The Little Book of Bull Moves in Bear Markets: How to Keep Your Portfolio Up When the Market Is Down

by Peter D. Schiff

Written by seasoned Wall Street prognosticator Peter Schiff–author of the bestselling book Crash How to Profit from the Coming Economic Collapse –The Little Book of Bull Moves in Bear Markets reveals how you should protect your assets and invest your money when the American economy is experiencing perilous economic downturns and wealth building is happening elsewhere. Filled with insightful commentary, inventive metaphors, and prescriptive advice, this book shows you how to make money under adverse market conditions by using a conservative, nontraditional investment strategy.

Genres: Finance, Business, Nonfiction, Economics, Audiobook, Personal Finance

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Peter David Schiff is an American investment broker, author, financial commentator, and was a candidate in the 2010 Republican primary for the United States Senate seat from Connecticut.

Schiff is CEO and chief global strategist of Euro Pacific Capital Inc., a broker-dealer based in Westport, Connecticut and CEO of Euro Pacific Precious Metals, LLC, a gold and silver dealer based in New York City. He frequently appears as a guest on CNBC, Fox News, and Bloomberg Television and is often quoted in major financial publications and is a frequent guest on internet radio as well as the host of the former podcast Wall Street Unspun, which is now broadcast on terrestrial radio and known as The Peter Schiff Show.

Schiff is known for his bearish views on the dollar and dollar denominated assets, while bullish on investment in tangible assets as well as foreign stocks and currencies.

Reviews

[John Boettcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of Peter Schiff's first books and one of his best. Although the advice in the book is spot on, it may actually have come at a time in which even he could not have predicted the lengths to which the U.S. Government would intervene in the economy and their attempts to prop it up with stimulus after stimulus.

However, all of the rational, facts, and suggestions in the book still remain in place and valid, and good across all time periods, not just the ones we are going through at the moment, trying to come out of a deep, deep recession, which has only been exacerbated and strung out by exactly the methods which Schiff mentions to avoid when investing your money.

Yes, there is unapologetic advertising of his own company in the book, but hey, its his book, he can do what he wants in it. Because heck, it's at least KIND of a free market out there. :)

[Marcus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Peter Schiff and have enjoyed some of his presentations for The Mises institute. This book is typical of the Bear Market genre, written in early 2008 it successfully warns that a deep recession is underway and that the stock market & dollar will take a hit. Book is rudimentary from my perspective, but contains good practical advice for those without finance degrees. My favorite book of this genre remains Contagion by Talbott; however, this book has it's appeal in that it is short and concise. Everyone should read one of these books. Hopefully they are wrong.....

[Eric Daams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Time has not been kind to Peter Schiff's predictions, many of which have failed to turn out correct. There are some worthwhile ideas here, but considering how much of this is structured around his (incorrect) predictions, it's hard to take a lot of this seriously.

A nasty dig at his ex-wife and strange inconsistencies about government policies (he advocates very low taxes and 100% private healthcare while extolling the virtues of the economies of countries that have high taxes and publicly funded health care systems) round out what is a fairly disappointing read.

[Rodrigo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hay mucho por desempacar con este libro a pesar de ser relativamente corto. Para empezar, es un decididamente un libro de predicciones, que además está caducado, así que tenemos la chuleta de la historia para ver qué tan cerca de la marca estuvo Schiff. No muy cerca, pero esto es prácticamente natural y no se puede esperar más de quienes intentan adivinar el futuro.

El contexto del libro también es sumamente importante para empezar a entenderlo; Schiff predijo el Crash del 2008 en un libro anterior y venía apareciendo en televisión y radio como invitado en distintos programas para discutir con otros economistas y analistas sobre la salud del sistema financiero y monetario. No era el único capaz de ver que todo se caía, pero sí de los más escandalosos y dramáticos en sus predicciones, y por eso ganó fama como Dr. Doom, si bien no se lo tomaba muy en serio hasta que efectivamente llegó la crisis.

Entonces él se comenzó a tomar demasiado en serio a sí mismo y se aventuró a hacer predicciones más osadas y nítidas con los resultados que ya vimos.

Una curiosidad que revela el sesgo de Schiff es que es un ideólogo completamente contaminado por las ideas de su padre, a su vez una persona con un entendimiento rudimentario del liberalismo que se radicalizó luego de haber perdido dinero propio y de sus clientes en una estafa piramidal y terminó muriendo en prisión por rehusarse a pagar impuestos y promulgar sus ideas antifiscales.

