Economic Blogger Mike "Mish" Shedlock's wife has ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Mish is not asking for anything for his family, but has sponsored a raffle for ALS research. Please consider buying one or more tickets or making a small donation to the 

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Prior to founding the firm that now bears his name, Richard Bernstein was the chief investment strategist at Merrill Lynch & Co.  In this interview, he discusses why he expects US assets - both equities and fixed income - to be the outperformers among global markets over the next decade. 

Michael Corleone's famous line in Godfather II, "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer," can be applied to volatility. Often thought of as the investing enemy, volatility can play an important role in the financial professional's arsenal as a portfolio diversifier. In this article, American Century Investments discusses the opportunities and challenges associated with incorporating volatility as a hedge in multi-asset portfolios.

Given the complexity of most annuities, analysis of them typically only considers pre-tax results.  But taxes matter. As we will see, tax impacts vary by the specific type of annuity you're considering, and will make the difference between annuities being cost effective or a drain on cash flow. 

Chief Economist Jerry Webman explains why he believes the U.S. economic recovery is real and CIO Art Steinmetz talks about how stocks are as cheap compared to bonds as they have been in decades.  

Dealing with a crisis requires three things, according to Jack Welch, General Electric's former CEO. Define your reality - not as you would like it to be, but as it is. Do something about it. Then, third, acknowledge that the crisis wasn't half as difficult as you thought it was.  Germany is the key player in Europe's crisis today, and it is still struggling to accurately define its reality.  

Regardless of market conditions or the business environment, some advisors inevitably expand their business at the expense of their peers.  A new research report identified three common traits among those who were able to show sustained growth in their practices.

The latest data have a clear message for investors: gold stocks are attractively priced.  

What does it take for a tiny sushi restaurant in Tokyo to earn a Michelin three-star rating?  The answer offers insights for stock-picking (really!).  Here are seven suggestions for determining which analysts are most worthy of your attention.  

A reader responds to Bob Veres' article, How to Respond to the Bachus-McCarthy Bill, which appeared last week.