left it all to her alma mater.

Anne Scheiber did almost the exact same thing. She started with $5,000 in 1944, buying shares of market leaders like Schering-Plough, Coca-Cola, and Bristol-Myers. According to those close to her, Anne hated to sell because she couldn't stand paying commissions.

When she died in 1996, her $5,000 initial investment had turned into $22 million.

Now, I don't expect you to turn $5,000 into $22 million. These are special cases. But what you may not realize is that right now, everyday investors like you are buying into "Forever" stocks, holding for the long-term, and making small fortunes of their own...

Robert R. of The Villages, Florida said he bought 1,000 shares of Exxon in 1973... When we last talked to him, he owned 16,000 shares. His favorite thing about investing in "Forever" stocks? "You don't have to worry about constantly trying to beat the market," said Robert.

George A. from Seattle, Washington had a similar story. George said he bought $2,000 of Apple and $2,000 of Amazon back in October 2000. About 10 years later, he told us his Apple shares were worth $60,100 and the Amazon shares were worth $11,600.

William M. is an investor in Boynton Beach, Florida who said he's held over 60 stocks for more than 35 years. He bought just 5 shares of AT&T in 1950. When we last heard from him, he said thanks to splits, spin-offs, and dividends, he owned 4,000-plus shares of the stock!

He also told us he's been retired 27 years, is a member of two private country clubs, and has homes in both Florida and Massachusetts.

But my favorite story is from Edwin C. of San Diego. I'll let him tell you himself...

"I started out investing on a monthly basis in Exxon and Duke Energy, and then in the Oakmark Equity and Income Fund. I never sold any positions. Ten years later I have $109,000 in Oakmark and $50,000 each in Exxon and Duke. When I get my annual pay raise, I increase my automatic monthly investment by 50% of the raise. Pay yourself first! I am a multimillionaire with no college education, just a 20-year Navy career behind me."

But why? How is it that holding a stock "Forever" seems time and time again to make the biggest difference in your overall success?

My research staff uncovered two big reasons...

"Forever" Reason #1:
The Best Way I've Found to Earn 4-Digit Gains

If you want to see the best reason why investing "Forever" is the smartest way to let the market make you wealthy, pay attention to the table below...  

I ran a simple stock screen on my research team's Bloomberg terminal. I asked this piece of research software to show me all the stocks in the United States that have returned more than 250% in the past year. And to weed out the fly-by-night penny stocks, I had it return only stocks with a market cap above $250 million that traded on a major exchange.

You can see the results for yourself. It's just 4 stocks. That's the definition of trying to find a needle in a haystack.

In fact, I bet you've never even heard of any of these stocks... much less own any of them.

But then I ran the exact same screen... only I changed the time period to the past 10 years. The results are night and day.

Over the last 10 years, 415 stocks returned more than 250%. More than 100 times as many as the past year!

That's because the market's greatest stocks -- not the extremely risky plays that skyrocket and crash seemingly overnight -- take years to reach their full potential.

They won't do it in one year... or even two or three years. But in the meantime, investors who hold these stocks are able to steadily compound their gains year in and year out.

Take a well-known case -- shares of Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL). Apple has been one of the market's best performers for years. But even in the stock's best one-year period, investors made 289%.

I wouldn't sneeze at a 289% gain, but anyone who bought for a year... or an even shorter time... sold themselves short.

You can see from my chart that Apple wasn't done after six months or a year...

Since 2003, Apple has gained 7,507%. That's an average annual gain of 59% and enough to turn every $100 invested into more than $7,600.

Investing for a short period in a stock like Apple is like ordering a 7-course meal and only sticking around for the appetizer. Sure you get a taste... but wouldn't you rather have the whole meal?

And today, I'm seeing a similar setup to what has happened with Apple...

This "Forever" stock is the one owned by Fidelity, Goldman Sachs, and more than two dozen Congressmen. Like Apple, this stock has long been a darling of Wall Street. Since it first went public in 2004, it's returned 459%.

But then something happened... investors turned against the company -- knocking it down just like they did Apple in 2008 and 2009. And while the shares have rebounded... they still aren't anywhere near where they could -- or should -- be trading at.

