People tell me all the time that they're a "contrarian"...
I must admit, that makes me laugh.
As an investor, a contrarian should be willing to buy when everyone is selling or sell when everyone else is buying.
And as Michael Lewis, bestselling author of Liar's Poker and The Big Short, puts it, "On Wall Street, everybody says he's a contrarian, and nobody is."
Take a minute to seriously think if you have a contrarian mindset or not...
Were you eager to buy stocks when they were trading for a mere 12 times earnings in 2009? Or were you brave enough to buy beaten-down tech names after the tech bubble burst? You could have scooped up quality companies like Microsoft (MSFT) for $20 a share or Amazon (AMZN) for just $7 a share.
If you did, good for you – you've earned your contrarian badge. And you've probably made a boatload of money. But you'd be one of very few.
You see, being a contrarian is hard. As humans, we tend to adopt a "herd mentality" – which is where we're drawn to think and act in the same way as the majority around us.
And occasionally, it does pay to follow the crowd... You just need to get out before it's too late.
Take the past few years, for example. Everywhere, you saw talking heads on TV shouting that tech is the sector to own and hyping the latest AI stock. And it's true that the "tech boom" has made folks a lot of money.
But we've already seen some cooling. Tech darling Oracle (ORCL) is down 30% so far this year. Many of those same talking heads are now saying we're in an "AI bubble"... And there's no telling when it will burst.
Since the start of the year, more uncertainty has only piled on – with ever-changing war, tariffs, inflation, and more.
We ended 2025 with fairly low volatility, as measured by the CBOE Volatility Index ("VIX") – also known as the market's fear index. But we've seen the VIX nearly double from those low levels more than once so far in 2026.
These unknown times make it harder for investors to go against the herd mentality. When all of the news seems bad, it's only natural to feel afraid like everyone else.
Tremors are shaking the market... and the gap between the winners and losers looks set to grow even wider. I've heard from a lot of worried folks wondering what they should do right now to handle the volatility.
That's why earlier this week, Stansberry Research hosted a special event called "Market Tremors 2026."
During the event, a former hedge-fund insider – who turned down opportunities from billionaires George Soros and Steve Cohen – went public for the first time ever. He's a man I've been watching closely for some time... And he did not disappoint.
He pulled back the curtain on one of the most powerful and unique stock systems I've ever come across. It's designed to double your money (or more) in just 90 trading days – all by buying the right stocks before the "herd" finds them.
During the event, every attendee received:
- A complete market road map for what our expert calls the most confusing and concerning stock market moment in living memory
- The name of one stock to sell right now
- A way to effectively pocket $1,000 within the hour
- The name and ticker symbol of a free stock recommendation that his Shadow Data Indicator is tracking right now
If you have money in the markets and don't want to be stuck following the crowd, this event will give you the tools to find contrarian setups in this volatile environment.
Don't worry if you missed it – the replay is available here. Just make sure to watch before it goes offline.
Now, let's get to this week's Q&A... And as always, keep sending your comments, questions, and topic suggestions to feedback@healthandwealthbulletin.com. My team and I read every e-mail.
Get Your Tax Refund Faster
Q: I've heard from some people that tax refunds are taking longer than usual. Do you have any tips you can share that can help speed up the process. Filing this weekend. Thanks always, Doc. – M.P.
A: Thanks for writing in, M.P. – you're not alone. Most folks don't want to wait around for the refund they're due, not knowing when it will come in.
According to the IRS, 80% of filers have seen their refunds within 21 days. But some states have been slow to issue their own refunds, like Idaho, South Carolina, and Oregon.
There's no real magic trick to get your refund fast. But there are steps you can take to help speed up the process as much as possible...
The first would be filing early. This not only gets you access to your tax refund sooner, but it also prevents identity thieves from filing first using your information and stealing that refund check.
If you've spent your life filing paper tax returns, here's another piece of advice: File your taxes electronically.
Electronic tax filing, or "e-filing," helps the IRS process your return faster. It avoids the delay of sending the return through the mail and the risk of losing it. And the IRS can review an electronic return much more quickly than a paper return.
With around 98% of returns this year filed electronically, the system is safe and proven. And according to the IRS, most folks who e-file their taxes get their refund in less than three weeks. Mailing often takes six weeks or more.
Folks who e-file can also check on their refund status within just 24 hours of filing their taxes using the IRS's "Where's My Refund?" webpage. The site won't even provide updates for paper filers for four weeks.
Electing to receive your tax refund by direct deposit helps, too. This way, it'll simply show up in your bank account, and you won't have to wait around to receive your check in the mail.
Even though you put off your taxes until now, it's not too late. Here's how to get started with your e-filing process today – or start planning ahead for next year.
What We're Reading...
- Did you miss it? What you know that the markets don't.
- Something different: Tax refunds are up this year.
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
April 10, 2026