Solid essential-service companies survived the Great Recession and enjoyed an explosive post-Mar. 9, 2009, rally.  Now they've taken advantage of generation-low interest rates to gird for future growth.

Plenty of market pundits have declared the death of "buy and hold." Recent experience reminds us that sticking with solid companies for the long haul is the best way to build and maintain wealth.

After a decade of de-leveraging UF Portfolio recommendations are built to endure any and all wrenches the market throws at them.

Several Portfolio recommendations, particularly high-yielding Canadian trusts and MLPs, have bounced around a bit. Volatility doesn't alter the fact that these companies continue to report solid operating results.

The global economic recovery will lift the boats that stayed afloat during the Great Recession. Our favorites are poised to pay--whether growth picks up quickly or the up-turn is slow to develop.

As we go to press we’re still waiting on several Portfolio picks to release numbers. But the underlying business of every favorite to report thus far is in great condition. All are first-rate holdings

The Utility Forecaster Portfolios’ 49 represented companies did more than simply weather the 2008-09 economic collapse, and now they’re geared up to profit from unfolding recovery, thanks to strong balance sheets and growing demand for essential services.