The Oxford Club’s Beginnings…
The Oxford Club’s earliest beginnings go back to a group called “The Merchants & Brokers Exchange.” This was an international businessman’s club started in the early 70s by an American, Gary Scott, who was selling insurance and mutual funds in Hong Kong. It was the time of the Cultural Revolution in China. Western business people living in Hong Kong enjoyed getting together to exchange information on what was going on. Scott institutionalized this group and later expanded into London.
In the mid-80s Scott turned it over to Bill Bonner, the CEO of Agora, Inc. in Baltimore, MD, a global financial and travel publishing company. In 1989 Bonner changed the name to The Passport Club, and hired recent Thunderbird MBA graduate Julia Guth as Membership Director. Her job was to expand the Club’s services and local chapter participation.
Concurrently in the mid-80’s, an investment and business publisher in Florida launched a financial newsletter called The Oxford Club. It grew to 10,000 readers worldwide. The publishing company sold their interest to Bonner in 1991. Bonner welcomed these new members into his group and changed the name from The Passport Club to The Oxford Club because he thought the name evoked a spirit of tradition and Old World charm. He charged Julia with combining the best of The Oxford Club and The Passport Club and expanding on it. Mark Nestmann, an international wealth protection and privacy expert, became Financial Editor of the monthly Oxford Club investment newsletter, The Communiqué.
Interesting to note that in these early times of course – all Club communications were delivered by mail only.
1992
A Board of Governors was formed and James Boxley Cooke was named Honorary Chairman. Cooke, a recently retired investment advisor from T.Rowe Price, became the primary spokesperson for the Club throughout the 90s. The Club’s “bible,” The Traditions of Wealth, was published and offered to all lifetime members. Gary Scott, an original creator of the international investors’ club concept, replaced Mark Nestmann as the Financial Editor for The Oxford Club.
1993
The Club sponsored its first Advanced Wealth Protection Seminar at Oxford University in England. The program was held at different colleges at Oxford for three summers. The Oxford Club published its first Wealth Protection Course and Cassette series. By year-end, Gary nominated Chris Weber, author of the book Getting Rich Outside the Dollar, to the new Investment Director position of The Oxford Club. Gary joined the Club’s Board of Governors. Chris continued to promote the importance of global diversification.
1995
The Oxford Club introduced one of the industry’s first-ever fast-paced trading services to its members: The Weber Alert, under the direction of Chris Weber. Club technology update: Recommendations were issued by fax to take advantage of short-term volatility in the market.
1996
The Club grew to over 36,000 members in over 100 countries, and offered its members many new benefits, including access to an in-house research staff and a member service staff-all employed at the Club’s new mansion in the historic district of Mt. Vernon in downtown Baltimore (“The Clubhouse”). It also established local publishing offices in London and Bonn (under the name of The Zurich Club), and Paris. Karim Rahemtulla, Research Director of Agora Publishing, replaced Chris as Investment Director and becomes Editor of The Oxford Alert trading service. By the end of 1996, The Oxford Club Communiqué was published in three different languages: English, French and German, all still sent by mail only.
1997
The Club membership roster included over 12,000 Lifetime members. The Club also expanded chapter meetings to encompass over 50 cities, and Canada. The Oxford Club held the 10th Annual Global Symposium and Black Tie Gala at the Palace in San Francisco. The Club continued to take its members around the world to seek out global investment opportunities with its World Financial Seminars and Tours division headed up by Josianne Pennington. First-class adventures included an Around the World Financial Tour, South Africa, China, New Zealand & Australia. Executive Director Julia Guth expanded the Baltimore headquarters team to help with the growing membership and Club benefits. Chris Matthai headed up the Oxford Research division. (Technology Update: The Club starts a recorded “telephone hotline” that would provide timely updates to the Communique and Club news. We offered “fax-on-demand services, and created our first website. Our conferences continue to be recorded and available on cassette.)