This company makes a product you probably use every day. Heck, in my line of work, I use it dozens of times a day.

It owns a dominant 65% of its primary market... and literally billions of people rely on this company.

That sort of dominance has done wonders for business, although you wouldn't know it by looking at the stock, which I think is extremely undervalued right now.

With profits of nearly $10 billion in 2011, this company is ranked #18 on the latest Fortune 500 list based on profits.

That means only 17 companies in the United States earn more profit per year than this "Forever" stock.

Put simply, this business is a cash machine.

Maybe that's how it has built up more than $47 billion in cash on its books... which equals a staggering $146 per share -- or 23% of its share price. I've never seen anything like it.

But despite these statistics, you can buy the shares for less than they traded at before the recession, despite that profits have increased 157% since then. If that screams buying opportunity to you... you're not alone. I agree with you.

I'll give you the name of this company a little later. But first, I want to show you one more reason why owning a stock forever may be the smartest investment move you've ever made...

"Forever" Reason #2:
The Simplest Way to Invest... That Also Means LESS Risk

Owning stocks forever reduces your risk of a loss. It won't guarantee you'll make money -- nothing short of a savings account will. But the longer you hold, the more likely you are to earn a profit.

I'm not blowing smoke here. Decades of data back it up.

In fact, when I started preparing this research report, the first thing I did was go through the annual results of the S&P 500, going all the way back to 1950. That's 60-plus years worth of data.

You can see what I found in my chart...

On a rolling annual basis, the S&P 500 has dropped 16 times over a 1-year period since 1950... but zero times in any 20-year period.

This trend is clear as day. The longer you hold an investment, the better your chances of making money. And there's no longer holding period than forever.

But I'd bet you already knew holding for the long-term is smart. Many of the market's brightest minds -- including Warren Buffett -- have heralded the powers of long-term investing.

The simple fact is it can be tough to hold for long periods. After all, there are bear markets, recessions, flash crashes... it can be enough to make your head spin.

Even if you want to hold for the long term, don't you have to have nerves of steel?

The answer is no. Absolutely not. IF you're invested in the right stocks, you can beat the market with less volatility than you ever thought.

Hear me out...

The recent bear market lasted from October 9, 2007 until March 9, 2009. During that time, the S&P 500 dropped from a peak of 1,565 to a low of 676. That's a nauseating -56.8% drop.

But you couldn't avoid that drop, right? After all, the S&P 500 dropped that much... and it's an average of 500 of America's best companies. Everyone lost -56%... or did they?

I've run the numbers on our 10 "Forever" stocks during that nasty bear market.

Only 1 stock of the 10 fell more than the S&P 500 during the bear market. And when the bull market returned, that stock came back with a vengeance... more than doubling the S&P 500 in the following year.

As for the other 9 picks? Well one of them wasn't listed until after the bear market, so I left it out of our calculations to be fair. Of the rest, they fell an average of 30% less than the broader market.

And the vast majority of these picks beat the S&P 500 on the way back up. So not only has this select group of stocks held up better in down markets... they've also whipped the S&P 500 in bull markets.

See for yourself...

It's like having your cake and eating it too.

Now, I'll be honest. There's a major caveat. You can't just buy any stock, hold it forever, and expect to come out ahead. The market is littered with Enrons, Worldcoms, even General Motors. Holding forever didn't matter a lick with them.

That's why my staff and I have put so much time, effort, and money into completing our list of 10 "Forever" stocks.

The performance of these stocks since the start of the bear market isn't some fluke. It's one of the main reasons why I selected these 10 stocks in the first place.

But the best news is this handful of stocks show unbelievable signs they could make investors wealthy for years to come.

But what's most important right now is not what these stocks have done in the past, but what they could do for you in the years ahead.

When you invest in companies like the dominant monopoly with a 5.0% dividend yield that I'll tell you about in a moment, you can sleep well at night knowing that your money has a great chance of growing year-in and year-out for decades to come.

If you want to read all our research on this select group of "forever" stocks, I've put everything together in a brand-new research report titled The 10 Best Stocks to Hold Forever.

Even better, I want to give you unrestricted access to this report right now. Keep reading to learn how to claim your copy...

