In our view, the four primary drivers of market valuations are earnings, dividends, interest rates and inflation, of which two stand out above the others as being the most important. We look at each factor and then conclude with what it means for stocks.

Time is running out for all the 2014 enthusiasts that are calling for higher prices in gold and silver by year-end. The lessons learned from 2013 have been forgotten as not only are prices not beginning to move higher, they are making new recent lows. Incredibly enough, many of these prognosticators are paid pretty well by their subscribers. Lesson to be learned? Absolutely no one can divine the future. Stop listening to what others are saying, and pay attention to what the charts are saying - and below is a summary of just that.

Is a major top at hand? It is often said that bells do not ring to signal the end of a bull market but if the broad averages were in fact to plummet in the weeks ahead, never forget that bells did indeed ring. This article contains the opinions of three heavyweights in the guru world which are so insightful that any investors who ignore their observations do so at their great peril.

This article suggests that the Australian and Canadian dollars, and the British pound Sterling, can expect to decline significantly relative to the U.S. dollar in the months ahead and gold to decline even further relative to industrial commodity prices. Here's why.

I don’t mean to rant against gold. I just think that there are some fundamental reasons to keep gold in the proper perspective when we consider its value as a portion of our asset holdings. In my view, it’s not the type of asset you want to build a portfolio around. Here's why.

Given the recent upside breakout in the U.S. dollar I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the reasons behind the strength as well as implications for the stock market. Here are my views on the situation.

It is frighteningly clear to any objective analyst and/or intelligent investor that the present bull market rally in stocks (2006-2014) is "beyond the pale" (outside the bounds of acceptable behavior) i.e. the excess valuation is dangerously above the market excesses of the 1920s.

History strongly suggests that, rather than a return to a nice, placid world of “normal” interest rates, we are likely to see a continuation of the borrowing binge/asset bubble until real rates spike as a result of either soaring nominal rates soar or plummeting inflation. Here's why that is the case.

The Fed and the bond market are responding appropriately to declining risk aversion and a somewhat improved economic outlook. There is no reason to fear the end of QE or the beginning of higher short-term interest rates. Let me explain further.

Below are a series of forecasts and predictions of what 2014 could bring for the price of gold (as low as $900/ozt. & no higher than $1,435/ozt.) and the reasons why with interesting commentary by some individual investors and gold enthusiasts.