#1. You do have an anti-virus program running…don’t you?

If you don’t…get one now. If you don’t want to spend the money on one check out these free options

• AVG Anti-Virus
• Microsoft Security Essentials

Both are great free options if you aren’t running a premium purchased anti-virus. I believe the Microsoft one requires a valid, licensed Windows OS to be running on the computer to work. Now you don’t have an excuse for not running an anti-virus program.

#2. Running an anti-virus program is NOT enough.

Ok, so you have an anti-virus program running now. That’s great, but if you think that because you have an up-to-date anti-virus program running on your computer, you’re safe…I’m sorry, but you’re wrong. Keeping an up-to-date anti-virus program running on your computer is one step in protecting yourself, but it’s unfortunately just not enough to keep your computer clean.

• Ad-Aware
• Spybot S&D

Both Ad-Aware and Spybot S&D are programs that scan your computer for malware, malicious cookies, and other files that your anti-virus program may have missed. Both also have active-scans that notify you if something is trying to access your computer in a strange way, or if a file is doing things it shouldn’t be doing. So, if before you had only an anti-virus program running, you now have an anti-virus AND two other programs protecting you.

#3. Have Strong Passwords

Here’s one you really need to do. Use strong passwords. A strong password is at least 7 characters in length (I recommend 14) and uses both alpha and numeric characters AND uses symbols AND has alpha characters in both uppercase and lowercase. If you don’t understand or don’t want to come up with them yourself go here:

• Strong Password Generator

Some HYIPs and other websites don’t allow you to use symbols in the passwords (you’ll just have to test to see if they do as most don’t tell you), so there’s an option to turn them off in the above generator. Oh and since we’re talking about passwords:

#4. NEVER use the same password twice

ALWAYS use unique passwords for every site you register to. I know, I’m going to hear: “But I can’t remember that many passwords.” Here’s my advice: Quit being lazy. I’m giving you these tips because I was lazy and had my money stolen. Do you want to lose all your money? No? Then just do it and don’t complain. If you can’t remember all of your passwords write them down somewhere and keep them with you or put them away somewhere safe.

NEVER save your passwords to your computer. If you keep your passwords on a file on your computer or a USB drive you’re just handing them over to the scammer/hacker asking for them to steal your money. You may as well just send your money to some random account, or withdraw it and throw it out the window of your car as you drive to work.

#5. NEVER use your real information

This is one I bet more than a couple of you do wrong. Never use real information when registering to a HYIP. ALWAYS use made-up information. I put my first name Tony in as everyone knows it anyway, but other than that I keep my anonymity. My address is “123 address,” state is “state,” zip code is “00000,” I live in whatever country I have a fancy for that day. My phone number is always “0000000000” I’ll add dashes if I have to.

Why you ask? Because you never know what a HYIP admin is going to do with your information, plus it’s just putting your personal information out there, making it that much easier for someone to commit identity theft and steal your money.

#6. Use a separate email account for HYIPs

That’s right, create a completely different email account to register to HYIPs with and only use it for registering to HYIPs. Never link this email account to any payment processor or bank account. In fact, don’t put this email account anywhere. Use it 100% only for registering with HYIPs. Oh and don’t have it be one of your internet service provider accounts or one of your website’s domain emails. Keep completely anonymous and set it up through a free email provider that doesn’t require you to verify any information.

Keeping anonymity will save you hassles in the long run. It won’t keep you from being able to be tracked (if some authority had the inclination), but it will eliminate the possibility of some HYIP admin misusing your information or stealing your identity.

#7. Change your passwords frequently

Another step about passwords? Are you getting the picture about how important they are yet? I recommend changing your passwords weekly, but at least do it every month. Take the time once a week while you’re logging into every account to change your passwords. This makes it so even if a hacker/scammer does end up accessing your information, it will hopefully change before damage can be done.

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I’m sure you’ve seen programs claim they have DDoS Protection and I’ve mentioned it in my program reviews, but haven’t really explained what it means. DDoS Protection is a security measure put in place by a program’s host, or at times a third-party company to protect the website against distributed denial-of-service or DDoS attacks.

