MUST READS
Euro zone’s economy slumps at year-end – Reuters
Fitch cuts Hungary rating one notch to BB plus – MarketWatch
Banks in Europe Park Record Deposits at ECB – Bloomberg
MF Global Inquiry Turns to Its Primary Regulator – NY Times
Ponzi Planet: The Danger Debt Poses to the Western World – Spiegel
Cordray moves forward despite appointment challenges – Washington Post
Records Show Romney Campaign Bought And Paid For By Big Banks – CAA
Fed’s New Wordplay to Yield Negligible Results – Baum, Bloomberg
Fed Will Be Forced to Ease Again Soon: Morgan Stanley – CNBC
IRS audited 1 in 8 millionaires last year – CNN/Money
Subtle Fleecing of the U.S. Currency – Ounce of Silver
Renter Nation Rages On As New Reality – CNBC

MARKETS/INVESTING
Oil rises to $102 ahead of jobs report – AP
Gold Prices Gain Ahead of Jobs – The Street
Even the Best Bond Investors Face a Scary Future – WSJ
Bonds beat stocks! Dealing with the unexpected – USA Today
U.S. Stocks Funds Have Second-Worst Year – Bloomberg
What if the 2009 bull market is still alive? – MarketWatch
Trading oil on Iran: untangling rhetoric from reality – Reuters
Gartman Flip Flops Again, Now Sees Gold Bull Market – Zero Hedge
Are gold prices dropping for good? – CSM
Why has gold been down? – Stockhouse

ECONOMY/WORLD/HOUSING/BANKING
Need jobs? Call on government – LA Times
Procrastinating shoppers boost December sales – Washington Post
Apartment rents heading higher for 3rd year in a row – USA Today
Venezuela’s annual inflation at 27.6 percent – AP
Lifting consumption top priority for 2012 – China Daily
Japan buys 300 mln euros of EFSF bonds -MOF official – Reuters
Global finance: Save the City – Economist
Hong Konk Propert Market Tipped to Fall – ninemsn
MBS Market Roiled as Fed Report Fuels Speculation – Bloomberg
Bernanke’s Housing Solution: Rent Foreclosed Homes – HuffPost
Central banks: Crazy aunt on the loose – Economist
Fed Nears Adoption of Inflation Target – Bloomberg

MUST READS
Euro drops to 16-month low over bank concerns – BBC
Demand halves at crucial French bond auction – Telegraph
Hungary Fails to Raise Target at Auction, Yields Soar – BusinessWeek
ECB Cash Averts ‘Funding Crisis’ for Italy, Spain – Bloomberg
ECB balance sheet grows, gold reserves increase – MarketWatch
Oil Price Would Skyrocket if Iran Closed the Strait of Hormuz – NY Times
Doug Casey Addresses Getting Out of Dodge – Casey Research
An epidemic of mortgage modification scams – Detroit Free Press
Lessons for Europe From America’s First Great Depression – Bloomberg
Consumer bureau: Now, it can do something – CNN/Money
What are asset bubbles and why do they happen? – Noahpinion
The Decline of the Public Good – Robert Reich

MARKETS/INVESTING
Oil below $103 amid mixed supply signs – AP
Gold slips on Europe debt concerns – Reuters
What OPEC, the IEA Say About an Iran Embargo – CNBC
Anger grows as nest eggs don’t – Globe & Mail
Wall St. gurus find predictions game getting harder – Reuters
Gold May Be Establishing Bullish Double Bottom – HAI
How Did Gold & Silver Perform in 2011? – Resource Investor
After a Rough Year for Gold Stocks, What’s Next? – Resource Investor
Is The Gold Bull “For Real?” – Implode-O-Meter
Is $5,000 Gold a Myth? – Nestmann

ECONOMY/WORLD/HOUSING/BANKING
Planned job cuts up 14% in 2011 – CNN/Money
Harder for Americans to Rise From Lower Rungs – NY Times
Don’t Count on Housing Market to Lead Recovery – Bloomberg
Big cities’ home prices slide again – China Daily
Papademos: Economic Collapse Looms Without Sacrifice – Bloomberg
Chinese Government Battles ‘Demographic Tsunami’ – Bloomberg
House Prices and the Unemployment Rate – HousingViews
The Real Estate Market that Defies the Trends – Time
Richard Cordray Appointment Could Play Big for Housing – CNBC
Bernanke Tells Lawmakers More Action Needed to Fix Housing – WSJ
QE3 in 2012? ‘Only as a last resort’ – CNN/Money
Ron Paul and the Banks – Johnson, NY Times

MUST READS
Romney edges Santorum in Iowa caucuses – MarketWatch
MF Global sold assets to Goldman before collapse – Reuters
Market rally a harbinger of things to come – Globe & Mail
Fed Shows Rate Forecasts, Boosts Transparency – Bloomberg
China mulls plans to boost domestic consumption – Reuters
China finds huge violations in audit on local debt – Channel News Asia
Greece Urgently Requests Clarity on Bailout Deal – Spiegel
JPMorgan sued for $95 million over mortgage securities – Reuters
Wall Street’s Big Swingers Get the Biggest Breaks – Bloomberg
Gross’s bond fund bleeds $1.4B in December – Reuters
Towards the Paranormal – Gross, Pimco
The Right Kind of Hope – Hussman Funds

MARKETS/INVESTING
Oil retracing on no new Middle East news – IBT
Gold eases as euro falls but consumers step in – Reuters
January Effect Could Help Keep Bid in Stocks – CNBC
Against Euro and Yen, Dollar Defied Reality – WSJ
Obama Official: “We’re Going to Kill the Dollar” – BER
Oil prices spike 4% on Iran supply threats – CNN/Money
Negativity In Gold Reaches Epic Levels – JS MineSet
Indian gold purchases collapse in Nov, Dec – Mineweb
Gartman as Gold Tops $1,600: ‘I Missed the Lows’ – CNBC
Gold Bulls Driven By Emotions – WSJ