Just Released: The 10 Best Stocks to Hold Forever

As I mentioned earlier, I co-founded StreetAuthority more than a decade ago.

Today, I pay salaries of several million dollars per year to employ some of the smartest investment minds in the country. But before that, I made every investment decision in the company myself.

Here are a few of my past recommendations within Market Advisor, StreetAuthority's first investment publication:
 

In other words, I know what makes a good investment... and what makes a bad investment.

But over the past few years -- especially during the teeth of the recession -- I noticed something disturbing.

Thousands... even millions of investors starting dumping what I knew were good investments that should be held for the long term.

Take a look at a few of my personal buys during the market low of March 2009. If you remember, the stock market was in complete chaos at the time.

In fact, the S&P 500 hit bottom on March 9, 2009. Many investors sat in shock -- numb, as they watched their portfolios deteriorate with the drop in the overall market.

Some of my colleagues in the industry even vowed to never invest again. But I saw something completely different. I saw a historic buying opportunity. I didn't wait.

I backed up the truck, putting more than $40,000 into some of the market's most undervalued stocks. I admit I didn't buy at the exact bottom on March 9th, but I came within days. Over the next 12 months, stocks would rebound over 60%, sending my shares soaring.

As the co-founder of an investment research firm, it bothered me investors were dumping what I saw as unbelievable opportunities. And even worse, investors were selling some of the most dominant companies on the planet -- the exact type of stocks I like to buy and hold forever.

Ever since, I've been throwing around this idea in my head of creating a list of stocks that investors could hold forever. They could simply buy the shares and forget about them.

They wouldn't have to worry about what the market is doing... or interest rates... or GDP... or inflation.

Basically, I wanted to show investors that investing doesn't have to be complicated. And you don't have to watch the stock market every day to make money.

All you have to do is find a handful of companies that enjoy huge (and lasting) advantages over the competition... companies that pay their investors each and every year by dishing out fat dividends... and companies buying back massive amounts of their own stock.

These are the kinds of companies that can make you money almost no matter what. Once you find them, the rest is simple -- just buy their shares and hold forever.

So I put our team to work on building a list of these "forever" stocks. The result is the report I'd like to share with you... The 10 Best Stocks to Hold Forever.

To claim your copy, with full details and profiles of all 10 stocks, I only ask that you try a trial subscription to my monthly advisory -- Top 10 Stocks.

But before you decide, let me tell you a a bit more about this select group of companies...

"Forever Stock #1:
The "Rockefeller" Stock I Want to Buy and Hold Forever

He is the richest person in the history.

Warren Buffett? At his peak, Buffett's wealth is less than one-fifth this man's fortune.

Bill Gates doesn't even come close. Neither does Walmart founder Sam Walton or telecom magnate -- and current richest man in the world -- Carlos Slim.

None of these men can hold a candle to the $336 billion fortune (adjusted for inflation) amassed by a name synonymous with wealth... John D. Rockefeller.

But when I tell you I've found what I call my "Rockefeller" investment, I'm not saying it because I think it will make us billionaires -- even though I'd love to be able to say that.

No, I call it my "Rockefeller" investment because of what this company invests in.

This "Forever" stock owns a rare breed of assets that are nearly impossible for small investors like you and me to purchase directly. Typically only major companies... or industrial titans like Rockefeller... can buy them.

Most people know Rockefeller became rich via his company, Standard Oil. And while I want to invest in the same sort of business that he did, my "Rockefeller" pick has nothing to do with oil.

But that's fine by me, because when you look closely at exactly WHY Rockefeller got rich, you realize Standard Oil didn't turn Rockefeller into a billionaire simply because it was in the oil business.

No. Standard Oil made Rockefeller the richest man in history because the company held a monopoly in its market... while also paying a fat dividend on the shares he held.

And now, I've found an investment -- Brookfield Infrastructure (NYSE: BIP) -- that lets you own stakes in dozens of infrastructure monopolies across the entire world, and in addition to capital gains, it pays investors a 5.0% dividend each year to own it.

