5 PowerRatings Stocks Under $15
ASYT, WTSLA, VLNC, PRKR, PCTI
In the first few hours of trading on Friday, stocks moving lower and following through on the selling that characterized the markets on Thursday.The difference between where the market began on Thursday and where it is early on Friday is increasingly apparent in the growing numbers of high Short Term PowerRatings stocks. This is true both in the number of 8-rated stocks as well as the number of the even more highly prized 9-rated stocks.

Profits in the Breeze: Otter Tail a Favorite Wind Energy Stock Among Pro Investors
The recent decline in energy prices has given short-term relief to consumers and energy-sensitive companies alike. Despite the modest pullback, the interest in alternative energy sources doesn't seem to be waning. Solar energy has lots of fans, but recently the support for wind energy has become more vocal, thanks in part to a major shot in the arm following energy guru T. Boone Pickens' recent unveiling of wind energy as a centerpiece of his alternative energy "Pickens Plan." Pickens posits that in the future, wind could account for 20% of the nation's power. However, there are only a few U.S.-listed stocks with significant exposure to wind energy.

Uncomfortable Answers to Questions on the Economy
You have heard that Fannie and Freddie, their gentle names notwithstanding, may cripple the financial system without a large infusion of taxpayer money. You have gleaned that jobs are disappearing, housing prices are plummeting, and paychecks are effectively shrinking as food and energy prices soar. You have noted the disturbing talk of crisis hovering over Wall Street.

The global economy is at the point of maximum danger
By Ambrose Evans- Pritchard
It feels like the summer of 1931. The world's two biggest financial institutions have had a heart attack. The global currency system is breaking down. The policy doctrines that got us into this mess are bankrupt. No world leader seems able to discern the problem, let alone forge a solution.The International Monetary Fund has abdicated into schizophrenia. It has upgraded its 2008 world forecast from 3.7pc to 4.1pc growth, whilst warning of a "chance of a global recession". Plainly, the IMF cannot or will not offer any useful insights.

The American dream turns into a quagmire
Commentary: 'Credit Crunch the sequel' bigger than the original
By MarketWatch
Wall Street will cherry-pick the productive mortgages, and the rest will be dumped on everyone else's doorstep.
People who didn't borrow cheap money they couldn't afford and who paid their mortgages on time, will nonetheless have to pony up more taxes to cover the losses incurred by their profligate fellow citizens at the prodding of an elected class that sought to extend homeownership to every American capable of casting a vote.
Maybe, just maybe, the political class will finally have to own up to making some difficult choices: eliminating a couple of aircraft carriers for a start, and that $100 billion a year they spend on the department of education.

10 tax laws you got a know
This filing season, the biggest beneficiaries of new tax laws are homeowners.
Unfortunately for some, any joy about a new tax break is tempered by the fact that it was created because they were having trouble paying their mortgages.

Profit From a Sinking Dollar
By Paul J. Lim, Money Magazine senior editor
When you're traveling abroad, it's easy, if unpleasant, to grasp the impact of a sinking dollar. Now that the euro is at an all-time high against the greenback, dinner for two at a modest Paris café will set you back $200.When you're trying to decide how to steer your 401(k) or other investment accounts, the implications aren't so clear. But if history is any guide, the dollar's woes will eventually weigh down U.S. stocks. Here's why, and how you can keep your portfolio above water.

More trouble ahead for Wall Street
NEW YORK: It will be a weekend of high anxiety for investors on Wall Street, as they brace themselves for what will likely be another rollercoaster ride for the battered financial markets. Any more signs of spreading losses tied to risky subprime mortgages are likely to send US stocks into more of a tailspin next week, exacerbating calls for the Federal Reserve to ride to the rescue.

For Some Consumers, Credit Crunch Ahead
Mortgage lenders going bankrupt, hedge funds evaporating, the stock market gyrating wildly: What does it all mean for you and me?There's no denying that the financial markets are on edge and volatile, and some companies are in difficult straits, triggered in large part by rising foreclosures in the subprime market and the effect on investments tied to those mortgage loans.But the degree to which the current situation affects individual Americans depends a lot on what you've got planned in coming months.If you'd like to tap into the mortgage market -- buy a house, refinance your mortgage, take a home equity line of credit -- the recent turmoil will directly affect what kind of loan you can get and how much it will cost.

