Commodity prices including those of...[gold and silver] tend to go through super-cycles...[which] last for many years. [Below is a review of the history of such cycles and the length of each. Where are we now in each? When will they go "boom"? When will they go "bust"? Let's take a look.] Words: 165; Charts: 1; Tables: 3

So many headlines are saying “$5,000 Gold; $10,000 Gold; Silver, The Investment of the Decade,” etc, etc, etc. Will that happen? A history of failed fiat currencies says "yes". When will it happen? That is the question few articles address because they simply have no clue, beyond their sensationalized headlines. Who can best answer that question? It is not "who can", but "what can", and that comes from the market itself - ever the most reliable source. The answers may not always satisfy, but the market is never wrong [and this is what the market is saying]. Words: 590

Supposedly "insured" depositors in Cyprus thought there was nothing to worry about until they woke up on Saturday with a haircut between 6.75% and 9.9% on their money in the bank. Today the American Banking Association reminded Americans that there is absolutely nothing to worry about when it comes to the sanctity of US deposits. [Really?] Words: 385; Table: 1

The Economic Straight Talk Newsletter gives you balanced views and contextual comments that save you time. The newsletter's objective is to help you keep up to date, gain new ideas, better trade and invest, better communicate with your investment advisor if you have one, and importantly make your own ‘penny drop’. Take a look.

I am not married to my ideas and neither should you be. While I have covered the long-term bullish argument in the past, I believe there are some indications that gold is richly valued in the interim. Caution is warranted.

The U.S. is the most overbought country on a list of the 30 largest country ETFs, trading slightly more extended than Japan....6 countries are trading in oversold territory at the moment. [Is your country's stock market overbought or oversold? Take a look at the table below].

For those who haven’t yet grasped the uselessness of government policy, please read Charles Hugh Smith’s simple fourteen point explanation below. It details the steps government has taken, why they are failing, why the middle and poorer classes must get poorer and suggests that we are close to the end of the Ponzi scheme that has provided the myth that our economy has been strong for the last couple of decades.

Taking profits is rarely a bad idea, and staying fully invested at these levels seems foolish. That is why it might pay to raise some capital now, before the sell in May strategy comes up. Having a core position of equities along with some dry powder and keeping a look out for short-term trading opportunities is how I plan to play this market through 2013. [This article presents 5 specific reasons why it might be wise sell in May and go away - or even sooner - this year.] Words: 1280

The economy is heading for unprecedented volatility between rampant inflation and deflation courtesy of Ben Bernanke’s sponsorship of the $7 trillion increase in new Federal debt since 2008. Investors need to plan now while they still have time before the economic chaos begins.

You are damned if you do and damned if you don't! In my opinion, we are about to...[witness] a mean reversion in corporate profitability regardless of outcome as we have most likely has reached its limits for the cycle. Now comes the painful part, which is usually jam-packed with earning disappointments and investor losses.... Words: 485