In total, roughly 80% of the partnership's revenues are under contracts or are regulated. Meanwhile, those practically guaranteed revenues are coming from one of the most compelling portfolios I've ever seen.

The partnership has a stake in electric grids in Chile. It holds railroads in Australia... ports all over Europe... coal facilities in Australia... toll roads in South America... and timberland in the United States and Canada.

I can only think of one, maybe two, other places where you can invest in a stable group of monopolistic holdings this broad from all over the planet.

But any "Rockefeller" idea would be incomplete if it ignored dividends. After all, it was Rockefeller who once quipped "Do you know the only thing that gives me pleasure? It's to see my dividends coming in."

Right now BIP pays $0.375 per unit each quarter. That's a 36% increase over 2010 and gives the units a yield of 5.0%.

But I think that distribution is going to rise in the years ahead. Brookfield explicitly state its aim is to raise its distributions 3-7% a year, while also aiming to return 60-70% of its income to investors in the form of dividends.

How many other investments tell you that it's their explicit goal to continue increasing distributions... and at a rate that outpaces inflation?

That's just a sneak peek into the finds I cover in The 10 Best Stocks to Hold Forever.

But it's certainly not all...

"Forever Stock #2:
The "Market Darling" With $146 Per Share of Cash

I told you a few of the details about this stock earlier in today's report.

It's the one owned by Goldman Sachs. They own about $1.4 billion of the stock.

More than 20 U.S. Congressmen also own shares.

I'm talking about Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) -- one of the most dominant companies on the planet -- and one that I want to own forever... especially at these prices.

And guess what... this stock is also praised by Charlie Munger -- Warren Buffett's second in command.

"Google has a huge new moat," Munger said. "In fact I've probably never seen such a wide moat. Their moat is filled with sharks."

Munger is famous for loving companies with wide "economic moats" -- advantages that keep competitors from gaining territory against a business.

And Google has plenty of those...

It's the most dominant company on the entire Internet. Depending on who you cite, it owns no less than a 65% market share of online search, and possibly upwards of 90%.

Moreover, it offers email... online documents... mapping tools... and dozens of other free utilities -- all in an effort to get its advertising platform in front of more eyeballs.

Its web advertising platform controls nearly 40% of the market (and growing)... about triple its nearest rival. And online advertising is still in its infancy. It's expected to jump 23% this year.

That's helped the company build up a stockpile of more than more than $47 billion in cash on its books... or $146 PER SHARE. That means Google could afford to pay every investor a dividend of nearly $150 per share and still not skip a beat.

Despite these statistics, you can buy the shares for less than they traded at before the recession. That's despite the fact that earnings per share have increased roughly 150% since then.

Sometimes the market just doesn't make sense. But I think the solution is pretty simple. Buy the shares now... and hold them forever.

In fact, I think that's the right plan for the rest of my 10 "Forever" stocks...
 

It's Time For YOU to Start
Making Money With These 10 "Forever" Ideas

I have a passion for the markets. It's one of the reasons I got into this business more than a decade ago. I bought my first stock when I was still in high school -- while most of my buddies were sneaking beers.

Over the years, I've bought and sold literally millions of dollars worth of stocks, but I wish I had realized this sooner -- it's the few investments you simply buy and hold forever that make the biggest difference to your long-term wealth.

That's why I put together The 10 Best Stocks to Hold Forever for the readers of my Top 10 Stocks advisory.

This newsletter offers one of the simplest guides to the market. Each month I share just my single favorite pick from across all of StreetAuthority's research advisories.

So far, the readers following my work seem to have enjoyed it...

"The investment suggestions are thoroughly researched. The background information shared and rational for inclusion in a portfolio is concise but informative."
-- Marilyn W., Green Valley, Arizona

"I like the concentrated portfolio and not being inundated with too many "great" ideas, just the ONE best per month and the overall 10 best to be kept in a portfolio."
-- Haviva G., Atlanta, Georgia

"The cream of the crop all in one! What's not to like?"
-- Tony P., Toronto, Ontario

"Don't change anything, you may break it. I think you are the best."
-- Bahij M., Newton, Pennsylvania

Now, there's no guarantee Top 10 Stocks will be the right publication for you. So here's what I'd like to do.

