Even the most conservative value funds have been whacked this year. But Keith Fitz-Gerald says following a value-investing discipline is the smartest thing to do right now. That’s where the big recovery gains will be. He gives five tips on how to seek out “real value” in the market.

Investors are fleeing the stock market as the rules of the game keep changing. But if you know what the next shift will be, you can stay ahead of the curve. Shah Gilani outlines the five coming “aftershocks” of this financial crisis, and what they mean for your portfolio.

American International Group Inc. (AIG) got a $150 billion government rescue package – almost double the initial bailout deal of less than two months ago and the largest ever granted to a private U.S. company – as the ailing insurer continues to burn through its cash at an accelerating rate.

By all reasonable measures, we are already in a recession, says Shah Gilani. Deflation has become today’s number one threat. But massive government rescues mean another bout of inflation looms on the horizon. Shah says investors should look to short vulnerable stocks in 2009. But in 12-18 months, they should be prepared for a “generational opportunity” to make a fortune.

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.

It’s panic time for U.S. legislators, regulators, banks and lenders. More than $24 billion worth of adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) are expected to “re-set” to higher interest rates in November – boosting the likelihood of further home foreclosures.

The U.S. Federal Reserve yesterday (Tuesday) announced a new program that will provide as much as $600 million in emergency funding to money-market funds should the ongoing global financial crisis once again cause the short-term credit markets to freeze out borrowers.

U.S. stocks yesterday (Monday) staged their biggest rally since the Great Depression – with the Dow Jones Industrial Average soaring an all-time record 936 points – on a Federal Reserve-led push to flood the ailing global financial system with dollars and on a U.S. government plan to buy stakes in banks.

It doesn’t look as though it will be a Fantastico Friday in stocks. Yesterday was a bloodletting, overnight the Japanese stock market sold off 11%, and Europe is down about 9% at this point. UGH! But according to Chuck Butler, “When things look bleak, the dollar goes up… And when it looks as though all the stimulus might work, the dollar sells off…”

Shares of Bank of American Corp. (BAC) fell more than 26% during trading yesterday (Tuesday) as investors reacted to the company’s disclosure that it was cutting its dividend after its third-quarter earnings plunged a stunning 68%.