1998
The Board of Governors and Executive Committee established The Chairman’s Circle, the highest level of distinction and benefits program for the Club’s most involved and committed members. We also created the Pillar One Program, a network of specialized and discounted services from the country’s leading financial and travel firms. Julia established a $5,000 annual student scholarship program. We change our Communiqué from a monthly to a twice-monthly advisory letter. In the summer, The Oxford Club holds it’s first annual Investment University Seminar in Annapolis, MD to better educate members on the “how” rather than the “what” of investing. Kate Murphy and Ruth Lyons signed on as heads of the Club’s newly expanded Membership Campaign and Services Teams (1-800-992-0205). (Technology update: Now all of our VIP trading alerts are broadcasted online).
1999
Karim Rahemtulla moved to Florida to serve in an advisory role as the Club’s Options Strategist. He became the editor of the Club’s Instant Profit System (IPS), a covered call option trading service. Steve Sjuggerud, former trader with a global mutual fund and Editor of The World Money Analyst, was appointed the new Investment Director. Steve expanded The Advisory Panel to include tech specialist Porter Stansberry, renowned trading coach Dr. Van Tharp, and global currency specialists Pamela and Mary Anne Aden. Steve instituted the Club’s “Safety Switch” 25% trailing stop-loss system and formalized our investment discipline of “cut your losses short and let your winners ride.” The Oxford Club established a Canadian Board of Advisors to include Queen’s Counsel David Melnik and Hedge Fund Specialist Eric Roseman. Joyce Diamond and Jennifer Lawrence head up the new Wealth Library of internally produced books, courses, and special reports for Oxford Club members.
2000
Investment Director Steve Sjuggerud received his PhD in global finance. The Oxford Club launched the first edition of its 12-unit course: Investment University. Porter Stansberry launched his own Investment Advisory newsletter focused on opportunities in cutting edge technologies. The Oxford Club began to work with International Living to build a new Clubhouse within an Oxford Club community located on the stunningly beautiful but undiscovered Pacific Coast of Nicaragua.
The Oxford Club formally established its four levels of membership, each with distinct benefits: Provisional, Premier, Lifetime Director’s Circle, and the Chairman Circle. Brian York is promoted to head of The Oxford Club’s new Internet initiatives, to include the launch of our first free eletter, Investment U.
2001
Dr. Steve Sjuggerud left the Investment Director position to return to Florida and start his own hedge fund. He nominated Alexander Green, a Wall Street veteran with over 15 years advisory and money management experience, as his replacement for Investment Director. Disgusted with Wall Street, Alex accepted the position and quickly became a highly respected investment advisor, writer, and leading spokesperson for the Club’s investment philosophy. Alex created The Oxford Insight, an online advisory for members-only that provided timely updates and insights on events affecting our recommended portfolios. For Club members he created distinct portfolios to meet different investment objectives, and he created the Club’s new asset allocation model. In the spring, Alex introduced a new specialized trading service to replace The Oxford Alert, called The Oxford Short Alert (now the Long and Short Report) to help members capitalize on short-term profit opportunities in the falling market. Given its popularity he introduced two more specialized “VIP Trading Services”: The Momentum Alert and The Insider Alert to help members capitalize on his two favorite investment indicators: earnings momentum, and insider buying. The Oxford Club published our new Wealth Defense Program (still with cassettes). Karim Rahemtulla, OC Options Specialist and then Director of Agora’s Venture Capital Group, The Supper Club, launched a “LEAPS options” service called Options Advantage (now The 400 Report). Oxford Club Executive Director and Publisher Julia Guth formerly established Investment University as the Club’s educational arm. The motto: What No Books, No Schools, No Brokers Will Teach You. With Brian York, she launched a new eletter and a new website www.investmentu.com. Dr. Steve Sjuggerud, PhD joins Investment U as Chairman and Editor. Chairman’s Circle members begin to build homes at Rancho Santana, The Oxford Club community on the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua. The Club has its ribbon cutting for the new four-bedroom Rancho Santana Clubhouse in Nicaragua. **Alex Green and everyone from the Club work hard to stay on course after the 9-11 crisis, increasing the number of online communications to Club members throughout the week.
