It takes more than a globally competitive economy to have a sound banking system. For the third straight year, the United States finds itself at the top of the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as part of its annual Global Competitiveness Report.

The fundamentals of economic strife based on the disastrous collapse of the U.S. housing market will not get better any time soon. In fact, what’s being pushed through both houses of Congress, even as you read this, is so dangerous that it should be immediately abandoned and revealed for what it is – a ticking time bomb labeled with the initials FHA.

Can it be earnings season already? It sure is, but don’t expect too much. With its report tomorrow (Tuesday), Alcoa Inc. (AA) leads off what is expected to be a pretty dismal series of profit reports.

Countrywide Deal Closes; Expanding Manufacturing; Conduct Trouble at Moody’s; Hong Kong Holiday; Construction Spending Down for 11th Straight Month; Constellation Toasts to Profit; AT&T Drops iPhone Contract; BP Employees Ridden Out of Russia

Editor’s Note: Money Morning’s William Patalon III says crude oil prices above $142 a barrel and the 20% slump in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) since October are the chief concerns for investors.

Report: Toyota Plunking $1 Billion on Brazil Plant; India Housing Boom Ending; GDP Revised Up; Home Sales Rise, Values Fall; Anheuser Busch to Reject InBev Bid; Bank of America Sheds Jobs; Gold Shares Glow; Oshkosh Plunges on Lowered Outlook

Circuit City Falls, Cuts Dividend; Mitsubishi Working on Plug-In Line; Continental and United Buddy Up; Western Oil Back in Iraq; Citi CFO Sees More Trouble; Bear Stearns Execs Arrested; Transocean and BP Extend Drilling Contract; Bank of America to Takeover Countrywide by July.

Follow This Indicator To Gauge Financial Sector Health – And Grab Profits.

U.S. Service Sector Shows Signs of Life; Morgan Stanley to Slash More Jobs; Random House to Turn the Page on Chief Executive; Countrywide Rated “Underperform”, Shares Dive; Sprint Nextel Corp. Considering Spinning Off Nextel; Warren Buffett’s Warning; Principal Financial Slumps; Wal-Mart Widens Drug Plan Scope

Sohu Soars on 156% Jump in Revenue; Price of Crude Can’t be Contained; Kerkorian Riding Shotgun at Ford; Verizon Gets a Boost From Wireless Business; Visa Profit Up 28%; BoA to Modify $40 Billion in Loans; Corn Continues to Grow in Price; Questar’s Piping Hot Earnings Report.