Try Top 10 Stocks for the next 60 days, read The 10 Best Stocks to Hold Forever, which is included for free with your subscription, and then decide then if my research is what you're looking for.

Start your 60 days now, and you'll receive:

Report #1: The 10 Best Stocks to Hold Forever - You'll have full access to the names and profiles of the 10 stocks my research team and I have designated with the exclusive "Forever" tag. Buy these stocks... and forget about them.

Report #2: Two Stocks with 10%-Plus Dividend Yields -- If your idea of investing heaven is a double-digit yield, then you'll love this report. The yields here start at 10.0% and go up from there.

And once a month you'll also receive my latest issue of Top 10 Stocks, featuring an in-depth profile of my top pick of the month -- the single most promising profit play from across all of StreetAuthority's premium investment advisories.

Keep in mind that I actually purchase every one of my monthly ideas in my Top 10 Stocks' $100,000 real-money portfolio.

So for the next 60 days, you can take the time you need to decide if my Top 10 Stocks research is what you're looking for. If not, simply contact our customer service team for a 100% refund.

Like I said, it's easy to see if my research is right for you.

I'll tell you how to get started and gain immediate access to The 10 Best Stocks to Hold Forever in a moment... but first I want to tell you about one more bit of research I've been working on.

Congress' Dirty Secret You Can Use to Your Advantage

I've talked a lot about the Congressmen who own some of our 10 "Forever" stocks... but you're still probably wondering... "Does it really matter if Congress owns shares or not?

Well, the truth will make you sick. Technically it's public knowledge, but I can tell you -- it's Congress' dirty little secret.

Congress is rich. Unbelievably rich. And until just recently, insider trading laws didn't apply to Congress.

I don't know which is worse: The fact that insider trading was legal for some of our nation's wealthiest politicians... or that Congress refused to do anything about it for decades.

"A few lawmakers proposed a bill that would prevent members and employees of Congress from trading securities based on nonpublic information they obtain. The legislation has languished since 2006," according to The Wall Street Journal.

That was, the legislation languished until 60 Minutes -- one of the most-respected investigative journalism programs on television -- dedicated a segment to the issue. Here's a portion of what they had to say...
 

And that was just one example. Also dug up by 60 Minutes:

Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and her husband have participated in multiple exclusive IPOs -- including that of Visa (NYSE: V). According to one report, Pelosi purchased 5,000 shares of Visa at the IPO price of $44. Just a couple of days later, when the stock was trading to the investing public, it traded at $64 per share.

John Boehner (R-OH) bought stocks of healthcare companies days before the public option was pulled from pending healthcare legislation. The removal of the public option proved to be a boon for private health insurers, making a significant sum for the Congressman's investments.

The report from 60 Minutes led to a frenzy. And a few months after the story aired, the STOCK Act, which curbed insider trading by Congress, was signed into law.

But why was it delayed for so long?

Apparently Congress was making too much money off the lax rules to do anything about it.

According to data from the Center for Responsive Politics, 249 of the 535 members of Congress are millionaires. That's 47%!  For comparison, about 5% of American households are worth more than $1 million.

So much for representation "by the people." And why on earth would Congress change rules that have obviously helped them for decades?

But back in the '60s there was at least a sliver of hope. Think of it as a milkbone Congress threw out to keep the dogs off their scent.

You see, back then Robert Baker, a senior Senate aide, was roiled in a scandal involving financial gain from a network of vending machines.

He ended up spending 16 months in prison, convicted of income tax evasion.

This led to a series of rules in 1968 that required lawmakers and aides to disclose information about their finances.

The rules require all members of Congress (along with some of their higher-paid aides) to publicly disclose information on their finances every year -- including stock holdings.

Thankfully, the STOCK Act strengthened this requirement. Not only did it eliminate insider trading, but Congress must now disclose their trades within 45 days after they happen.

That means we have an opportunity to see exactly what our "representatives" are buying. And we need to know...

Because according to Barron's, the "Holy Grail of investing has been found: get elected to U.S. Congress."

In a study cited by Barron's, members of the House of Representatives beat investors like you and me by 55 basis points a month. That comes out to an extra 6.8% per year. I think Barron's said it best...
 