2002
The Club teamed up with The New Orleans Investment Conference to sponsor one of the country’s largest annual financial conferences. OC Advisory Panelists shared the spotlight with John Stossel, Sir John Templeton, Barbara Bush and Milton Friedman. The more aggressive trading services become very popular with members. The Oxford Club held its 2nd Annual Investment University Seminar in Delray Beach, Florida. (Technology update: Now the conference recordings are available by CD). New online media start to seek out our experts: WSJ.com interviews Steve Sjuggerud, and Forbes.com interviews Alex Green. Julia formed a new in-house VIP Trading Services support team headed by Steve Mcdonald that is comprised of former brokers to answer members’ questions about option trading and other more sophisticated investment strategies (1-888-570-9830). Steven King joined the Club as head of our World Financial Seminars/Tours and the annual Investment U conference.
2003
The Investment U E-letter hit 70,000 readers from around the world. Alex Green was interviewed on Fox’s “O’Reilly Factor” for his position against our progressive tax system. Julia Guth set up a non-profit to begin charitable works around our Rancho Santana community in Nicaragua.
Alex recruited analyst Louis Basenese from a top investment firm to the Oxford Club advisory team.
2004
The Oxford Club membership roster grew to over 70,000 for the first time. Investment U reached over 250,000 readers. Louis Basenese launched the Take Over Trader. Alex Green launched The International Trader Alert (now The New Frontier Trader) to capitalize on emerging markets like China and the weakening dollar. Karim Rahemtulla launched his free Smart Options E-Report under a new division, Mt. Vernon Option Club. Julia Guth hosted the opening ceremony for our new health clinic at Rancho Santana. The Oxford Club and Investment U’s charitable work expanded to include donations to help the victims of several natural disasters around the world, and the Nicaragua health clinic. The new website was launched (www.nicaclinic.org). Steve Sjuggerud moved full time over to Stansberry & Associates, a separate company from The Oxford Club. (Technology update: DVDs were offered from the 6th Annual Investment U seminar for the first time.)
2005
Dr. Mark Skousen replaced Dr. Steve Sjuggerud as Chairman of Investment U. Investment U raised over $130,000 in relief funds for hurricane disasters. Horacio Marquez launched the new Money Map Trader. The Oxford Club launched its first online gift merchandise store (www.oxfordclubcollection.com). The Communique’s Trading Portfolio under Alex Green and Lou Basenese finished the year with 100% profitability…all positions in the black…and mightily beats the S&P again. Colleen Monahan joined The Oxford Club as head of operations. World Financial Seminars launched one of its first cruises, this year to Alaska.
2006
The newsletter rating service Hulbert’s Financial Digest, rated The Oxford Club Communique one of the top newsletters in the industry, in the top 5 for its track record over the last 3 years. Alex Green introduced two new “fund-oriented” portfolios to the Communique that employ different exit strategies than trailing stops: the All-Star Portfolio, and the Gone Fishin Portfolio. The Gone Fishin Portfolio introduced the Nobel prize winning strategy of asset allocating as well as using annual “rebalancing” to members.
The Oxford Club continued its 10-year tradition of sending an Annual Forecast Issue each January to its members, with an uncanny accuracy for predicting trends in the year ahead.
Alex Green returned from a World Financial Tour to China. Completely excited about the emerging opportunities there, he launched the New China Trader.
