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This infographic consists of 12 visualizations of gold bullion bars showcasing the world’s gold that has been mined thus far.

To believe that the chances of financial calamity are non-existent is a fool’s fantasy that’s just begging for people’s life savings to get wiped out.

19 of the 23 poorest countries in the world are located in Africa. The DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) is the poorest with its citizens earning on average $394.25 a year (compared with Qatar where people earn an average of $105,091.42 a year). Afghanistan is the first non-African country (10th place) and also the first country where the average annual income passes the $1,000 threshold ($1072.19). Here's the complete list.

The large gap between the price of copper and U.S. indices is a warning sign that investors should take into consideration before starting new positions. Here's why.

Every time someone tells me they are buying gold because of inflation fears, I cringe. First, I don't see a risk to higher inflation and, second, even if we have high inflation, don't count on gold as a hedge. Here's why:

Is there a one-to-one positive correlation between the price of gold and the U.S. public debt? Yes and no. Let me explain.

Virtually everyone has become convinced that the dollar is going to 110, 120 or even 160. Folks when everyone is thinking the same thing … then no one is thinking. Here’s the thing. Almost no one is prepared for the dollar to drop. Everyone is convinced the dollar is going higher, and everyone is positioned long. Everyone is on the same side of the boat. When that happens invariably the boat tips over so here’s what I think is going to happen.

Dividend Paying Stocks are Not a Safe Substitute for Bonds! Ever! DIVIDEND PAYING STOCKS ARE NOT A SAFE SUBSTITUTE FOR BONDS! EVER! EVER! Did I write that big enough? Maybe not. Let’s try again: DIVIDEND PAYING STOCKS ARE NOT A SAFE SUBSTITUTE FOR BONDS! EVER! EVER! Here's why.

An in-depth report on global innovation has been co-released by Cornell University, INSEAD, and the World Intellectual Property Organization covering a total of 141 countries that make up 98.6% of global GDP. The report uses innovation inputs and outputs to create an overall Global Innovation Index with a score for each country. Rather than comparing all countries together, we decided to look at Canada and the United States to see which of the 49th parallel neighbours is the most innovative country. Here it is!

The Economist infographic below shows how much people in households around the world allocate to different expenses such as food, housing, recreation, transportation, and education.