Yesterday…we ventured into “Bubble World.”  “What’s going on? When will this be over? How bad do you think it will get? What can we do to turn this around?”

Barring some dramatic – and unforeseen – news this week, expect investors to tread water until Thursday, when the government is expected to release the results of the bank stress tests it conducted on the 19 largest U.S. banks.

Executives from credit card issuers, including Bank of America Corp. (BAC) and American Express Co. (AXP), met with President Barack Obama last Thursday to make their case against new limits on transfer fees and higher interest rates.

MasterCard Posts 4Q Profit; Buffet’s Berkshire Investing in Swiss Re; Rogers Staying Out of Russia; Ford in Volvo Talks with Geely Auto; Louis Vuitton Misses on Earnings; Brown Refuses to Ban Bonuses; Mortgage Rates Jump; Retail Trade Group Wants Tax Holidays

Investors can make astonishing gains in a matter of days if the company they own is bought at a premium by a larger firm. But how do you find these hidden gems ? Jim Nelson gives a list of six criteria that can help you pick a great buyout candidate.

President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team is reportedly putting the finishing touches on an economic recovery plan that could run from $675 billion to $1 trillion, though many experts believe the program will most like range between $700 billion and $800 billion.

On Tuesday, both gold and silver started to decline at one of their usual times…about 3:00 a.m. New York time on Tuesday morning…with the bottom coming at the close of London trading. The price managed to recover somewhat after that…but once again (at 3:00 a.m. New York time on Wednesday morning) gold and silver prices began to decline. There was a temporary bottom at the London close again yesterday, but the recovery was short-lived, and both metals were taken down right into the close of after-hours trading on the Globex.

Andrew Snyder says this credit crisis could eventually go down as one of the most profitable periods in US history. The country’s biggest and oldest companies are selling at an unprecedented discount. Andrew selects four blue chip stocks set to make huge recovery profits over the next two years.

Visa and MasterCard Settle Up; Daimler’s Plant Closures; Apple’s Christmas Bargain; Johnson Controls’ Weak Outlook; Gas Prices Down 23% From July; U.S. Budget Deficit the Highest Ever; Pepsi Fizzles

Daily Reckoning editor Bill Bonner says irrational investment decisions are driven by two emotions: fear and greed. For the last few years, greed has dominated financial markets. But times have changed. Panic is sweeping the markets. Fear is now in control. Bill says fear is every investor’s worst enemy. And gold should be every investor’s best friend.