With a wheezing economy that’s struggling with housing and credit problems – as well as a weak dollar – it’s clear the United States won’t be in the investment spotlight this year.

Gold prices have skidded about 15% since the “yellow metal” hit an all-time record of $1,032 an ounce on St. Patrick’s Day.

A typical financial tale – where nothing goes as hoped for, and everything goes as it should…*** The rise of speculative capital…pumping up a bubble with a chip on its shoulder…*** The three vicious cycles we must face…an interesting TIME cover…and more!

When asked about their outlook for the crisis-ridden U.S. housing and financial-services markets, two U.S. financial experts provided outlooks that completely contradicted one another – once again underscoring how tough it is for investors to predict when the U.S. economy will turn around.

For the first time in modern history, the US economy finds itself back with the masses, flying coach instead of first class. These shocking facts say it all:

• From 2005 to 2010 alone, worldwide wealth will soar from $118 trillion to more than $200 trillion — with the newly capitalist markets of Asia and Europe accounting for the biggest share.
• Over the next 25 years, America’s share of the worldwide economic pie will slip from 28% to 24%…

Since the start of the year, the debate over the state of the U.S. economy seems to escalate by the day.

The ongoing subprime mortgage mess, the resultant credit crunch and daily stories about housing defaults, escalating oil prices and lousy corporate earnings only seem to further fuel the debate.

Of course, we all see the government reports and analyst research notes that seem to contradict one another from one day to the next – and sometimes from one hour to the next.