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In the News:
Dirt Cheap Stocks
Seven extraordinary bargains that should emerge from the recession stronger than ever. They include Hewlett-Packard, Autodesk, Crane, EMCOR Group, KBR and CF Industries Holdings.
http://www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/2009/02/dirt-cheap-stocks.html

Best & Worst Managers of 2008
The best leaders have not only ridden out the crisis so far but also gleaned valuable, often profitable, lessons from it. The worst? Well, some helped set the economic crisis in motion; others became paragons of bad judgment in a time of trouble. Among the best are Obama's chief strategiest David Axelrod, Home Depot CEO Frank Blake, JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison. Among the worst were Bear Stearns CEO James Cayne, Lehman Brothers CEO Dick Fuld, Circuit City CEO Philip Schoonover and Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang.
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/01/0108_best_worst/index.htm?technology+slideshows

Hot Stock Bets for 2009
The massive stimulus package bodes well for battered blue chips like AT&T, GE, and Microsoft as well as biotech and green energy shares.
http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/jan2009/pi2009016_880169.htm?campaign_id=twxa

Dream Stocks at Affordable Prices
The crisis on Wall Street has given you a rare chance to upgrade your portfolio. Take it. The four dream stocks include Intel, American Express, Alcon and Diageo.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/06/pf/Dorsey_cheap_stocks.moneymag/index.htm?postversion=2009010705

Trading Strategies for January
So 2008 has ended, but that alone won't make investing any easier. From bear-market rally tips, to hedging the Obama effect, to a pure play on the Baltic Dry Index, MarketWatch experts have ideas about starting over in 2009.
http://www.marketwatch.com/newscommentary/tradingstrategies

The Best of Madoff Memorabilia
Like Enron, Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers after those firms met their ends, memorabilia identified with Bernie Madoff is on eBay.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/28470404

In the News:
Family Dollar Stores is King
Stock losses this year were broad based and dramatic. But there were a few that escaped the carnage. 25 stocks in the S&P 500 actually finished higher in the worst stock market in 77 years. Topping the list is Family Dollar which rose 38.5%. Other top stocks included Amgen, H&R Block, Wal-Mart, Hasbro, General Mills, McDonald's and Darden Restaurants.
http://money.cnn.com/2008/12/31/markets/SP500_year_end/index.htm?postversion=2008123117

2009 Dogs of the Dow
This popular investment strategy defines a portfolio by equal dollar value investments into the 10 highest yielding Dow stocks at the end of a year. This year's list includes Bank of America, GE, Pfizer, duPont, Alcoa, AT&T, Verizon, Merck, JP Morgan Chase and Kraft Foods.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/28448355

In the News:

In the News: 10 Worst Housing Markets for 2009
The housing market hasn't bottomed out yet. Of the top 100 markets, here are 10 with the worst forecasts. Topping the list is Los Angles with a projected drop of almost 25% in home prices. Stockton, Calif., Riverside, Calif., Miami, Fla., and Sacramento, Calif. also make the top 5.
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fortune/0812/gallery.worst_markets.fortune/index.html


Obama Boomtowns: 10 Biggest Stimulus Cities
Mayors across America line up at the trough with projects ready for stimulus money. Miami leads list with $3.4 billion in projects and ove 55,000 jobs, followed by Sacramento, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Albuquerque.
http://www.forbes.com/businessinthebeltway/2008/12/15/economy-stimulus-obama-biz-beltway-cx_jz_1215stimulus.html


What to Do If Your 401(k) Match Disappears
High-profile companies like General Motors and Motorola have announced plans to suspend matching 401(k) payments, at least temporarily, as part of more ambitious cost-cutting efforts by the firms. But that doesn't mean employees should cut back their own 401(k) contributions and forfeit long-term retirement goals. At a time when even the most employee-friendly companies are rethinking their 401(k) strategies, here are a few words to the wise.
http://www.mainstreet.com/article/money/retirement-planning/what-do-if-your-401k-match-disappears

In the News:
Shoppers Bring Haggling Skills to the Mall
If you're looking for an extra bargain before the holidays, you may only have to ask. Retailers say they're taking consumers' demands for good deals seriously. Some are extending return policies, while others are matching competitors' prices. Many are volunteering on-the-spot discounts and even letting customers haggle prices well down from what's marked in a desperate bid to make the cash register ring.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/28347928