Shiff está incluso un peldaño más abajo por su rigidez cognitiva, cayendo directamente en el dogmatismo, como es casi esperable al haber crecido bajo la influencia de su padre luego martirizado. Sus predicciones posteriores al crash ejemplifican con cierta belleza complejidad de la economía mundial y la resistencia del ser humano al cambio, ya que únicamente al cambiar un factor, el de la hiperinflación del dólar, se desfiguran el resto de sus predicciones.

Algo bueno que debe reconocerse sin duda es su entendimiento del mercado internacional de commodities y sobre todo de los metales. Algo muy negativo es su irracionalidad para defender las inversiones no domésticas sin tener la mínima idea de los sistemas políticos y económicos de los países que propone como alternativas, y que muchas veces pecan de los mismos errores que fervientemente critica en la economía gringa, incluso a mayor escala. ¿Con qué seriedad y coherencia puede un liberal que toca las campanas del fin del mundo en América recomendar meter dinero en bolsa china? Lógicamente, a través de sus servicios de manejo de dinero y de brokerage.

Algo más triste que bueno o malo es su idea de que el crecimiento económico solo puede venir de un aumento en la producción y, específicamente, en la manufactura. ¿Cómo puede un economista del siglo XXI estar tan desconectado de la realidad? Está congelado en las ideas y el tiempo de su padre.

Algo vergonzoso es la publicidad conchuda de sus libros, programa de radio/ podcast, servicios de asesoría, manejo de dinero y de bróker. Más allá de que tenga el derecho de hacerlo o no hacerlo en la plataforma que le dio la colección de Little Books, Big Profits, la falta ya no de elegancia, sino de tacto, acaba por generar rechazo.

[Leslie Yong · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Little Book of Bull Moves in Bear Markets" by Peter Schiff offers valuable insights on how to protect your assets and invest wisely during economic downturns.

Schiff, a seasoned Wall Street prognosticator, draws on historical examples, such as the bear markets of the 1930s and 1970s, to provide guidance on navigating turbulent markets.¹

The book focuses on strategies for keeping your portfolio afloat during bear markets, including:

- *Asset Allocation*
- *Investing in Undervalued Assets*
- *Avoiding Over-Leveraging*

Throughout the book, Schiff also shares his concerns about the US economy, including the dangers of inflation, debt, and government intervention. He argues that investors need to be prepared for the worst and take steps to protect their wealth.

Overall, "The Little Book of Bull Moves in Bear Markets" provides practical advice and insightful commentary on navigating the challenges of bear markets.

[Paul Adams · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little alarmist. Don’t bet against the US Economy.

[Desiree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! The author seems to promote his web site a bit too much, but otherwise there is a lot of great info here. Hyperinflation from fiat money is destroying the value of our cash and bonds. He suggests investing in foreign stocks, even moving abroad to take advantage of numerous countries that will be much better off than the USA. He thinks gold will go much higher and points out that the relative value of gold versus oil has stayed about the same. It's the US dollar that is losing it's value. Goldmoney.com is one suggestion.

He puts the blame squarely on the Federal Reserve Bank for keeping interest rates artificially low and causing the housing bubble. Giving them the keys to the henhouse is going to make the problems even worse, as is printing more money to prop up our economy as the new administration will probably do...

Not all suggestions are easy for Americans to take advantage of. Personally, I pulled my money out of the US market in Oct 2007, which was a great idea. Unfortunately, I left some in an overseas mutual fund, which went down with the US market as most foreign countries' economies are linked with ours. According to the author, this is a good investment, not quite as good as investing directly, though. My mutual fund should outperform as the growing countries rely less on US consumers to buy their goods and they start buying them themselves...

Commodities have dropped recently, which makes them even more attractive now.... Lots of food for thought and opportunities here! Would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to preserve and grow their capital!

[C.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is written more or less along the same lines as Schiff's prior book "Crash Proof" with a few updates, especially concerning the job outlook in the US.



I would urge people with an open mind and an interest in the fortunes of this great country (and abroad) to read this (and "Crash Proof"). "Crash Proof" has more data points, so I would start there, even though most of what Schiff describes as already occurred. It is a true eye opener, especially to anyone just starting to understand this mess.