The trials of Bear Stearns
The near-meltdown of two Bear Stearns hedge funds invested in subprime mortgages has focused attention on two critical questions. Will mortgage financing dry up, throwing the economy into the great abyss? Will the rush of private equity into publicly traded companies, aimed at reorganizing US corporate assets, reverse and send stock prices tumbling? If cooler heads prevail, the answer to both questions is no. However, if the US Justice Department and the New York attorney

The Crashing U.S. Economy Held Hostage
Our Economy is on an Artificial Life-support System

by Richard C. Cook

Global Research, July 7, 2007

Remember when the U.S. was the world’s greatest industrial democracy? Barely thirty years ago the output of our producing economy and the skills of our workforce led the world.

What happened? It’s hard to believe that in the space of a generation our character and capabilities just collapsed as, for example, did our steel and automobile industries and our family farming. What then are the causes of the decline? Here’s how I would put it today: our economy is on an artificial life-support system, a barely-breathing hostage in a lunatic asylum. That asylum is the U.S. and world financial systems which are on the verge of collapse.

Playing with 401(k) fire
Investing your retirement savings with market-beating schemes is asking for trouble, says Money Magazine's Walter Updegrave.Question: In December, 2005 I spread the $200,000 in my 401(k) account across funds that had gained 20 percent or more a year over the previous three years. Those funds gained about 30 percent in 2006. I'm following the same strategy this year and so far I'm up about 30 percent. I should add, though, that following this strategy has put about 65 percent of my money in foreign stock funds, and I've also ended up with several sector funds. I've got another 10 to 15 years before I retire. Am I being brilliant or blissfully ignorant of risk? - Forrest, Madison, AlabamaAnswer: You could be both for all I know, and just plain old lucky too for that matter. The real question is whether it makes sense for you to continue following your "invest in the stars of yesteryears" strategy or whether you should take a more conventional approach and build a truly diversified portfolio.

China's $1.2 trillion cash hoard
With $1.2 trillion in reserves, most of it in dollar-backed assets, China plans to launch the world's largest investment fund. It could play havoc with the U.S. economy.
By Clay Chandler, Fortune senior writer
(Fortune Magazine) -- China, Long recognized as the world's factory, is earning a new distinction: America's banker. As it continues to suck in foreign investment and crank out exports, the world's fastest-growing economy is piling up foreign currency, mostly dollars, at an astonishing rate.

100 Best Companies to Work For
Shooting straight to the top in its first appearance on our list, the Best Company to Work For in America sets the standard for Silicon Valley and beyond. (more)

Global economy faces a dangerous year
Rising inflation and falling home prices are likely to push the US economy into recession by the second half of 2007. Gathering economic weakness, combined with negative real yields on US Treasury securities and growing political pressure to weaken the dollar will lead to significant dollar depreciation against most currencies.

Report Reveals 2.2 Million Borrowers Face Foreclosure on Subprime Home Loans
Billions of Home Ownership Wealth to be Lost by Minority Americans; Chart Contains Detailed MSA-Specific Projections of Home Foreclosure Impacts.WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- A new Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) study reveals that 2.2 million American households will lose their homes and as much as $164 billion due to foreclosures in the subprime mortgage market. Titled, "Losing Ground: Foreclosures in the Subprime Market and Their Cost to Homeowners," the CRL study is the first comprehensive, nationwide review of millions of subprime mortgages originated from 1998 through the third quarter of 2006.

Real U.S. shortfall: $4.6 trillion in red
'Taxing 100% of all wages, salaries, corporate profits would not eliminate a deficit of this magnitude'
The real 2006 federal budget deficit was $4.6 trillion, not a previously reported $248.2 billion, according to the 2006 Financial Report of the United States Government as released by the Treasury Department Friday.

Iran to replace dollar with euro
The Iranian central bank is to convert the state's foreign dollar assets into euros and use the euro for foreign transactions.Oil revenue The move comes amid pressure from the United States for the UN Security Council to agree sanctions against Iran over its controversial nuclear programme.

