We've been discussing gold recently, primarily because it's the most proven store of value over time. You typically don't invest in gold to make money - gold's value is in preserving your wealth even as everything else burns around it.

We don’t have the time or space to go into every possible detail of a comprehensive comparison and contrast between the 1930’s and today. Instead, let’s focus our efforts and take a look at historical charts like this one:

The site Wiktionary defines to "whistle past the graveyard" in two ways:

Why Can't Common Sense Be Applied to Bailouts?

We welcome President Obama's “basic common sense” announcement of a $500k salary cap for top executives at companies receiving substantial bailout funds. It’s a bit of welcome good news.

It seems their logic is that lowering the yield on government bonds will spur other lenders to lower their own yields. Hmmm, isn't the mantra of cheaper money everywhere sounding familiar? Why, of course it is.

With the inauguration of President Obama, the world feels that genuine change is in the air. All the policy and economic horrors of the previous administration are soon to be washed away. And before we know it, things will be back to "business as usual" and the great American Dream will soar onward and upward to unseen new heights.

But not this time, it seems. Retail sales have now declined for the sixth straight month.

In December, no less than 693,000 jobs disappeared from the private non-farm payrolls, a dramatic and disturbing increase from the 476,000 jobs lost in November. More than one million unemployed persons in two months would cripple most countries and throw them into a major depression, but even in a nation of 300 million persons this is a disturbingly large increase.

Personally, we've had friends lose their jobs, watch their businesses nosedive, pull their hair at sharply reduced retirement incomes and/or be abandoned by their wives. And everyone's investment portfolio got blasted to one degree or another.

Just by the pleasure it gives here on earth

... or so goes the well-known Christmas carol you've probably heard several times already during this holiday season. But aside from the decorations in your home and office, how much gold do you actually own right now in your portfolio?

The prime lending rate used to peg rates on home equity loans, certain credit cards and other consumer loans should move lower, which could help you as a consumer if you’re a borrower. However, a 30-year fixed rate mortgage is still 5.53%, a car loan more than 6%, a home equity loan more than 8% and credit interest rates more than 14%.

Last week we discussed the prospect of rising job losses and last week's November payroll report confirmed the phenomenon. The consensus amongst economists was that there would be 350,000 jobs lost. They were wrong, though: The actual number was a lot closer to 550,000 instead.