It's amazing to me how often Schiff has been dead-on with regards to his economic predictions but how much he is criticized in the press. Granted, he comes across as brash and sometimes hijacks conversations, but, nevertheless, he is worth listening to in a time when commentators are still toting the same old line. (He even predicts correctly the outcome of the election and actions of the gov't for crying out loud!)



Unfortunately, I also see much of what Schiff describes coming to fruition. Fortunately, as Schiff also states, a massive correction could also bring the beginning of an emerging market in the US... after this mess as work itself out-- without government intervention. Schiff mentions the 2020s as being the true bottom. I tend to agree... especially if the government keeps trying to prop up our bogus economy.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Schiff is an adherent to Austrian School of Economics before the field of Economics descended into obscurantism - he, I think, carefully and accurately lampoons how ridiculously inaccurate all the data our Government and the Fed use to placate our worries about inflation - all the data is denuded, unreliable and focused on keeping you comforted and ignorant. His prognosis is not good and for good reason. This was written just as the Financial Crisis of 2008 was unraveling - although much of what he predicted has yet to come to pass, there are enough events happening to confirm his concerns. Just last month the Fed reported the first ever loss, which must be paid by the US Govt. - something like $120 billion. If you peg the Dow Jones Industrial Average to gold, it's lost more than 42% of its value in twenty years, although nominally it's gone up. Our purchasing power is being deliberately eroded by printing money, a more palatable way for government to spend than taxing our citizens - and our citizens love a free lunch. I'm a fiscal realist - not concerned about the politics when my savings are being destroyed from within. Schiff's solutions run the gamut, but there is some very timely guidance in here. Well worth the read if you're a fan of surviving the financial meltdown from decades of printing money and not producing anything of value.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contrarian investment guide

Author Peter D. Schiff explains how he positioned his clients when he saw the current bear market coming, and warns you about what he sees as the imminent collapse of the U.S. dollar and the U.S. economy. He recommends that readers get their money out of the U.S. market, invest abroad, and even consider emigrating altogether and opening a business in a BRIC country (Brazil, Russia, India and China). Schiff elaborates on the risk of living in an American city “with an inner-city population.” This short book full of breathlessly long sentences explains Schiff’s end-of-life-as-we-know-it investment philosophy, including why he thinks that playing the commodities markets by investing in futures is safer and sounder than trusting the U.S. government and financial structure. getAbstract recommends his book to readers who want to hear every point of view about the U.S. economy, including the very worst-case scenario. And even if the worst is occurring, says Schiff, you still have some investment options.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aptly named, book is fairly short and easy to read. It could easily be read over a couple days, although, I managed to stretch it out for a month.

Schiff puts forth a very compelling argument for pulling all investments out of US Dollar based investments and reinvesting in precious metals, commodities, and foreign based companies in politically stable countries. He gives a fairly thorough history lesson on our economy, and the events that led to the current precarious nature of the US economy. At times, Schiff's predictions can seem over whelming pessimistic (reference chapter regarding countries to move to), but then again, he was one of the very few to accurately predict the current depths of the credit crisis.

This book's values is in showing: (1) how the economy got so bad (2) how bad it could potentially get, and(3)what to do about it.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was probably written for someone a little more savvy than myself about investing. I've come to know the author through my interest in Austrian economics, a perspective on economics than I have been learning more about lately. The book essentially lays out Schiff's opinion that the American economy is tanking because of bad economic policy and that it may be wiser to invest money abroad in foreign markets. He also addresses ways that Americans can turn the economy back around. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is concerned about the state of our economy and who wants to know how we can weather these difficult times.

[Terry Koressel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Robert Schiff is convinced the U.S. is in a long-term secular bear market that will last well into this decade....maybe until late this decade. It is hard to predict the cycles in the market and there are plenty of brilliant investors who hold contrary opinions. But there is much value in this book. His recommendations for protection and investing success in a bear market are valuable for any investor at any time. No question....he knows his stuff. One other criticism....he holds some extreme views of the social consequences of his predicted financial collapse. Too extreme for me....I have much more faith in humans and Americans in particular.