A DDoS attack is an intentional attempt to make a targeted website unavailable to visitors. The purpose is to halt the targeted website’s operation and services, and shutdown the system entirely. This is accomplished by sending dramatically increased traffic to the targeted website, slowing the server to a point where it refuses new connections until the server crashes causing the website to go down.

DDoS attacks are accomplished by infecting unprotected computers on the internet with malware or trojan viruses. After these “zombie” computers are infected the malicious programs usually sit idle on the host computer until triggered by the master computer run by the person performing the DDoS attack. At the time of the attack the “zombie” computers with malicious programs all send communication requests to the target of the DDoS attack until the target’s host server crashes. Often there are thousands of infected “zombie” computers across the world that simultaneously attack targeted computers, resulting in slowed response time, overload and eventual crashing of the target’s server. Below is a simple graphic showing a visual representation of an attack.

You may be asking how you can prevent DDoS attacks from happening. The first thing you can do is make sure that your computer is not a “zombie.” While protecting your personal computer ultimately does little to prevent DDoS attacks, if everyone would protect their computer this sort of attack would be impossible. Small steps can make a huge difference over time. Plus, who knows what other nasty features the malicious software on your computer could have that could put your personal information at risk. Always have an active, updated antivirus program running on your computer and do frequent scans for spyware, malware and viruses.

• AVG Anti-Virus
• Microsoft Security Essentials
• Ad-Aware
• Spybot S&D

I recommend running either AVG Anti-Virus or Microsoft Security Essentials along with Ad-Aware and Spybot S&D on your computer. Utilizing multiple antivirus and spyware removal programs will reduce the chance of having your computer compromised and some of the programs pick-up items left behind by the others. However, if you have a website, or are a HYIP admin looking for hosting for your program, it is essential to take further steps. One of the red flags in my reviews for HYIP programs is whether or not the admin has taken the time to acquire and set-up adequate security for their program.

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As the world watched the TV in the early hours of Friday morning, we saw the catastrophic damage in Sendai Japan. This instantly reminded me of the Great Hanshin Quake that shocked Kobe in January of 1995. I clearly recall the movement in currency that took place over the next few months.

When natural disasters strike, there is a definable impact on financial markets because they force reactions from investors and governments.

Most will immediately focus their analysis on the Japanese Markets in light of this current and expanding crisis, but the repercussions are global as Japanese supply chains strangle production processes all over the U.S. and Europe and as Japanese consumers stop spending on non-essentials like European fashion. More importantly, how does this 9.0 quake in Japan and the resulting tsunami shake up and wash over Americas Treasury market?

Lets consider …

Japan is getting ready to embark on one of the largest rebuilding efforts it has seen since the end of World War II. The country is going to have to replaceeverything from bridges and roads to seaports, airports and runways, highways, train tracks, shopping centers, housing, power stations, schools, utility and cell phone towers, hospitals, production plants, parking garages, post offices, whole communities the list would take pages to print out.

This undertaking is going to cost tens, actually, more like hundreds of billions of U.S. dollars to complete.

Because Japan is one of the worlds wealthiest nations, it is very fortunate. Plus, the citizenry is extremely patriotic. This means Japan has the necessary wealth to accomplish the task Mother Nature has forced upon this island nation, and it has a citizenship willing to sacrifice its own savings to rebuild Sendai, Minami-sanriku, Fukushima and the others.

Japan now has a singular focus. Japan now has little interest in playing in U.S. Treasury and equity markets because of this domestic emergency.

As Japans government, companies and citizens raise cash to fund the rebuilding, it seems extremely likely that Japan will sell off U.S. debt and U.S. equities.

That will cause profound effects in America.

If Japan moves away from the Treasury Market
…Then What?

Japan is the 2nd largest holder of U.S. debt in the world. It is estimated that Japan owns $3 trillion of U.S. securities, both stocks and bonds and $886 billion of U.S. Treasuries. Over the last year Japan has bought an average of $10 billion worth of Treasuries each month.

It is not easy to replace the second-largest consumer of bonds, notes and Treasury bills. Not many countries have deep enough pockets to step in with that kind of financial capability.