How to Triple Your Returns (By Martin Weiss)
Dad never completely retired, and I don't think I will either.
Years ago, we had too much fun working together. And today, I'm having too much fun working with the Money and Markets team. But if I did retire, I'd be pretty darn worried about the piddly yields they give you on your money nowadays.

Smart Ways to Save Money on Gas
Printable ViewEmail this PageFriday, July 21, 2006
With crude oil prices continuing to spike amid growing conflict in the Middle East, many people are worried about rising costs at the pump.
According to a new survey conducted by Yahoo! Finance and Harris Interactive, 57 percent of consumers have already changed their driving habits as a result of high gas prices.
The silver lining is that you can save a significant amount on gas if you survey local prices before filling up, drive to maximize fuel efficiency, and do a little planning ahead.

U.S. automakers struggle through another summer
The annual summer shutdown will ease Detroit's pain only a little. Bring on the incentives.
NEW YORK (FORTUNE) -- Detroit begins its annual summer shutdown July third - and just in time. Domestic automakers are going through a miserable year.Interest rates are up, gas prices are up, and consumers have new and nearly new cars triple parked in their driveway, which isn't encouraging them to buy more. Halting production in the Big Three's factories for two weeks will ease their pain by only a little.

The ultimate mutual fund portfolio
Retirement investing the easy way: diversified choices for long-term growth.
(FORTUNE Magazine) - For investors who prefer to keep things simple, just a handful of mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can help grow a handsome nest egg.This year, as a year ago, we've selected solid choices in several categories. To anchor our lineup, we chose a total-market fund with holdings that span the broad range of U.S. stocks, from large to small. We blended in more specialized large-cap, small-cap, and international picks to boost returns. For additional diversification, we included an alternative-asset fund.

The best stocks to buy now
Our picks are designed to help you weather the market's wild swings and build long-term wealth.
NEW YORK (FORTUNE) - The market soars! The market plunges! About a month before we began putting this Retirement Guide to bed, the market was racing ahead. With the Dow just 145 points shy of its all-time high - 11,722 - one veteran analyst told USA Today, "There is a ton of mojo in the market right now."

10 ways to save on your taxes
Seize the breaks you've earned, don't miss what's new, take advantage of your last chance for some favorite write-offs -- and keep more of your money come April.
NEW YORK (MONEY Magazine) - When you gather up your W-2s, 1099s and crumpled receipts to figure out your taxes this time of year, you're probably hoping for some shreds of good news. How's this: Because April 15 falls on a Saturday in 2006, you have two extra days to file.
Not enough? If you can't manage by mid-April, you can get a six-month extension (to file, not pay), up from last year's four months. And wait, that's not all. You can put $1,000 more in an IRA, qualify for valuable education credits with a higher income and take a bigger standard deduction than last year.

100 fastest growing counties
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Flagler County, Florida has retained its status as the fastest growing county in the United States, based on rate of population gains, according to the latest Census Bureau statistics.During the 12 months ended July 1, 2005, Flagler's population grew 10.1 percent to 76,410. The population is 53 percent more than recorded in the 2000 census.

Caspian: Oil Reserves Will Last But Export Routes Urgently Needed
With global worries about the stability of Mideast oil supplies, industrial powers are increasingly exploring the opportunity of a safer supply in the Caspian Sea region. But export routes are urgently needed. This is one of the conclusions of the International Petroleum Week symposium in London that focuses on the sustainability of production in the member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

Six suggestions for tax savings
Often overlooked deductions can make a difference if you itemize
As Mom always used to say, “Every little bit helps.” She may have been referring to putting money away in the piggy bank, but those words of wisdom can also apply to saving money on your taxes.

Real wages are having trouble keeping up with prices
After adjusting for inflation, wages have dropped in many of the nation's largest counties.
By Les Christie, CNNMoney.com staff writer January 30, 2006: 4:30 PM EST
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Real wages are not exactly going through the roof.
For the 24-month period through the second quarter of 2005, the inflation-adjusted wages of an average American grew just 1 percent or so, according to statistics reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Why the West must reOrient
By Francesco Sisci
BEIJING - The West in recent decades has been attempting to change China through criticism and apocalyptic predictions. These help China to avoid traps, to prevent possible stumbles and to be careful about the direction it takes and the decisions it makes. For instance on human-rights issues, all the criticism helps the Chinese Communist Party to be on its toes, and in this way we Westerners help to make China a more harmonious society.