Is it any wonder that the first place I went looking for my 10 "Forever" stocks was in Congress' own portfolios?

But I wanted to give investors more, so I put my findings in a special research report: Congress' Dirty Secret: The Most Popular Stocks Owned by Your Representatives.

In this report, I profile the six most popular stocks owned by Congress... and even show you how simple it is to dig up the details on what any Congressman holds.

I've decided to include this report at no extra charge with your subscription to my monthly Top 10 Stocks advisory.

For just $99, you'll receive one year of my monthly advisory. This includes...

12 Issues of Top 10 Stocks -- Each issue includes an in-depth profile of my top pick of the month -- the single most promising profit play from across all of StreetAuthority's premium investment advisories.

Instant Access to my Entire $100,000 Real-Money Portfolio -- To track our true results I actually buy and sell my picks in a real brokerage account. And I also give you 48 hours advance notice before I buy or sell any security -- giving you time to beat me to the punch.

Report #1: The 10 Best Stocks to Hold Forever -- You'll have full access to the names and profiles of the 10 stocks we've designated with the exclusive "Forever" tag. Buy these stocks, forget about them, and never sell them.

Report #2: Two Stocks with 10%-Plus Dividend Yields - -If your idea of investing heaven is a double-digit yield, then you'll love this report. The yields here start at 10.5% and go up from there.

Report #3: Congress' Dirty Secret: The Most Popular Stocks Owned by Your Representatives -- You'll receive full profiles of the top six stocks that Congress has quietly been quietly buying for years... and learn how to look up what your representative owns.

If you decide to join Top 10 Stocks for two years (with the same 60-day money-back guarantee), then you'll also receive these additional reports...

Report #4: The Most Undervalued Stocks in America -- These two stocks are major market players... but they are some of the most undervalued investments I've seen. Meanwhile, these companies are buying back billions of their own stock and increasing dividends like crazy  -- doing everything they can to make their investors rich.

Report #5: Two Stocks with 500% Growth Potential -- These stocks are for those investors looking to "move the needle" on their portfolio. We've identified the two picks that we think have the most potential to soar several hundred percent in the months and years ahead. 

Keep in mind that you'll have the next 60 days to decide if you like my research or not.

If you don't like it, I won't get my feelings hurt. Simply call our dedicated customer service team before 60 days is up and we'll issue you a refund. You'll be able to keep the reports, free of charge.

To get instant access, subscribe now.

All the best,

Paul Tracy
Editor, StreetAuthority's Top 10 Stocks
Co-Founder,  StreetAuthority

P.S. -- In the interest of full disclosure, please know I'm putting my money where my mouth is.  I currently hold most of the 10 "Forever" stocks for my personal portfolio... including BIP... and I could be adding one or two more in the weeks ahead.

P.P.S --  The only way to get the names of my 10 "Forever" stocks, my favorite Top 10 Stocks from across all of StreetAuthority's advisories, and Congress' Dirty Secret is to subscribe today.

DISCLOSURE: Paul Tracy owns shares of BIP and GOOG. StreetAuthority owns shares of BIP and GOOG as part of the company's various $100,000 "real money" portfolios. In accordance with company policies, StreetAuthority always provides readers with at least 48 hours advance notice before buying or selling any securities in any "real money" model portfolio.

DISCLAIMER: StreetAuthority, LLC is a publisher of financial news and opinions and NOT a securities broker/dealer or an investment advisor. You are responsible for your own investment decisions. All information contained in our newsletters or on our web site(s) should be independently verified with the companies mentioned, and readers should always conduct their own research and due diligence and consider obtaining professional advice before making any investment decision. As a condition to accessing StreetAuthority materials and websites, you agree to our Terms and Conditions of Use, available here, including without limitation all disclaimers of warranties and limitations on liability contained therein. Owners, employees and writers may hold positions in the securities that are discussed in our newsletters or on our website.

Figures shown in the preceding webcast represent returns for individual stocks only. All investments can be volatile, and all returns will be reduced by fees and expenses. Below are the returns for StreetAuthority's premium newsletters.

 

*as of April 30, 2012