China already owns more U.S. debt than it needs or wants. In fact, China has been reducing the amount of U.S. debt it consumes and has focused on putting its cash into other currencies and gold out of a sense of financial caution. There are some Middle East nations that could pick up some excess. The problem is they have their own uprisings to quiet. They are throwing mountains of cash at protestors to overturn the dissent and at security personnel to quiet the protestors.

The U.S. Will Have Little Choice But to
Raise Interest Rates

Most likely, Japan will all but disappear from the Treasury market. China and a few others will take up some of the slack. The Fed, which is supposed to end its QE II campaign in June, will most likely extend the balance of its $600 billion buying program over several more months.

The willpower doesnt seem to exist in Washington for the Fed to increase the size of QE II, and that means there will be some serious shortfall. And shortfalls are not a good thing for the U.S. government. The U.S. government has a certain amount of debt it must sell every month to fund all of its bloated spending commitments.

With a world that is already overstuffed with American Dollars, there is only one way to bring buyers to the table and that is with Higher yields.

With this in mind, we can see that the Great Sendai Quake will cause after-shocks that ripple some 6,600 miles away in Washington, DC, where the Treasury Department will have to pay more to access the money it needs to fund Americas overgrown spending demands.

That is going to make it much more expensive for America to fund its obligations.

We have no idea what the consequence of that will ultimately be. Congress could agree to QE III! The Fed cant cut rates any lower, so rising interest rates here could only be mildly inflationary. Congress could be more open to to raising tax rates.

But what about stocks? Japan owns more than $1 trillion in U.S. stocks. This is equal to about 6% of the total value of the New York Stock Exchange. If Japan sells off any sizable amount of their holdings, that will clearly put downward pressure on American equities.

Let History be Our Guide…

These arent just random considerations. What Im laying out here has precedent in the 1995 Kobe quake. Times are slightly different, yes. Japan and America are in far worse shape financially. Interest rate cycles are at a different point. But one fact – the only fact that matters – remains identical: Japan has a national crisis that it must address.

In 95, the Japanese repatriated mountains of cash to pay for the rebuilding effort. As a result, the Japanese yen surged in value, rising about 25% against the dollar between January and April 1995. Meanwhile, Japans stock market sank about 20% during the same period as retail and institutional investors pulled out of stocks to repair damage to their own lives or to buy Japanese bonds to help the government repair Kobe.

And now, its happening again in the wake of the Sendai quake. Japanese stocks are tanking and the yen is rising against global currencies. Partly this is a reflection of fear and panic related to a potential nuclear mishap and the governments warning that nuclear fallout remains a real risk.

But part of it also reflects a country, citizens and government alike, raising cash for the spending needs they clearly see as critical. Insurers are bringing yen home and selling securities globally because they know a flood of claims is coming.

For investors, these moments offer risks and rewards.

The risks: Being short the Japanese yen and long most of the Japanese stock market, at least in the short run. Over the next few months, the yen will continue to strengthen as the repatriation effort goes on, and stocks will suffer as the sell off continues. Worse, the risk of nuclear tragedy is so pronounced in the investor mindset right now that any substantive release of radiation will cause another down leg in Japanese stocks and another upsurge in the yen, which has become a safe-haven currency of sorts.

So, avoid being short the yen at the moment. And avoid the temptation to buy Japanese shares on the cheap.

Also, dont play in U.S. Treasuries. They are strengthening at the moment on the fear trade, but, if Japan does leave the market, Treasury yields will nudge higher – and Treasury prices will fall. A safer bet is simply to park your idle cash in a money-market account since they are the first to react to any rise in interest rates or better still to purchase currencies on the short term that will outperform your current holdings.

The opportunities: are the exact opposite of the risks. The Japanese economy is fundamentally flawed and the yen is ultimately a reflection of that. Plus, the government is throwing the equivalent of billions of U.S. dollars into a stabilization effort, and that will work over time to push the yen substantially lower.

The weakening yen, in turn, will benefit Japans exporters, who historically fare well when the yen is falling.

So, if you see the yen break below 80 to the dollar and move well into the 70s, it will be time to reverse course and short the yen again. And it will be time to buy the exporters – companies like Honda, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Komatsu, and Canon.

Just look back at Kobe. After the brief period of yen strength/stock weakness, the trend reversed. The yen plunged and Japanese stocks gained 50% the following 12 months.

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