WSJ: Topsy-Turvy Money Ideas to Set You Right

By SIMON CONSTABLE

When the financial world looks upside down—and news out of Europe and Washington suggests it is that bad—maybe it's time to follow suit and turn your money habits topsy-turvy as well.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, there are some regular money moves that are better done at the beginning of the year rather than the end. Read more Here are five bog ones.

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We're Up for an Award -- Help Us Win

By SIMON CONSTABLE

The book Robert E. Wright and I wrote, The WSJ Guide to the 50 Economic Indicators that Really Matter, is up for an award.

You can help us win by clicking on this link and voting. You can vote once per day.

WSJ: How to Play the Five Big 'What Ifs' of 2012

By SIMON CONSTABLE

When it comes to investing, 2012 isn't the year to do nothing and just hope for the best.

Yes, there are some mammoth-sized unknowns out there that could hurt your returns. But when the biggest "what ifs" are resolved, you could also profit, if you play it right.

Here's how to tackle the five scenarios that are keeping Wall Street investors awake at night:‬

1 What if Europe gets worse?

No matter how much investors might desire it, Europe's economic mess just won't go away. But the big fear is that it will deteriorate even more before it gets better.
"Europe getting worse is a disaster for everything but the safest investments," says Milton Ezrati, market strategist at Jersey City, N.J.-based money-management firm Lord Abbett. Read more here.

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NBR: If You Think Europe Was Bad Last Year, Just Wait...

By SIMON CONSTABLE

If you think things were messy in Europe in 2011, then just wait for this year. I`ve been talking about the euro`s crisis for three years, but I expect the fourth year to be the most explosive. Here`s why — a battle has been set up between European government elites, who want to keep the single European currency and the European taxpayers, who are being asked to endure financial hardship in order to keep the currency. Those taxpayers, those people lucky enough to have jobs, aren`t that happy about those hardships.

Nevertheless, the elected and unelected elites of Europe seem hell- bent on forcing the euro and the austerity upon their people. In 2011, we saw Greece burn due to those cutbacks. The elites see the euro as a way to make Europe more like America, with its single currency, the dollar. They do have a point — single currencies have huge economic advantages. But in democracies, we are governed by consent and there`s the problem — that consent is being tested, more so this year, likely because Europe will fall into a deep recession with even more pain. My worry — it won`t be just Greece that burns, but instead the entire Eurozone. I hope I`m wrong.

Read more here.

WSJ: Five Holiday Gifts for the Financially Inclined

By SIMON CONSTABLE

If you've had enough conspicuous consumption this holiday season, consider giving the gift of financial savvy.

Skip the chocolate Santas and the big TVs; instead get your family some stocking stuffers that might just put them on the road to financial security. They could be the gifts that keep on giving. 
Read more here.

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WSJ: Price Charts Can Mislead

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Some holiday traditions are worth skipping. For instance, take the one when you note with horror that the price of your mutual fund has plunged for no apparent reason.

"You hear that a lot around December," says Russel Kinnel, director of mutual-fund research at Morningstar Inc. "People tend to freak out."

If the battering is limited to your fund, chances are the meltdown is illusory: This is the time of year when many funds pay out capital gains they've racked up by selling portfolio securities. When the payout is big, that immediately leads to a big drop in the fund's price, or net asset value. The larger the payout, the bigger the swoon. Read more here.

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WSJ: Investors Sing a New Tune—'Won't Get Fooled Again'

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Now is not the time to let yourself be suckered into getting back into stocks.

Sure, the markets had a couple of spectacular days last week, but don't let that fool you into thinking all is well again with the world. It's not. There's still plenty of uncertainty out there. Yes, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished Friday up 1.3% for the week, one of the Dow's better showings in months. But the week before was one of its worst in years. And the Dow is still down 5.7% for 2011.

The Nasdaq Compsite is also down 9% for the year, and the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index is off 10%.

That's exactly why you need to stay cautious right now. In all likelihood, things will get worse before it's all done. Read more here.

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