President Obama will be sworn into office for a second term on January 21 and that's good news if you own gold stocks. Why? Because gold stocks, [as represented by the XAU] have increased, on average, by 20% during inaugural years since 1985 (28% in 2005; 36% in 2003). While there's no real rhyme or reason as to why gold stocks thrive in inauguration years - statistical anomaly or otherwise - it is yet another reason to buy gold stocks right now. Words: 312; Charts: 1

As Winston Churchill once said: “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” and in that vain I challenge all readers to fight off the negativity, see long-term opportunity in global equity markets and, most importantly, remain invested. Your future self may thank you. Words: 732; Charts: 6

If Congress does not raise the debt ceiling, the result will be no different than the Jones family deciding that they have maxed out their credit cards and that, if they continue borrowing and spending over their means, there will be significant pain to the family at best and bankruptcy at worst. Any attempt to prove otherwise is futile because it's just not true! [To further make his point the author provides below 7 other examples of why the economics of government are no different than those of the typical American household.] Words: 585

The threats of global recession, insurmountable debt, terrible government policy, central bank support, and many other very persuasive arguments present gold as a very appealing investment or safe haven but all of this is an illusion. Gold was a sensible investment in the early part of the bull market (1999-07), but has now become a false sense of security for many investors who will soon learn the hard way. Not only are the fundamentals already priced in, the technicals severely weakened, and the extremes in gold optimism easily apparent, but the bad news for gold could soon get much worse. The next weeks or few months will hopefully give us a lot more clarity. Words: 1170

While George Soros spent over 40 years managing funds at Soros Fund Management, racking up an incredible average annual return of 20%, he is arguably most known for the huge bets he made against the British pound in 1992. He felt that the European Exchange Rate Mechanism overvalued the pound and that the system was inherently unsustainable so he bet $10 billion on this view and reaped more than $2 billion in profits from his trades. [This article outlines his the life - both professional and personal - of this epitome of a hedge fund manager.] Words: 972

Those dependent on the welfare state are unaware that their benefits are not sustainable. Most believe tomorrow will be like today and the checks will keep coming from Mother Government. Political power was gained based on promising these benefits. No politician will risk his position by trying to reduce them. No democratic society has ever rolled them back via peaceful political means. [At worst,] the economy and society could end up in ashes [and, at best,] the world is in for a long period of stagnation, retrogression and conflict. [Let me explain more fully.] Words: 1115

Given the hectic lives we lead you may well have missed some excellent articles on the financial plight of the U.S. and recent developments in the economy. Not to worry. Below are introductory paragraphs and links to 5 of the “best-of-the-best” articles on the subject.

The Boston Consulting Group has issued a paper that recommends 10 steps that developed countries must take to end what they refer to as 'Ponzi finance' and to return to a sustainable growth path but I believe their recommendations to be but theoretical and impractical constructs. While I believe we face - and will experience - interesting, speculative, fragile, and very challenging and very likely life-changing times going forward, I believe that the only thing that will force developed country politicians to work for common purposes is a further global financial crisis. This article provides an overview and assessment of said paper and the rationale for my position. Words: 600

Been busy? Not to worry. Here are introductory paragraphs and links to 13 of the “best of the best”articles on gold and silver that you might have missed reading. Each article has been edited for the sake of clarity and brevity to ensure you a fast and easy read. Read just one or read them all. Enjoy!

A month ago it looked like the U.S. Dollar Index would crash through its 1-year support line. Instead, the index bounced off it like an Indian rubber ball (remember?) and, in the process, hurt the price of gold and silver. That seems to have reversed in the past few days. Take a look at the charts. Words: 431; Charts: 2