Now that President Obama has been re-elected, Obamacare will become reality and that means that a lot more people in the United States will have health insurance and, if the program works as it is supposed to, it also means that the growth of healthcare spending overall will eventually slow. Both of those are good but, in the near term, Obamacare also means a lot of people will be paying more taxes and higher insurance premiums. (You didn't think Obamacare was free, did you?) Below are some of the new taxes you're going to have to pay to pay for Obamacare. Words: 565

If I had to guess, I would say that a majority of people in the country still view the housing market in a negative light. They note: •the still-large overhang of foreclosed properties, •the still-low rate of new housing starts, and •the still-depressed level of housing prices in many parts of the country but that is looking at the market from a static viewpoint. There have been some very important improvements in the housing market over the past 18 months...that have all the makings of a clear turnaround that is underway and likely to continue. [Let me explain.] Words: 388

With China becoming the #2 economy in the world it has, without question, transformed into an enormous force in the world’s commodity markets...with many years to come of major commodity production, consumption, and importation for China and the countries that serve that commodity food chain. [Let's examine China's dominance in the commodity industry and identify investment opportunities to take advantage of continued growth.] Words: 1282

The price of silver is going to go much, much higher - much higher - over the next decade [relative to gold according to Jim Rogers and I concur. Below are 5 solid reasons why I believe that is the case.] Words: 767

The public's estimates and predictions of inflation are significantly, and systematically, related to the demographic characteristics of the respondents...[and] even after we hold constant income, age, education, race, and marital status...women in our survey tended to think inflation was 1.9 percentage points higher than men. [There are more interesting findings, so read on.] Words: 987

The USA continues to decline economically relative to some parts of the world, most notably those in Asia yet we still lead in many areas. Unfortunately being number one is some categories is not a good thing and our level of debt is one of these areas. In fact, our debt burden leads the world. [A look at the charts below illustrates that all too clearly.] Words: 272

I have been bearish on hard commodities for the past two years and, while prices may have dropped substantially from their peaks during this time, I don’t think the bear market is over. I think we still have a very long way to go and there are four reasons why I expect prices to drop a lot more. Words: 3978

All in all, deflation should be one of the most serious words in a commodity investor's vocabulary and is something to always keep an eye on. While its presence may seem removed from our economy, the possibility always remains and preparation will be key to survive a deflationary environment.

Silver has thousands of industrial uses and is considered a store of wealth by investors. The infographic below illustrates silver's history as a currency in the past and as an essential component in industry and technology today.

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