Are you sold on gold? The precious metal outperformed every major equity index in the world in 2008. The question is, can gold—and other precious metals—keep on flying? Or would buying today be buying high and selling low?

Precious metals have always been intriguing to investors because they tend to hold their value. In times of geopolitical crisis or currency devaluation, for example, the value of paper money might fluctuate, but a hard asset will always be worth something. As a result, historically, precious metals have been considered a “safe haven” in times of economic and financial instability.

That brings us to why gold is on a tear today. It declined in 2008 and early 2009 as panicked investors rushed into cash…

“Work eight hours and sleep eight hours and make sure that they are not the same hours.”

– T. Boone Pickens

Institutional investors have talked a lot about the so-called “yen carry trade” over the past couple of years. But that’s really just been a warm-up act for a much bigger story. I’m talking about the “yuan carry trade.”

Disappointing data…  Euro held ground…  Down under… And Now… Today’s Pfennig!

If you know how to play the volatile nature of the commodity sector, this article is not for you. Lee Lowell of the Smart Profits Report gives three reasons why commodity investing has changed for the better, and how to profit from them.

The Economist magazine innocently asks, “Why is finance so unstable?” 

China Lifts Inflation Controls; Awful Year for India Rupee; 30-year Mortgage Rates Hit Record Low; First Recorded Decline in Online Holiday Shopping; UBS Offloads Bank of China Stake

Pessimism about the U.S. economy and financial market is so thick right now you could cut it with a knife. I’ll be the first to admit that times are tough. But Americans have seen tough times before. And we have always prevailed.