2007
Alex Green took over as the Chairman of Investment U. As the Club’s Investment Director he continued to expand the Club’s selection of proven investment strategies to include the income-oriented Perpetual Money Portfolio. Robert Williams joined The Oxford Club as Editorial Director. David Fessler joined the Club as our Energy & Infrastructure specialist. Executive Director Julia Guth created an Ombudsman Committee of Chairman Circle Members -they partipate in many of the Club’s “beta tests” for new services and benefits of membership. We continued our participation in Agora Financial’s annual July investment conference in Vancouver, Canada, and the annual July Freedom Fest event in Las Vegas. Steven King and Christina Olson-Garcia of World Financial Seminars launched the Club’s first 2-day, high-end intensive regional meetings for members who want in-depth instructional presentations from our advisory team about their investment strategies. The event in Jackson Hole immediately sold out.
The Oxford Club expanded its popular Members Exchange listing service to include the Oxford Property Exchange, which showcases many exclusive and stunning member-owned properties around the world. (Technology update: Club advisors speeches show up on YouTube).
2008
The Oxford Club’s investment advisory team battens down the hatches to protect the Club and its members from the greatest crisis since 9-11: The world financial crisis and market collapse. We stop out of every position in the Communique’s Trading Portfolio, but our closed out positions still return an impressive 28%.
Horacio Marquez of the Money Map Trader (now Money Moves Alert) joined Asian Expert and Investment Director Keith Fitz-gerald and Publisher Mike Ward to form the separate globally-oriented affiliate Money Map Press. They launched the daily news service www.Moneymorning.com which quickly grows to 400,000 readers. Investment U held its 10th Annual Investment Seminar, at the Vinoy in St Petersburg (Technology update: we launched MP3s recordings for the first time). Lou Basenese and Robert Williams launched a new division focused on a small cap investing called The White Cap Report. Both stay on as top editors and analysts for The Oxford Club and Investment U.
The Oxford Club partnered with the Money Show folks and continued its tradition of providing first class World Financial Cruises, this time through the Panama Canal.
Alex Green published his first book, The Gone Fishin Portfolio: The Gone Fishin’ Portfolio: Get Wise, Get Wealthy…and Get on With Your Life, which quickly became a bestseller. He also launched a free eletter, Spiritual Wealth, a timely financial publication that also helps investors emotionally keep perspective on volatility, disruptions, and crisis in the world and in their lives.
2009
The Oxford Club focuses on helping members stay the course through extremely volatile markets.
We continued to adhere to our principles of being market neutral, fully invested but asset allocated – and using position sizing with a strict exit strategy to manage risk. By doing so, we were fully ready for the market rebound starting in March of this year, and all our Communiqué Portfolios were up nicely. Also in March, Alex Green employed a recessionary hedge for members by creating a Vice Stock portfolio called the Seven Deadly Sins Portfolio – one of the most controversial, yet winning portfolios the Club ever established (returning 87.48% for 2009). In February the Club continued to embrace new technology and launched its first-ever video talk show, the Market Wake-Up Call hosted by Steve McDonald. Julia also re-introduced the weekly Insight, to compliment the team’s OC Portfolio Update, by commenting on relevant news as it effects our portfolio recommendations. Investment U launched a new edition of its popular course. This edition is titled, How to Build a Million Dollars from Scratch, and included monthly conference calls in the instruction.
The Club established a new Oxford Club Library at the Bonner’s Courtomer Chateau in France, near Normandy (www.chateaudecourtomer.com). Members are welcome to rent the entire chateau at a discount as part of our Property Exchange. The Club’s World Financial Seminar team planned a financial retreat there in the summer of 2010.
The Oxford Club launched its new website at www.oxfordclub.com, in June.
In addition, we launched a new mid-month advisory for all members called The Ultimate Retirement Letter. This letter is geared towards retired members or members thinking about retiring in next 10-15 years.
Every month, Louis Basenese adds a sound dividend-paying company to The Ultimate Retirement Portfolio. And a top panel of experts present detailed information on how you can properly plan for your retirement, including educational forays into important topics such as insurance, estate planning, taxes and other retirement issues.
