September 9, 2006:Health and Fillups

The picture at left is the brand new F-22 star wars fighter on a test flight somewhere in California. A very lethal machine that will serve to defend our country and our country's interests well into the 21st century.
With mid-term elections coming soon, not a day goes by in media world without our being overdosed with political hit pieces, Republican or Democratic. Of course, the most vile of the hit pieces come from move-on.org or their wannabes who are accountable to no one. So much for campaign finance reform."Truth be stretched or damned" could be a suitable motto. Health care is getting plenty of attention.

If I were a senior citizen trying to find or retain the best health care policies for my life, I'd be confused and afraid. We are caregivers for my mother, aged 97 and in very good mental and physical health. Daily in the mail, she is bombarded with attractively designed solicitations for financial planning, health care insurance, health care insurance options (save $15./month in premiums and get 50% less coverage), and Part D prescription drug care. I make sure to wade through each correspondence she receives and we share opinions. One opinion she repeats often is "I could never do this on my own, I'd be lost". I suspect that many "seasoned" citizens feel this way. Worse, how many seasoned citizens make horrific choices without appropriate advice from a trusted family member or professional? How to choose? For seasoned citizen medicare/medicaide/ prescription drug insurance, I recommend the government site:www.medicare.gov or directly to www.medicare.gov/pdphome.asp. For specific insurance, I recommend one company to start, United Health Group at www.unitedhealthgroup.com and click on products and services. Yes, this company is in trouble with stock options, but in my opinion it generally has the best combination of rates and coverage in the industry. If you are a caregiver, or want to look ahead yourself, it is never too early to peruse senior citizen subjects that you will need to know about at some point in time. In the future, I will address tax advantaged accounts and gifting.

Gas prices are down substantially and oil securities should have been reduced to a bare minimum in your portfolio (see my post regarding oil last week). This also impacts the alternative fuel stocks.

Bunge (BG) is a world leader in grains and just about anything regarding grains.This is one company that I recommend to stay with and add to your position on weakness. Bunge (www.bunge.com) remains the top choice for ethanol, signing a pact today with Carlyle/Riverstone to build even more plants in the US. They are on the cutting edge of technology to bring down the cost of biofuels. Grains, milling and value added grain products
galore present a wide array of consumer products over and above fuel.The blessing of environmental groups and government bodies worldwide keeps litigation to a minimum.

Bunge is trading at 55.44 which is a bit rich. I would enter around 51. Management has been spotty at times, but appears to be hitting on all cylinders now with some fresh faces on board.