Financial Analysts Issue Dire Predictions For 2009

Greater Depression on the Horizon says Doug Casey

STOWE, Vt., Feb. 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Casey ResearchChairman and
renowned contrarian investor Doug Casey, along with the analysts and editors
of Casey Research's Casey Report, issued predictions and analysis of what they
see as a Depression, the rise in interest rates, why you should avoid real
estate, and the viability of gold in 2009.

Rising Interest Rates
"One reason that it's going to get worse is that the biggest shoe has yet to
drop. Interest rates are now at all-time lows, and the bond market is much,
much bigger than the stock market. What's inevitable is much higher interest
rates. And when they go up, that will be the final nail in the coffins of the
stock and real estate markets, and it will wipe out a huge amount of capital
in the bond market. And higher interest rates will bring on more
bankruptcies," says Doug Casey.

Avoid Real Estate
"It's too early to buy real estate right now, although a fixed-rate mortgage
could go a long way toward offsetting bad timing. It would let you make your
money on the depreciation of the mortgage, as opposed to the appreciation of
the asset. There's been immense overbuilding, immense inventory. And people
forget: a house isn't an investment, it's a consumer good. An investment -
say, a factory - can create new wealth. Houses are strictly expense items.
Forget about buying the things for the unpaid mortgage; before this is over,
you'll buy them for back taxes."

The Greater Depression
"This isn't a recession, it's a depression. A depression is a period when most
people's standard of living falls significantly. It can also be defined as a
time when distortions and misallocations of capital are liquidated. This is
the real thing. And it's going to drag on much longer than most people think."

The Price of Gold
"The increasing deficit stemming from the bailouts and stimulus packages will
result in the debasement of the dollar and rising inflation. In that context,
the big surprise is how low gold is right now. It's well known that even if we
use the government's statistics, gold would have to reach $2,500 an ounce to
match its 1980 high."

Casey Research (www.caseyresearch.com) is a team of highly experienced
investors and trained economists who spend countless hours researching
powerful economic trends and the very best ways to profit from same. Their
clientele is made up of individual and institutional investors who share the
costs - through subscription fees - in exchange for unbiased research and
information they can use in managing their portfolios to produce above-average
returns.

To obtain a copy of the article or to arrange an interview with a Casey
Research economist, please contact Kevin McVicker with Shirley & Banister
Public Affairs at (703) 739-5920 or kmcvicker@sbpublicaffairs.com.

SOURCE Casey Research

Kevin McVicker, for Casey Research, +1-703-739-5920, +1-800-536-5920,
kmcvicker@sbpublicaffairs.com