If you live in the United States, there is a good chance the crisis in California is going to affect you. And if you own municipal bonds — either directly or indirectly through other investments — what’s happening in California could have a major impact on your finances.For years, state government budgets have been expanding as the economy grew and the rising housing market swelled property tax coffers. But the severe recession that has brought rising unemployment and a collapse in property values has drastically cut revenues from income, property, sales and corporate taxes.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Buy tax-free bonds – now.

At the beginning of 2009, institutional and individual investors were sitting on a mountain of cash, pulling money out from everywhere – including equities, commodities and municipal bonds. That’s nearly $9 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve.

Tax-free municipal bonds with historically high yields might look attractive to many investors. But Matthew Collins says the risk is still too high. Bloated and inefficient local governments are facing funding emergencies as revenues tumble and credit is squeezed. As the recession deepens in 2009, Matthew says muni bonds should be avoided.

On New Years eve day, gold got sold off in the Far East a bit…and then the down trend accelerated through London trading, with the bottom being the London p.m. gold fix. From there…and to everyone’s surprise…the price took off to the upside with some real authority. True, there hadn’t been a lot of volume up until that point, but that changed from the London p.m. fix until the close of trading in New York. Silver’s chart was very similar, with the metal turning in an outstanding day as well. Gold put in an “outside day key reversal to the upside”…which is a very bullish technical indicator. The boyz have never…ever…allowed this technical indicator to work in gold…and have taken…

Times are tough. But they are not so bad that we should abandon the quest for profits, says Louis Basenese. Buying US Treasury bonds with zero yields is idiotic. Louis gives six alternative investment options with big profit potential.

Tuesday’s mega-rally will have many investors itching to get back into the stock market. But Eric Roseman says chasing a short-term bounce could be a big mistake. Similar up-crashes during the Great Depression were followed by prolonged downturns. But Eric says this could be a good time to “nibble” at some quality blue chips or non-Treasury bonds.

Market volatility has investors flooding into Treasury bonds. This has pushed yields down and created a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in muni bonds, according to Oxford Club’s Alexander Green.

After a year of free fall, is it time to buy munibonds now? It may be, says Ann Sosnowski in Taipan Daily. High-yield munibond funds like the Legg Mason Partners Municipal High Income (STXAX) have made some gains in the past few months of 2.5%. High-yield munibonds that fund the construction of hospitals and schools are riskier than bonds that fund basic state and local governments. But they’re returning 3% more than safer munibonds.

Editor’s Note: If someone offers you tax-free interest on your investment, you’ll probably be interested. If the rate is higher than your existing taxable one, you’ll bite their hand off. Steve Sjuggerud says municipal bonds offer just that, relative to their 10-year Treasury counterparts. And if Barack Obama is elected, Steve thinks these muni bonds will soar…