[Ozzie Jurock · Rating 3 out of 5]

INVESTMENT ADVICE BOOK:


I am generally too optimistic a person to like reading about doom and gloom. Make no mistake, the author sees large problems ahead.
He did however accurately forecast the stock crash of 2008.
What I loved was...that he wrote it in July 2008, the book - publishing being what it is - came out in December...and all his forecasts TANKED!
I liked his price versus systemic inflation argument, I liked his easy explanations on Etfs, commodities...that for a stock neophyte like myself was instructive.
I don;t like his world view of disaster

[Sean Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with everything Mr. Schiff has to say, very thought-provoking and counter to what the mainstream economic analysis and thought is saying right now. This book is very helpful if you are at least somewhat familiar with the concerns that Austrian economic oriented analysts have with our current U.S. economy and are looking for very practical suggestions on how to protect your financial well-being and even profit in the future. This is a very quick read and the ideas and suggestions in it will be invaluable to you.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great starter book about how to invest in foreign markets/commodities. Also has a bit of history in regards to the dollar, its relationship to gold, and how the dollar came to be the world's foreign currency.

Peter Schiff has been a prophet when it comes to the recent financial calamity that we're currently in, so I highly recommend this if you want to learn more about safeguarding your financial future.

[Lewis Fiecke · Rating 5 out of 5]

First read Crashproof, and then read the little book of bull moves in bear markets. Go to YouTube, and watch any of the Peter Schiff was right videos, and see where he get's his credibility. This book was a super easy read, and in mostly common sense and layman's terms he explains the truth about America and the Global Economy. If he is right about his future predictions as he was about his past, I'd heed his advice.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can watch the Peter Schiff videos on Youtube in which, Cassandra-like, he predicts Fannie & Freddie's meltdown, bank stocks' collapse, the recession, etc. -- and he's mocked as Doctor Doom. So, kudos to Peter Schiff. This book, though, doesn't provide much in the way of compelling evidence for advice about what to do next. (And I am sympathetic to a lot of his ideas.) It's more like A Conversation With Peter Schiff.

[Aron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely interesting, even if (or probably because) Schiff is such an extremist. He thinks the American economy is going to tank, either by hyperinflation or an extremely severe recession. He recommends getting your money out of this country before it's too late, and then bringing it back once we're on a path to recovery. To keep its value, he recommends investing in resource-rich countries and companies dealing with those resources. And yes, he's a gold bug.

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fantastic book of doom & gloom with advice on how to protect your assets in times of waning US influence coupled with double-digit inflation. While I do not agree with his political views or slant on economics, Peter D. Schiff offers clear, compelling strategies for coping with bear markets.

[João · Rating 2 out of 5]

The autor repeatedly brags about his past clarividence and promotes its website and previous book incessantly.
Nevertheless, as of the present date, most of his predictions are flawed.
I particularly can't stand egothistical authors and be sure that this is one of them before you decide reading this book.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rehash of Schiff's other books. It was pretty good (and I in general don't look Schiff), but not much new if you've been skeptical of traditional investing for a while. It didn't seem to really live up to the title. Instead it was more of a general investing book and not particularly aimed towards a bear market.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book to read if you want to understand the true economics behind what is going on in our country. The author gives tips on which inflation hedges he uses in his portfolio, no real surprises here, get out of the dollar, invest in hard assets and foriegn companies.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an above average view of the current economic situation, an analysis of the problems with mutual funds, and a recommendation for financial structuring of your portfolio. It is written well and is easy to read.

[Kirk · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was written in 2008, and he's pretty negative about the US economy. Of course things were pretty bad back then. He's so negative he even devotes a chapter on emigrating out of the United States. Not even close to many other good finance books I've read.

[Lincoln · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it my friends, I have read a lot of investment books and this one addresses the current market from a perspective that I trust. We live in days so much like the Book of Mormon, the resulting perspective seems true to me.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Schiff can be off-putting because he's so angry all the time but after the first two chapters I was angry too! After a lot of preaching the book gets more pragmatic. Excellent resource written in 2008, and people who took his advice then are probably pretty wealthy now.

[Subash · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book that show a superb picture of what ails USA and its debt funded economy, and how govt agencies fudged data to show rosy picture of economy. But then he move aside and start advocating buying metal/commodity and related stocks, along with dividend paying foreign equity, which made no sense.

[Marcus Goncalves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great short book, but it has been sitting on my end table for a few years now! So, the information was somewhat old, but curious enough, not as much as I expected, at least the macroeconomics and policy wise.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hoping to glean some strategic moves from this one...