Economy

What currency is feared by the European Central Bank as a threat to fiat monetary institutions? What currency is cash-like but digitally transmittable allowing for ultimate anonymity and global mobility? What digital currency is up over 2,200% over the last year? It's Bitcoin.

The Fed continues to assert that its Quantitative Easing bond purchases will boost economic growth by lowering borrowing costs for businesses and consumers but the evidence shows that QE bond purchases have actually coincided with increases in long-term interest rates.

There is a debate on Wall Street between those who believe we have entered into the next “secular bull market” and those who believe that the current market advance is predicated on artificial stimulus and, as such, the “secular bear market” remains intact. Take a look below at a series of charts designed to allow you to draw your own conclusions and convey your view in the comments section at the very bottom of the page. Words: 719; Charts: 12

Despite an influx of vehicles that are 46% more fuel-efficient than they were in 1980,oil-and-gas the average American household spent almost $3,000 (or about 4% of their pre-tax income - the highest proportion in history) on gasoline. Find out how your country compares with other countries of the world.

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If the U.S. national debt continues to grow then the U.S. dollar system will collapse in 2017 suggests a Russian lawmaker in submitting a bill to the country’s parliament that would ban the use or possession of the American currency.

China is buying up the world - big time! Take a look. It's all shown here in one map.

The Misery Index is a lens through which to look at quality of life and, from an American perspective, such misery has risen steadily since 1994. How miserable is your state (and your state of being)? Take a look..

The real value of the stock market is positively correlated, over time, with the amount of freight hauled by the nation's trucks (in other words, the physical size of the economy has a lot to do with the real, inflation-adjusted value of the economy) and the latest numbers (see chart) strongly suggest that we are not in a stock market bubble.

Looking for a simple way to outperform the market on your international equity index portfolio? Here's how.