Diving into the world of bullion investing can be a scary trip. You have some doomsayers who gasp at the thought of money that’s only as good as the government’s word as they dig another hole in their yard for a few more 100-ounce silver bars. At the same time, you have Wall Street just beginning to respect precious metals as they slowly make their way onto the trading floor in the form of exchange-traded funds. More…

 Money Morning

Editor’s Note: The Economic Cycle Research Institute (ECRI) has correctly called every U.S recession over the last 45 years. Here’s what this closely watched market prophet is saying right now.

The Economic Cycle Research Institute — referred to as the “ECRI” by anyone in the know on Wall Street — has correctly called every U.S. recession during the last 45 years.

To work its magic, the ECRI charts the weekly changes in an index of Leading Economic Indicators (WLI). More…

The stock market’s volatility has frightened many investors, and some have skittered off into the shadows for good. If you’re worried about the market but not yet ready to abandon it, perhaps it’s time to consider exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, as an alternative to individual equities.

ETFs look like mutual funds but behave like stocks. And they are tailored to the small investor in that they offer low cost and quick diversification. You can buy as little as one share – unlike mutual funds, which often require an initial investment of $3,000 or more. More…

While about half of all Americans hold some investments in the stock market, only an estimated 20 percent own equities beyond an employer-sponsored plan. So if you are actively investing your money, you’re already ahead of the curve.

But before you look to pump more money into the market, take a moment to ask yourself a few questions first. More…

Money Morning

Of the speculative excesses that misguided monetary policy and a prolonged recession has caused, the one that poses the most danger to investor wealth is the financial bubble in state and local municipal bonds.

Municipal bonds — usually referred to as “munis” — are popular portfolio plays because of tax advantages that, in effect, enhance their rates of return. There’s also an allure because of their local nature: Investors can invest in specific bond issues that provided the money for projects such as schools, highways, bridges, hospitals or housing

More…

Money Morning

Investment adviser Jim Rogers is thinking about buying the euro after its recent drop to a four-year low against the dollar.

It’s not that he’s gained any confidence in Europe’s handling of its debt crisis – quite the contrary. But any asset that drops so sharply should be due for a bounce, Rogers says.

“I’m as confused as anybody else. I’m basically short stocks and long commodities and trying to figure out whether to add to the euro yet,” he told CNBC. More…

Renewable energy sources, often called “green energy,” are all the rage as oil continues to bounce between $70 and $85 a barrel, some well fields begin to tap out and few people expect fuel prices to drop appreciably.

There’s no doubt that green energy in its various forms is here to stay. But experts say this doesn’t mean it’s time to dump or even sell short the stocks of fossil-fuel giants such as ExxonMobil or Chevron. Oil and its derivative products will be with us for decades to come even as greener sources of power play a greater role in the fabric of daily living. More…

A big question on investors’ minds these days: With the aftermath of the debt crisis in Greece and recent troubles in Spain still being felt, is it time for investors to abandon Europe?

Financial advisers have long suggested that individual investors keep from 10 percent to 25 percent of their portfolio in international stocks. More…

On a recent weekday (8/5/10), shares of Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) closed at just over $508, which was about $90 lower than where the stock was priced in mid-April.

Let’s say your broker’s analysis of the stock’s charts tell him that Google formed “a firm bottom” last month, meaning its share price had reached a key technical support level and is unlikely to soon drop back to that price. If you agree with that analysis, how would you to like to lock in the option of owning the stock at $480 per share by the third Friday in September?

Fine, you say. How much would this privilege cost me?—your skeptical mind asks while latching on to that scary word “option.” It would cost you nothing. In fact, on this particular day, Wall Street would have paid you about $700 to be willing to own 100 shares of Google about six weeks hence at that discounted price. How can that be? you ask. More…