The investing world is fraught with risk. In addition to the market’s ups and downs, there are lots of phony “advisers” out there who dispense dubious advice.

But you’ve got the Investing Daily team on your side.

Below, I’ve put together excerpts of recent interviews I’ve conducted with our top chief investment strategists. These eight experts cumulatively boast decades of experience in giving investment advice. They’re seasoned and respected, with solid track records.

Our strategists hail from diverse locations and backgrounds but they all share one common theme: a driving passion to make money for their followers.

Let’s take a look at their unique perspectives on the latest trends in financial markets. Bold copy represents my questions.

• Jim Pearce, chief investment strategist for our flagship publication, Personal Finance.

Do you expect a correction to hit the stock market over the near term?

Yes, I do. Corporate earnings are officially in a “recession,” which is defined as back-to-back quarters of negative growth. And yet, stock valuations are at historic highs. Something has to give.

By definition, a correction occurs when the market falls 10% from its 52-week high. For the last four decades, every bull market has experienced a correction, which is simply a healthy restoration of equilibrium.

With stock valuations now at excessive levels, investors should welcome a correction. It’s hard to find value nowadays; a correction would put many appealing but overpriced stocks back on the bargain shelf.

• Scott Chan, lead analyst, Real World Investing and The Complete Investor.

The Chinese harbor a sense of victimization because of their long history of exploitation at the hands of Western powers. Doesn’t that make it harder for the Chinese to compromise with America’s nationalistic president?

It’s not just President Trump. China, too, has become more nationalistic under President Xi. Both sides want to look strong. Neither side wants to lose face by giving in to the other side. When two alphas butt heads, it makes for a long fight.

China’s painful memories of domination and near annihilation at the hands of foreign powers in the past makes an authoritarian government an easier sell to the public. Through careful messaging, Beijing has stirred up strong nationalistic support within the “Great Firewall of China” for the trade war.

I don’t think China is going to make any major concessions. I believe if the U.S. wants a trade agreement, it will have to settle for some minor concessions and call it a victory.

• Robert Rapier, chief investment strategist, Utility Forecaster.

Which sub-sectors of the energy industry look the most appealing to you now?

U.S. oil production has surged over the past decade, but U.S. oil producers have fared poorly. That’s because they keep pushing production ahead of demand growth. They haven’t been in a position to profit from this production surge, because there are too many producers eroding margins. The same is true in the U.S. natural gas industry.

Pipeline companies have fared much better. All that new oil, natural gas, and NGL production has to get from the field to the consumer. The pipeline companies make this happen, and to do so they sign up producers to long-term contracts. That’s what makes them such good long-term investments.

• Nathan Slaughter, chief investment strategist, The Daily Paycheck and High-Yield Investing.

Which sectors look the most appealing to you right now?

Given earnings headwinds, geopolitical uncertainty, and the generally overvalued state of the market as a whole, I would dial back exposure to more cyclical areas in favor of defensive sectors.

This could be a favorable climate for utilities. I am also overweight real estate investment trusts (REITs). Real estate has a low correlation to traditional equities, and property owners tend to have strong cash flow visibility. The prospect of cheaper borrowing costs sure doesn’t hurt either.

For recommendations in the utility sector, click here for our “dividend map” to get the highest yields.

• Jimmy Butts, chief investment strategist, Maximum Profit.

Investors are rotating from growth to value. Which reasonably priced “defensive” asset classes seem most appealing right now?

I’m glad you said, “reasonably priced,” because the usual defensive suspects have been on a tear this year. The utility sector is up more than 20% year-to-date, and consumer staples are up over 19% year to date.

Many of the utility stocks I’ve looked at recently are trading at premiums to their historical valuation norms. Of course, as a momentum investor looking to ride those waves that’s not necessarily a bad thing. As we know, stock prices can climb higher, for longer, than what we might believe.

Editor’s Note: The following chart is a handy guide for asset allocations during the late stage of the economic cycle.

• Stephen Leeb, chief investment strategist, The Complete Investor and Real World Investing.

How significant is the global implementation of 5G wireless technology?

5G is a huge deal, with endless applications — everything from interconnections among the billions of objects comprising the Internet of Things (IOT) to artificial intelligence (AI) to transportation within and between new megacities. It will facilitate complex surgeries via virtual and enhanced reality; more frivolously, it will mean ultra-fast download speeds for movies. And the list goes on.

Whichever country grabs the lead in 5G technology will set the technological standards governing its infrastructure. That country will be positioned for global digital dominance, likely tantamount to overall dominance in technology.

For details on the hottest investment opportunities in 5G, click here for our latest white paper.

• Jim Fink, chief investment strategist, Options for Income, Velocity Trader, and Jim Fink’s Inner Circle.

I’ve often heard you say that the right options strategies can “create dividends out of thin air.” What do you mean by that?

The beauty of options is that they let you profit from someone else’s risky (and often wrong) bets. Let’s say that you own a stock trading at $30 per share. Call options exist that provide the buyer with the right to purchase the stock at $40 per share anytime within the next three months.

The odds of the stock rising more than 33% in three months are low. For argument’s sake, let’s say the probability of such a large price rise is only 15%. Yet, there are always greedy traders out in the marketplace willing to make such a low-probability gamble in exchange for the 100-to-1 chance of striking it rich.

The options strategy is called “covered calls.” It involves selling a call option at a strike price above the current stock price. You can sell options for cash without owning them first!

This amazing fact allows you to generate income month after month on a stock; income that is in addition to whatever dividend the stock may already pay. Furthermore, because you are selling a call with a strike above the current stock price, you continue to benefit from further stock appreciation up to the strike price.

• Amber Hestla, chief investment strategist, Income Trader, Profit Amplifier and Maximum Income.

Among all the investment opportunities out there, which one excites you the most?

Marijuana. This is new and I am seeing firsthand it is a big business. I live less than an hour from Colorado where marijuana is already legal. There is demand. There are profits to be made.

To discover the best-of-breed plays on marijuana that are poised for market-beating gains, click here now for our special report.

Demand is diverse. Yes, there are young people in tie-dye t-shirts. Well, there are middle-aged people, usually with beards, in those shirts. There are kids taking a break from video games. But there is a lot more to the demand than that.

There are also older people getting CBD oils for their skin problems and sativa drops to help them sleep.

There are stories behind each sale and the demand is growing, if you listen to the bud-tenders behind the counters. Each customer who gets relief tells a friend. We are in the early stages and this is already a multi-billion-dollar industry.

Editor’s Note: You’ve just read my give-and-take with some of the best minds in the investment business. I’d like to put a spotlight right now on Amber Hestla.

Amber specializes in generating income using simple but powerful strategies that minimize risk.

Amber also is a military veteran who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. While deployed overseas with military intelligence, Amber learned how to interpret disparate data to predict likely outcomes. Upon her return to civilian life, she honed this skill to find money-making opportunities.

Amber was stationed in Iraq. She served as a Military Intelligence Analyst (MOS Classification 35F, in military jargon).

For her role in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Amber received the Army Commendation Medal.

She now lives as a Wyoming rancher, raising two children and applying her military intelligence skills to picking investments. She bought her 80-acre ranch with cash…from just five minutes of “work” each day as a trader.

Want to learn Amber’s investment secrets? Click here now for a free demonstration.

John Persinos is the managing editor of Investing Daily.