To take your mind off things, I’ve dug up some information on a special kind of tax-free investment: real estate investment trusts, or REITs.

REITs are special companies that pay ZERO corporate taxes as long as they pay out over 90% of their profits to shareholders in the form of dividends. Obviously, you have to pay tax on the dividends – but as a shareholder, that’s the only tax you’ll pay. Non-REIT shareholders get dinged twice: once as an owner (corporate tax) and again as a shareholder (capital gains and dividend taxes).

Okay, I know what you’re thinking: what does a REIT have to do with commodities?