You know the old saying about teaching a man to fish, as opposed to just giving him a fish. Well, the state of the US Social Security system has led me to propose to you a new version of the fish proverb: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a politician to fish and he’ll steal your pole”.

Gen X wonders if it can ever retire. As Wall Street waits for Citi and Merrill shoes to drop, Goldman issues gloomy forecast. As if write-downs weren’t enough, here comes another $250 billion problem. A 17% first-quarter loss…When hedge funds don’t hedge. Coal prices shoot skyward… The sector ideally positioned to benefit.