I’m not too keen on New Year’s resolutions. (And just who is anyway? The people who sell gym memberships?) But I’m not cynical enough to dismiss their value completely.

A long list isn’t so good. It’s better to keep things whittled down in my opinion. Being specific helps, too.

So with that said, here are my three New Year’s resolutions for 2008: pull fewer all-nighters this year (less than half a dozen would be good); win a large-field poker tournament (preferably 100 entrants or more); and, last but not least, help you make some serious money with Taipan Daily and Chart of the Day.

The first resolution is just a matter of self-discipline (and breaking some old habits). The second requires a solid helping of skill, which I’ve got covered, and a dollop of luck, which I’ll have to scrounge up.

The third and most important resolution -- helping Taipan Daily readers make money -- will be a joint effort. Are you in?

A lot of financial blogs and e-letters lean towards recycling market data or parroting the latest headlines. At Taipan Daily we say, what’s the point of that?

Information is virtually free these days. What isn’t free -- in fact, what’s always in short supply -- is genuine market wisdom. It’s one thing to drink from the fire hose of current events. It’s another thing to tap into a steady stream of clear thinking and useful perspectives.

That’s why we don’t try to cover everything in this e-letter. Hitting every single news item would be like handing you a haystack and saying, “Here ya go… there’s a needle in there somewhere. Good luck!”

Instead, the goal is to focus on ideas that help you make money. Frequently, that means going more in depth than just a sound bite. (Another reason we don’t try to cover everything -- there just wouldn’t be room!)

The connection isn’t always immediate, of course. With some of the big-picture ideas, strategic implications can take time to unfold. But patience pays off well in those cases, because the big themes fuel the biggest trends.

As a quick example of walking the talk, two major (and ongoing) trends for 2008 are the decline of the dollar and the rise of precious metals.

Regarding the greenback, on December 10, I wrote the following: “[Traders will be] ready and willing to short the dollar again in a heartbeat, once this little pause that refreshes shows signs of cracking.”

Sure enough, the greenback cracked soon after. Check out this chart…

See the ugly gap? That’s blood in the water for itchy-fingered traders. We’ll get into the fundamental reasons for concern in future letters. Let it suffice to say there are plenty of them… and that the fate of the dollar could have a huge impact on your portfolio in 2008.

That’s not all in the actionable advice department. On December 20 (about two weeks ago), I observed that gold was on the verge of a big upside move.

For Chart of the Day I wrote, “When the dollar countertrend rally fails -- as it will at some point -- gold will have the green light to head skyward once again. The tight nature of the pattern offers a favorable risk to reward setup.”

Lo and behold, here’s what happened…

Jailbreak! Any traders who stepped up in the $815 range (as mentioned via Chart of the Day) are sitting pretty now, with strong potential for further upside gains.

So is the point to sit here and brag? Not at all! This stuff ain’t rocket science. And besides, I’m (ahem) not always right.

No, the point is that we’re watching. We’re on the job and keeping track. Not just me, your humble editorial director, but the entire Taipan team. We’re all here racking our brains, figuring out ways to help you make money. We spend hours and hours thinking about this stuff, every single day, so you don’t have to.

(And we love it, of course… we’re a little bit sick that way. Maybe you are, too. But if not, that’s okay!)

2008 is already shaping up to be a wild year. A little bit fascinating, a little bit dangerous, and hopefully a whole lot profitable.

All of us here at Taipan (and a few high-powered guests, too) look forward to sharing our best stuff with you day after day.

And if you have anything to share, please write us at this address: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Best wishes for the new year,

JL