Some analysts and commentators are warning that this year (2012) could match or surpass the dire conditions experienced in 2008 with the promise of more turbulence from the Eurozone, further political wrangles over dealing with the U.S. budget deficit and a potential host of problems in emerging market countries such as a possible Chinese banking and real estate crash. [While you] should fear plummeting stock markets...there are actually some interesting ways to play the downside or hedge your portfolio. [Let me explain.] Words: 990

The amount of evidence stacking up that...mutual funds...do not provide value for their investors is just staggering...While there are certainly signs that the public's tolerance of excessive fees and executive pay is falling, the likelihood of significant structural change in the finance industry is still remote. Given such a backdrop the probability remains that investors in funds will, on average, continue to underperform their benchmarks. So what is an investor to do? [Read on!] Words: 830

Warren Buffett is a smart guy and has ascended to near immortal [status] amongst the investment community due to his superior stock picking skills and boundless wealth. [That being said,] listening to his views on portfolio management and diversification could cripple your financial health and may make him one of the most dangerous men in finance. [Let me explain.] Words: 720

Dividends aren't just for Warren Buffett and retirees. Dividends have the power to support your goals of becoming independently wealthy. Here are 3 reasons why. Words: 586

The politicians will do whatever they find convenient, because there is no longer anything to stop them – not an electorate that is jealous of its freedoms and certainly not the Constitution, which is now just a playhouse for judicial imagineering. No one can know what's coming next from the government and the financial system it has fostered, but for many of us there is an awful suspicion that we are not going to like it. Most Americans still have yet to stick a single financial toe across the border, but more and more are considering it [and in this article I outline 10 ways to internationalize your assets to provide you with some much needed protection as the future unfolds.] Words: 3923

The stock markets in the West are stealthily forming bullish ascending triangle patterns and looking for breakouts while those in the East are all in a downward spiral. The U.S. dollar is also in an ascending triangle offset by gold which is transitioning from a bump phase to a run phase and could possibly fall as low as $1,420 per troy ounce in this correction. Silver is already in the run phase and could drop down to as low as $26. Analyses of these markets suggest that the Year of the Water Dragon may be full of surprises. Let me explain my determinations with a number of graphs. Words: 1122

Although the stock market is the first place in which many people think to invest, the U.S. Treasury bond markets arguably have the greatest impact on the economy and are watched the world over. Unfortunately, just because they are influential, doesn’t make them any easier to understand, and they can be downright bewildering to the uninitiated. [This article provides you with an excellent understanding of what bonds are, the advantages of owning them and how to go about trading them.] Words: 1325