"Even with the prospect of no QE, if you believe the Fed, gold has not made a new low [since December] so, in my opinion, the absence of QE is priced into gold. On the other hand, if market conditions hit emergency levels, the central banks will be forced to their knees and they will be doing QE by whatever name it’s called. I think at that stage you are going to see gold go ballistic because it will be an admission of failure on the part of policymakers....If investors don’t do something now and take advantage of this funky period we are in, this daily grind of back and forth, they are going to be paralyzed. They will just be bystanders when gold finally takes off.”

The Citigroup economics team...made some noise late last week when they wrote that Greece would exit the euro on January 1, 2013 [and,] despite the results of this weekend's Greek elections which favors bailouts, austerity, and the euro, Citigroup continues to believe Greece is likely to exit the euro. Here's why. Words: 950

If you invest or trade in the equity markets, this is an article you ought to take the time to read and think about. It presents the perceived strengths and weaknesses of China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, seven other Asian countries, and Australia in an informative interactive graphic.

We all know that the true cost of a car doesn't end at it's purchase price but most people don't really know what the annual cost will actually amount to. The next time you are shopping for a car consider these additional costs.

Buying bonds that insure against the extremely unlikely possibility of a specific catastrophic financial event can prove to be a very profitable investment and an ideal portfolio diversification move. I'm talking about cat bonds. Here is probably the first article you have ever read on the subject. Enjoy! Words: 821

How does Greece — an economic basketcase — compare to Germany — an economic powerhouse? The infographic below answers that question. Take a look.

Being a true contrarian investor isn’t just about investing in unloved sectors of the market or specific stocks. It’s also about conducting research and discovering indicators that the crowd doesn’t follow — indicators that can help give clues as to the next probable direction of risk assets. I’m always on the lookout for such indicators, and have compiled many of them over my years of trading and investing. [Here's just one that bares scrutiny. Take a look.] Words: 610

...The US Government and its catastrophic fiscal morass are now viewed by the world as a ‘safe haven’. This would easily qualify for a comedy shtick if it weren’t so serious....[but] the establishment is thrilled with these developments because it helps maintain the status quo of the dollar standard era. However, there are some serious ramifications that few are paying attention to and are getting almost zero coverage from traditional media. [Let me explain what they are.] Words: 1150

With 10 year Treasuries yielding 1.6% in the United States, some argue that higher deficits are warranted. As the discussion below shows, the logic behind that view is fundamentally flawed, if not reckless. Words: 1238

The U.S. economic recovery has been weak and the looming fiscal cliff threatens to act as a further drag on the economy. Europe is imploding with the chances of a 'Grexit' increasing, and Spain's economy deteriorating and risking contagion. David Rosenberg looks at the state of the U.S. and global economy via 51 depressing charts.