While the average amateur investor may be excellent in their own career field, it doesn't mean they know what to invest in, or how to pick stocks. In fact being very good at your field can give you the false sense that whatever stocks you pick or your broker picks for you must be good, because after all, you picked them and you picked your broker — and you're smart so, no doubt, those stock prices will go up. Unfortunately, the smart and talented stock-picking neophyte is not investing at all but speculating. Words: 924

The odds are growing that low inflation could become deflation — with some economists worried that it has already started to happen... [Frankly, though,] there is going to be no recovery, at least for a long time unless we have deflation... and those who reject [such a notion] will live to regret it. Words: 2148

Like, ‘depression', ‘recession' has become an unacceptable word, because its use would drain confidence even more heavily. The housing market is already tipping into another negative slide with new house sales falling and mortgage rates at record lows. What can be done? We...see more quantitative easing as being unavoidable within three months, if the bad news continues. This time, [however,] we have to ask, can it be managed without frightening side effects? Words: 833

While gold has outperformed all other asset classes in the past ten years, an analysis of our current economic and financial environment indicates that the ongoing increase in precious metals has only just begun and should ensure a sustainably positive environment for gold [and silver, gold and silver shares and the warrants associated with gold and silver companies in the years to come]. Words: 2095

The U.S. caused the 1930s deflationary depression and is again the cause of the current contraction. Although similarities exist between the two, the differences between them insure a far more consequential outcome today than in the 1930s. [Indeed, the world] now finds itself on the edge of a growing deflationary sinkhole created by the sequential collapse of two large U.S. bubbles, the dot.com and U.S. real estate bubbles. Words: 1549

At times like these, it is hardly going out on a limb to say that we are headed for hard economic times. In fact, it seems like almost everyone in the financial world is either declaring that a recession is coming or is busy preparing for one. The truth is that bad economic signs are everywhere. Words: 1171

I think we can all agree that the national economy and the global economy are both on slippery slopes. It's time to think outside of the box. We just need an effective leader who is willing to ... try some real solutions. If you don't like my solutions, come up with others but don't tell me America can't be fixed. It can be fixed ... you just have to be willing to do it. Words: 2371

My first reaction when I read an article* on this site by Arnold Bock - articulating why gold would go to $10,000 – by 2012 no less - was amazement. Who in their right mind would suggest that gold would eventually reach $2,500, let alone $5,000 or even $10,000? Words: 2097

There is an ongoing debate among global policymakers about when and how fast to exit from the strong monetary and fiscal stimulus that prevented the Great Recession of 2008-2009 from turning into a new Great Depression. Germany and the European Central Bank are pushing aggressively for early fiscal austerity; the United States is worried about the risks of excessively early fiscal consolidation. Words: 957

I am worried about the possibility of a second dip - of a new recession beginning sometime in the next year or so - before the current recovery has had a chance to produce much improvement. Verbally-intuitively, the case for a second dip still seems pretty overwhelming to me. I take comfort in the knowledge that I tend to have a pessimistic bias, and in the fact that sophisticated quantitative models are generally putting the odds of a second dip quite low. On the other hand, successfully forecasting recessions has not been a strong point of quantitative models. Words: 1433