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The next few years are not going to be pretty. We’re looking right into the teeth of a rolling global deleveraging recession—the End Game, I’ve called it - and the decisions we make in the next couple years about how to handle our debts and budget deficits here in the U.S., in Europe, in China, in Japan, and elsewhere, are going to be absolutely crucial. Words:507

Austrian economists have been predicting for years and years that eventually the Fed would be pushing on a string as they put more liquidity into a market that couldn’t absorb it. That may be what’s happening now. It will be very interesting to watch this development going forward.

The U.S. may end up having the highest dividend tax rates among the G-10 countries next year [if] the current rates are not extended. [In fact, the rates will double for most and triple for some along with significant increases in capital gains taxes. Below is a comparison of how the current dividend tax rate compares with the other G-10 countries and how it would compare in 2013 should the reduced rate not be extended.] Words: 325

While there are a number of funds and stocks that can be used to gain exposure to commodities, futures investing has long been the most popular and direct means of establishing a position. [Let's examine just what futures are, who should use futures and identify the various futures exchanges,] Words: 922

Commodity investing has been around for decades, but it was only recently that their popularity has spread to the general public. It is now generally recommended that investors set aside anywhere from 5% to 10% of their capital for a commodity allocation, as these hard assets generally offer uncorrelated returns essential to diversification. While many investors utilize stocks, ETFs, and futures to obtain their commodity exposure, options contracts can often be a better alternative to not only your commodity holdings, but for the remainder of your portfolio as well [Let me tell you more about options and also why they might/should have a place in your portfolio]. Words: 995

Injecting massive amounts of liquidity into the banking system can spur dramatic economic growth if that liquidity is used. On the other hand, if public perception is negative and fearful, that liquidity remains untapped and no growth occurs. We are in a new earnings season and for the most part - based on lowered expectations - the numbers are looking OK so what should we expect based on these modestly improving numbers? Words: 2176

Gold is known as a solid inflation hedge, and could earn this reputation in 2013 if inflation picks up. Below are three well-known gold bugs (Jim Rogers, Jeremy Grantham and John Paulson) and their bold predictions for investing in gold next year and beyond. Words: 525

The corrosive nature of politics and government has destroyed the economy and the moral fiber of citizens. These issues are not insurmountable, but they are very close to being so. Their ramifications are potentially existential in nature: the average length of life, the very time span or cycle of a nation has been proven in history to be approximately 250 years. Since the USA was born in 1776 this says we have about 14 years of life remaining for America. The way things are going we don’t doubt it. [Let me explain.] Words: 768

Over the past few years, policy leaders worldwide have grown accustomed to kicking the can down the road with each step in this ongoing financial crisis making incremental moves rather than cultivating viable long term solutions. More recent attempts seem to have evolved into simply just trying to kick the can out of the driveway. Now we fear there may not be enough firepower left to simply kick the can over. [Having done so, we are left between the proverbial rock and a hard place.] If lawmakers do nothing, by all accounts we are likely to see a recession. Should lawmakers extend the Bush-era tax cuts, you make no progress towards long term deficit reduction, potentially raising the risk and magnitude of a future financial crisis. [Let me discuss this predicament further and how best to invest in such precarious times.] Words: 1602

In a recent article* Morgan Stanley tobacco analyst David Adelman compares the average price of a package of cigarettes to how long it takes to buy that package based on minutes of work. How many minutes do you think it takes to pay off a pack of cigarettes in Canada, the U.S. etc.? Words: 557