So the types of commodities we buy, individual commodities.

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Bruce Greenwald, a professor who heads Columbia Business School's value-investing program, says it's dumb for individual investors to own commodities directly.

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"It's a common assumption that the average individual investor has zero allocation to commodities, " says Matthew Carvalho, director of investment research at Loring Ward, a financial-advisory firm in San Jose, Calif.

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Several years ago, I became more intrigued with seasonal analysis after several interviews with John Person, who has done extensive seasonal work on commodities as well as individual stocks and sectors.

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But it will also wipe out some traders and reduce the net worth of individual investors who have piled into the commodities bubble.

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This method also works for commodities, as well as individual stocks.

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That in itself poses a significant threat to the U.S. economy by further spiking the prices of corn and gas, commodities crucial to almost every individual in the country.

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The ability for individual investors or advisors to make bets on commodities, metals, currencies, finely-defined sectors, and specific geographic markets has never been greater.

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But it is the attitude of individual companies, and their willingness to train and mentor their staff - rather than treating them as expendable commodities - that can make all the difference.

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