Future business activity will reflect the over-indebted state of the U.S. economy and the world & the inability of the Federal Reserve to initiate policies to promote growth in this environment. If that’s not a pithy, spot-on summary of our sorry situation, I don’t know what is! The details are provided within.

The recent turbulence in global markets is a signal that the potential for macro risk is on the rise. One way to quantify the threat for the U.S. economy is by monitoring four financial stress indexes that are published by regional Fed banks. The following is a summary of where we stand at the moment, based on numbers collected this morning (Oct. 30).

With European demographics getting more challenging by the year the eurozone, problems don’t seem to be going away for the euro. Will the shrinking euro be able to revert its course, or is Europe doomed to become the next Japan?

Full implementation may take a few years but, as CIPS gains strength, its use will spread outward...[and] the more it spreads, the greater the Chinese influence over such entities as the IMF.

Check out the role that the Internet of Things is playing in our day-to-day lives to see some of the ways we are benefiting from increased connectivity. From the moment your connected alarm clock wakes you up early if the traffic is especially bad, to the time you turn off all the lights in your home without having to leave your bedside at night —the Internet of Things is redefining our lives and the way we go about our entire day.

Gold ain’t goin’ anywhere anytime soon unless the US$ takes another exponential run-up or a great big nosedive - and I don’t think either of those events is about to happen. Here's why.

Historically, the performance of the S&P 500 Index relative to the U.S. Dollar Index has been a good indicator of bull and bear markets but it has underperformed the Dollar Index since mid-2014. It's an ugly warning sign for the market. I see the stock market moving downward from here.

A trough of disillusionment has temporarily captured Bitcoin, the blockchain, and their derivatives. We think that cryptocurrency will remain in the trough for some time, but there are many reasons to believe that a robust foundation is being built for this technology. This infographic provides 5 reasons to be bullish on Bitcoin.

Today’s infographic looks at where GDP growth will come from in the next 15 and 30 years...(the Asia-Pacific region, which currently makes up only 4.8% of the world’s middle-class spending, will balloon to become the biggest spender by far in 2030 at 32.6%, while North America, by comparison, will only increase from 5.5% to 5.8% during that period) and population and life expectancy projections for 32 countries. What does the future hold for your country?

A lack of discipline, inability to delay gratification, failure to understand basic mathematical concepts, materialistic envy, absence of critical thinking skills, and a delusionary view of the world have left the majority of Americans broke and in debt. Let me explain further.