Ready for $262/barrel oil?
Two of the world's most successful investors say oil will be in short supply in the coming months. DAVOS, Switzerland (FORTUNE) - Be afraid. Be very afraid.
That's the message from two of the world's most successful investors on the topic of high oil prices. One of them, Hermitage Capital's Bill Browder, has outlined six scenarios that could take oil up to a downright terrifying $262 a barrel.

Iraq, the mother of all budget busters
By David Isenberg
"If Bush had come to the American people with a request to spend several hundred billion dollars and several thousand American lives in order to bring democracy to Iraq, he would have been laughed out of court."- noted political scientist Francis Fukuyama

US budget deficit to soar
Friday 13 January 2006
The United States' budget deficit for the fiscal year 2006 is now likely to balloon to more than $400 billion, smashing a prior estimate of $341 billion, a top US budget official says.

Bursting bubble? Bring it on
When housing prices fall, some investors' hopes rise.
By Les Christie, CNNMoney.com staff writer
January 10, 2006: 10:26 AM EST
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - A housing-price drop would not be bad for everyone. In fact, many canny real-estate investors have been hoping for just such a hit.
 

ECONOMIC FORECAST, 2006
Upswings and downfalls
By Jephraim P Gundzik
Despite rising inflation in the United States, more accommodative monetary policy in the early months of 2006 will accelerate US economic growth. This stronger growth will push international oil prices toward US$100 per barrel by mid-year, causing much higher global inflation and foreign capital flight from the US.

How risky is your 401(k)?
Simple ways to check if your savings plan is on the right track.
December 30, 2005: 6:05 PM EST
By Walter Updegrave, CNNMoney.com contributing columnist
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - I have eight mutual funds in my 401(k) that include large-cap stocks, small-caps and international shares. I've done fairly well compared the S&P 500, but I'm not sure if I'm taking on extra risk for the extra performance. How do I know?

Big new tax breaks for hybrid cars
Starting next year, buying a fuel-efficient vehicle will help keep IRS at bay. By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNNMoney.com staff writer
January 2, 2006: 10:02 PM EST
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - If you just bought a brand new fuel-efficient hybrid vehicle, sorry but you should have waited.

Southland home sales strong, prices hit new peak
December 15, 2005
La Jolla,CA----Southern California home sales remained at near- record levels last month as prices continued their climb to new heights, the result of continued demand and the expectation that mortgage interest rates will continue to increase, a real estate information service reported.

Does Uncle Sam have a check for you?
The IRS owes 84,000 taxpayers $73 million in refunds -- for an average $871. Is some of it yours? Here’s how to find out, claim it and make sure you don’t lose out again.
By Bankrate.com


Fed's Notes Offer Hope of a Brake on Rates
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 - The Federal Reserve has set the stage for ending its 18-month campaign of raising interest rates, but officials signaled on Tuesday that they are entering a new period of uncertainty at the same time that Alan Greenspan prepares to retire as Fed chairman.
 
Real Estate: Is the party over?
Exclusive forecasts for the 100 largest markets.
December 16, 2005
By Ellen Florian Kratz, FORTUNE
NEW YORK (FORTUNE) -- Everybody from Los Angeles to Boston -- your mom, your doctor, your dry cleaner -- is puzzling over which way the nation's real estate market is headed. Up or down? Bubble or not?

Globalization and the dollar
By Axel Merk
A discussion of globalization triggers passionate and at times violent responses. Rarely has an economic topic captured the spirit of the public so much. What we would like to contribute to the debate is some insight on how monetary and fiscal policies affect globalization and their effects on the dollar.

How long will the world's oil last?
As production peaks, economic impact could be dire
HOUSTON - When the modern oil industry was born 145 years ago in Titusville, Pa., few people worried about just how long petroleum would keep flowing out of the ground. But since production peaked in the United States in 1970, a growing number of geologists, economists and industry analysts have been pondering the question of just how long worldwide supplies will keep up with growing demand. And some are predicting that global production may peak as soon as next year.