Fed saves us from ourselves… details of the historic FOMC decision… Dan Amoss and James Turk on the implications of 0% interest rates… Dollar gets slammed… how long until the greenback carry trade? Most companies planning on dismal pay raises this year… how you can stay on top in 2009… So what if Madoff fleeced us for $50 billion? Pennies compared with this long-running scheme… Plus, a new survey the Big Three definitely won’t want to read

Despite signs that several segments of credit continue to improve, namely in the mortgage-backed and investment grade corporate bond market, the rest of the complex remains hostage to nervous money and the accelerated flight to safety in December.

With the benchmark Federal Funds rate already down to 1.0%, U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben. S. Bernanke has only so much room for another cut (although many economists are predicting an additional half-percentage-point cut at the Dec.15-16 meeting).

I have some bad news for the U.S. government; the taxpayers are not prepared to loan anything to anybody! Hell, total debt-to-GDP is over 350% already, maybe 450%, which is, either way, the highest, by far, of anything I’ve seen in U.S. history…

Trading Theme returns…  Automakers’ bailout vote today…  Not using all your arrows…  Housing Starts go back to 1959! And Now… Today’s Pfennig!

The Fed’s first credit crisis lawsuit… who’s suing and why, AmEx, Fannie Mae unload more financial follies… government “fixes” problem with more taxpayer dollars, Chris Mayer with a credit crisis byproduct (and opportunity) that could affect the entire world, China announces big stimulus plan… so why did commodities fall? A hefty chink in Dubai’s armor, Plus, Dan Amoss with a once-favored investment theme due to be back in the spotlight soon

We all know about the challenges Barack Obama faces as President elect. But David Fessler says he also has an incredible opportunity to “turn the recession ship around.” David selects seven companies in the infrastructure and clean energy sectors that will profit most from an Obama ‘New Deal’.

Federal Reserve policymakers yesterday (Wednesday) reduced the benchmark Federal Funds rate to 1.0%, an aggressive half-percentage-point cut that central bank Chairman Ben S. Bernanke’s latest attempt to keep the widening financial crisis from tipping the world into a global recession.

Gold pushed higher in Hong Kong, peaking at $755, then declined slowly until the late morning in New York, bottoming at $728, and finally rose again slowly through the Globex to finish at $743.80, up $15.20. Overnight, gold has edged higher.

Take our quiz: Is the market even close to normal anymore?… Credit freeze continues to thaw… Mayer and Denning on what companies need to rebound… Home prices fall again, consumer confidence crashes, but market rallies? … Eric Fry on when this global financial trauma will come to an end… Plus, want a DVD copy of I.O.U.S.A.? Get the details below…