Financial guru Stephen Leeb predicts an inflationary 'perfect storm' that will lay waste to millions of portfolios if investors don't prepare ahead of time. In this perilous period, it will be essential to pay attention to the price of oil, because as prices fluctuate, so, too, will the economy. As Foreign Affairs recently pointed out, to support the world's population, oil production must rise in the next 20 years from 75 million barrels a day to 125 million - a 66 per cent increase! And yet all over the world - from the North Sea to Mexico to Venezuela - come reports of production capacity maxing out. Result : pressure to raise output will mean higher production costs, which will mean vastly more expensive oil. But there is a way to diversify away from disaster : by investing in energy producers and dedicating a significant part of one's portfolio to real assets that keep their value relative to inflation. Here, Stephen Leeb helps readers pick the 'energy-producer star performers', reveals the 'double payoff' to investing in metals like platinum and silver, explains why the stocks of 'mega-insurers' are a safe bet, and shows how investing in real estate does not have to mean actually owning it.