When parent companies decides to let go of a subsidiary, the process is known as a spin-off. Jim Nelson says these spin-off stocks can provide some of the best investment opportunities going. In fact, they repeatedly outperform the parent company in the aftermath of separation.

The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits rocketed to a 26-year high last week, surpassing already gloomy forecasts, as the U.S. economy sinks deeper into recession.

Consumer spending, which accounts for more than 70% of the economy, will be seriously threatened in the months ahead, as prices continue to rise, wages plateau, and government stimulus checks wear thin.