Dark...financial and economic clouds are, it seems, rolling in from every direction: the eurozone, the United States, China, and elsewhere. Indeed, the global economy in 2013 could be a very difficult environment in which to find shelter.

Jim Sinclair is now warning... that ‘The end is not near, it is here and now’ in reference to the global financial system...[and] reiterating his long held view that there will be “QE to infinity” despite the denials of Bernanke and other central bankers. [He also has some interesting things to say about gold and alarming things to say about the euro. Read on.] Words: 305

Goldman Sachs recommends “stepping back into the markets” in its latest Commodity Watch. Goldman is anticipating a 29% return for the S&P GSCI Enhanced Commodity Index over the next 12 months and suggests investors might want to increase their position in commodities. Here's why. Words: 755

"Either you take the debt clean-out right away, and that means a very hard deflationary depression, or you do what I suspect they will try to do and that is keep pumping money into the system to keep the whole banking (system), derivatives and economies afloat [and] that will lead to some sort of monetary distress that could end in hyperinflation. I think that’s the worst outcome, but there is no good outcome.”

Follow the eurozone crisis as it unfolds with this quick guide to key dates, developments, and investment implications.

The derivative market has blown a galactic bubble...and since there is literally no economist in the world who knows exactly how the derivative money flows or how the system works,...we really don't know what will trigger the crash, or when it will happen, but considering the global financial crisis this system is in for tough times. [If, and when, it happens it] will be catastrophic for the world financial system. If you ever wanted a tool to help yourself or others visualize the staggering magnitude of US debt and derivatives, the infographic below is a good one to share. It visualizes who those 9 too-big-fail banks are, what their derivative exposures are, and what scandals they've been lately involved in. Words: 1915

The big news that the markets are attempting to digest this week is the €100 billion Spanish bailout. This action and the upcoming Fed FOMC meeting on June 19-20 will dictate the market's action over the next two weeks and possibly for the remainder of the year. [That being said, given what has transpired in Spain this past month, it is evident that the philosophy is to "lie until you are about to die." Let me explain.] Words: 640

I love gold but I've turned bearish. [While I admit] if the Greeks were to quit the euro that gold could face a short-term bull wave I believe gold's fundamentals are [too] weak to support the current price. [Here are 8 solid reasons why.] Words: 685

One moment stock prices rejoice on bailout news for the eurozone… the next moment they collapse....but steering clear of European stocks and bonds doesn't mean you're completely safe. In fact, your portfolio could be loaded with ticking time bombs, set to detonate once second-quarter earnings reporting season begins. Here's why. Words: 611

Demand for lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries over the next 8 years - for use in electric and hybrid cars, smart power grids and mobile consumer devices - is going parabolic. Sales of electic/hybrid cars, for example, will be increasing 5-fold to 4,000,000 over that timeframe and every such car will have 30-110kg of graphite in their batteries, depending on the car, that can not be replaced economically. Forget the common refrain "Got gold?" A more appropriate refrain should be "How much graphite stock do you own?" Learn more about graphite in the infographic below.