The Chairman’s Circle Weekly Briefing

Dear Chairman’s Circle Member,

We’re nearing the end of tax season, but unfortunately IRS scams are still on the rise.

A popular tactic for scammers is to use stolen information to file your taxes and deposit the erroneous refund in your bank account. They will then pose as the IRS to get you to send the money back to them.

Beware of any phone calls, voicemails or emails from individuals claiming to represent the IRS.

Note that the IRS will never…

• Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method
• Ask you to provide your credit or debit card number over the phone
• Threaten to bring in local police to arrest or deport you for not paying
• Demand payment without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount you owe.

Telephone scammers can manipulate the phone numbers they are calling from to make it seem like the call is from your area code or from an IRS number. So do not trust what appears on your caller ID.

If you are contacted and think you might owe taxes, hang up and call the IRS directly at 800.829.1040. If the call was legitimate, IRS workers will be able to assist you.

If you have no reason to think you owe taxes, do not respond or give out any information. Immediately hang up and take the following steps, as outlined by the IRS:

• Contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to report the call. Use their “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” web page. You can also call 800.366.4484.
• Report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the “FTC Complaint Assistant” on FTC.gov. Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes.

For more details on current scams targeting taxpayers, tax professionals and human resources representatives, click here. If you want to know how to confirm the identity of a caller or visitor claiming to be from the IRS, find out what to look for here.

Sell Northern Graphite Corp. (TSX-V: NGC) Advanced Energy Strategist

Sell to open the General Mills (NYSE: GIS) October $35 puts Automatic Trading Millionaire

Sell Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ALNY), including the January $140 calls Chairman’s Circle Breakout Alert

Buy Cobalt 27 (OTC: CBLLF) Fry’s Pinnacle Portfolio

Buy Largo Resources (OTC: LGORF) Fry’s Pinnacle Portfolio

Buy La Jolla Pharmaceutical (Nasdaq: LJPC), including the June $31 calls The Insider Alert

Sell Neurocrine Biosciences (Nasdaq: NBIX) Lightning Trend Trader

Buy Collegium Pharmaceutical (Nasdaq: COLL), including the September $25 calls Lightning Trend Trader

Sell TAL Education Group (NYSE: TAL) The Momentum Alert

Buy the M/I Homes bond (CUSIP 55305baq4) Oxford Bond Advantage

Buy Craft Brew Alliance (Nasdaq: BREW), including the August $20 calls Prime System Trader

Buy to open the Jack in the Box (Nasdaq: JACK) September $80 puts Switch Trade Alert

Sell Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), including the April $77.50 calls The True Value Alert

In light of a big announcement this week, I wanted to do something a little different and highlight a newsletter that isn’t one of The Oxford Club’s.

Of course, we don’t want to overlook the not-to-be-missed updates in our own newsletters this week. Be sure to read up on…

• Chief Investment Strategist Alexander Green’s review of this thriving pharmacy’s recent acquisition and latest earnings results
• Chief Income Strategist Marc Lichtenfeld’s analysis of one downtrodden REIT in his portfolio and how it will stand up to rising rates
• Emerging Trends Strategist Matthew Carr’s evaluation of the pressures on the price of natural gas right now.

But back to the big announcement…

This week, America’s largest bitcoin exchange, Coinbase, announced it would begin investing in cryptocurrency startups.

It is launching Coinbase Ventures to finance “early-stage companies that have the teams and ideas that can move the space forward in a positive, meaningful way.”

It’s an idea The Oxford Club has long endorsed. Members can score huge returns by investing in promising ventures long before they become household names. That’s why we include “Early-Stage Investing” as part of The Oxford Club’s Wealth Pyramid.

Although we do not currently offer a private investment service at the Club, we do have contacts in the industry whom we hold in high regard for their expertise in this area: Adam Sharp and Andy Gordon, co-founders of Early Investing LLC.

They are experienced, astute and well-connected investors skilled at recognizing startups and cryptocurrencies primed for excellence. Their monthly newsletter, First Stage Investor, provides readers with tips, tools, sector updates, startup and cryptocurrency recommendations, and portfolio updates.

With First Stage Investor, you don’t need to be part of a bitcoin exchange to profit from the growth in early-stage companies.

If you’re interested in learning more about early-stage investing… discovering the innovations that will soon disrupt industries around the globe… or incorporating startups and cryptocurrencies into your portfolio… find out more about First Stage Investor here. The latest monthly issue is being released today.

Q: Hello, I am a little confused when it comes to buying and selling options. What does it mean to “sell to open” for either a call or a put? – T.E.

A: “Sell to open” means the option investor is initiating, or opening, an option trade by selling or establishing a short position in an option. This enables the option seller to receive the premium paid by the buyer on the opposite side of the transaction.