ECONOMY/WORLD/HOUSING/BANKING
Personal finance: A layaway to save – Economist
Crowding Out and Hyper-Inflation Watch – EconBrowser
NBC’s Super Bowl ads sell out at record prices – CNN/Money
Tracking the Unreported (15.6%) Unemployed – Real Clear Markets
Euro zone inflation eases, boosts rate cut expectations – Reuters
Greece’s Least Bad Option Looks to Be Internal Devaluation – Bloomberg
China Home Prices Slide Amid Reserve-Ratio Speculation – Bloomberg
First-time buyers depend on parents to secure a home – NJ Biz
Housing’s Huge Supply and Demand Imbalance – CNBC
North Dakota oil boom fuels real estate sales in Arizona – USA Today
Futile: Thank you for contacting the New York Fed – Lars Schall
Economists React: Fed Moves to ‘Alleviate Uncertainty’ – WSJ

MUST READS
Greece warns on euro exit if bailout not signed – BBC
2012 could be the year Germany lets the euro die – Telegraph
Eurozone: Why does the crisis linger, deepen and spread? – Wall Street Pit
Germany and Europe Both Expect a Tough 2012 – Spiegel
World’s Biggest Economies Face $7.6 Trillion Debt – Bloomberg
Analysis: Asia’s double-edged currency sword – Reuters
Hu: West Is Trying to Divide China by Using Cultural Weapons – Bloomberg
Iranian currency slides under latest U.S. sanctions – Washington Post
Wall Street’s 2011 Predictions – How’d They Do? – Reformed Broker
The Ultimate 2012 Investment Predictions & Outlook List – PragCap
The Debtwatch Manifesto – Steve Keen’s Debtwatch
Mistakes and How To Deal With Them – Krugman, NY Times
Krugman v. Krugman – Marginal Revolution

MARKETS/INVESTING
Oil jumps to $101 amid rising Iran tensions – AP
Gold rises in line with recovery of euro – Reuters
Stocks in 2012: Up, up, but not away – CNN/Money
Major Asset Classes 2011 Performance – Capital Spectator
How market fares in January’s of election years – MarketWatch
A Major Divergence: Buy Miners and Sell Bullion – Peter Brandt
Dollar Demise Exaggerated after 13% Gain Since 2008 – Bloomberg
Gold could go to $1,200-$1,300/oz – Jim Rogers – Mineweb
Why Gold Will Likely Go Nowhere In 2012 – Seeking Alpha
What is gold telling us? – MarketWatch

ECONOMY/WORLD/HOUSING/BANKING
New year’s surprise for the economy? – MarketWatch
For 2012, Signs Point to Tepid Consumer Spending – NY Times
Rethinking the Growth Imperative – Rogoff, Project Syndicate
Germany’s unemployment rate at record low in December – BBC
Nigerians Stop Gas Stations From Selling Fuel – Fox News
Iceland: Success through failure – Zero Hedge
The Decline and Fall of the Euro? – Gros, Project Syndicate
S. Korea manufacturing shrinks most in 3 years – Reuters
A different boom in Iowa: Real estate prices soar for farmland – MSNBC
Will the Fed Raise Rates Soon? – Crossing Wall Street
What is Modern Money Theory? – Credit Writedowns
The Austrian Theory of Money – Mises

MUST READS
China’s PMI rebounds to 50.3% in Dec – China Daily
Spain: 2011 deficit could be higher than 8 pct – AP
Euro Leaders Aim to Buy Time to Save Currency – Bloomberg
Eurozone collapse ’starts this year’ says CEBR – Telegraph
EU Officials Begin New Year With Calls to Save the Euro – CNBC
Ron Paul’s Surge May Cause Headache for Republicans – Bloomberg
The Year Governments Lost Their Credibility – NY Times
Is debt a burden on future generations? It depends. – Noahpinion
I Just Got Here, but I Know Trouble When I See It – NY Times
8 fearless fund forecasts for 2012 – MarketWatch
2012 “Predictions” – Stone Street Advisors
Open Letter to Paul Krugman – Cafe Hayek

MARKETS/INVESTING
Where is the Oil Price Heading in 2012? – IBT
Gold climbs on first trading day of 2012 – Alrroya
When Investors Rush In, and Out, Together – NY Times
Bonds Prove Best Financial Asset for First Time Since 1997 – Bloomberg
Why 2012 will be a ‘make or break’ year for savers and investors – Telegraph
Gold watchers predict rough ride after 11 years of gains – Globe & Mail
‘Gold may decline further in early 2012′ – Commodity Online
Gold to hit $3800, silver to triple due to shortages – Commodity Online
Corrections In The Gold Bull Market – Jesse’s Cafe
Gold bugs’ unmerry Christmas – MarketWatch

ECONOMY/WORLD/HOUSING/BANKING
As Good as It Gets? – NY Times
Happy Days Are Here Again! – Slate
U.S. consumer in the slow lane – Reuters
2011 was a bad, but typical, for economic forecasters – Globe & Mail
Austerity Reigns Over Euro Zone as Crisis Deepens – NY Times
China Export Orders Show Threat From Europe – Bloomberg
Nigeria fury as fuel prices double after subsidy ends – BBC
Germany Says Greek Debt Talks Near An End – Bloomberg
New Hope for Housing in the New Year – CNBC
Signs of life in the housing market – Reuters
Foreclosure free ride: 3 years, no payments – CNN/Money
A closer look at the Fed’s inner workings – Globe & Mail