All Is Happy at 100-Year Old Happy State Bank in Texas
A tiny bank in Happy, Texas, is a century old but hasn't before seen the kind of deposit growth that it's seen in the last three months. As the top tier of the financial services industry faltered, small and regional banks, as well as credit unions, started seeing their cash deposits rise dramatically as nervous Americans shied away from big banks.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/banking/2008-12-21-small-community-banks_N.htm

In the News:
Once in a Lifetime Refinancing Opportunity
Mortgage rates have dropped sharply over the past few weeks. They are at their lowest levels since the 1960's. But is refinancing right for you? It might be, but there are caveats. Jim Cramer takes a closer look at who it makes sense for now.
http://www.mainstreet.com/article/home-auto/buying-home/cramer-once-lifetime-refinancing-opportunity
Also: Some People Getting 30-Year Mortgages Under 5%
Calculator: Should I Refinance?

10 Best Stocks for 2009
We're mired in the grizzliest bear market in decades. But the good news is that stocks have been marked down to holiday-sale levels. Here are ten stocks FORTUNE thinks are poised for strong returns in 2009 and beyond. They include Altria, Annaly Capital Management, Dell, Devon Energy, Diamond Offshore, Fluor, Johnson & Johnson, Medco Healthcare, Pfizer and Potash.

Where to Invest in 2009: Safe Harbors
The good news for investors is that some of these defensive investments are selling at their lowest valuations in years--and paying decent dividends. Among the picks include Duke Energy, Southern Co., Microsoft and Johnson and Johnson.
http://www.smartmoney.com/Investing/Stocks/Where-to-Invest-2009-Safer-Harbors/

My Facebook Becoming My Therapist During Recession
In a time of growing unemployment, tumbling stocks, and rising foreclosures, people are finding comfort on social networking sites.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2008/tc20081216_649709.htm?campaign_id=twxa

In the News:
Madoff Scheme Hits Home
For much of his life, the name Bernie Madoff has meant nothing journalist Robert Powell. Now, however, it means far more than it should in his household and countless others across America. In his household, the net effect of the Madoff scheme is that his wife has lost all the money in her 401(k) account and her job as well.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/How-Madoff-cost-my-family/story.aspx?guid=%7B8B073FA4%2D2052%2D485A%2D86FF%2DD4905E250DB9%7D

List of Potential Victims in $50 Billion Ponzi Scheme Grows
Investors who put their fortunes in the hands of arrested New York money manager Bernard Madoff are waiting to hear how much of their stake is left. The roster of potential victims has grown exponentially longer in the past few days. Among those who have acknowledged potential losses so far: Magnate Mort Zuckerman, the foundation of Holocaust survivor Elie Weisel, Sen. Frank Lautenberg and a charity of movie director Steven Spielberg. Also, former Philadelphia Eagles owner Norman Braman, New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon and J. Ezra Merkin, the chairman of GMAC Financial Services, the Palm Beach Country Club, charities, hedge funds and more.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/markets/2008-12-13-wall-street-arrest_N.htm
Also: Losses in Madoff Case Spread
Also: The 17th Floor, Where Wealth Went to Vanish

Worst Investments of 2008: Crocs, Yellow Pages, Banks and More
The year will go down as one of the worst ever for investors, but which investments were worst? If you were an investor in R.H. Donnelley which publishes Yellow Pages phone directories you have seen a 99% drop in your investment. And if you were an investor in Crocs shoes you saw your investments shrink by 95% this year. Others that had a very rough year included the investment banks, automakers, newspaper companies, Office Depot, Sprint Nextel and the list goes on and on.
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/12/1215_worst_investment/1.htm

In the News:

Kiss Your Phone Bill Goodbye
Silicon Valley startup Ooma wants to help you connect your home electronics for cheap - starting with your phone.
http://money.cnn.com/2008/12/09/technology/copeland_ooma.fortune/index.htm

What's Cheap Now? Really Great Deals
These days, you can get a great deal on almost anything, from TVs to toys to travel. The recession has prompted many retailers, hotels and cruise lines to slash prices. Even high-end brands that are rarely marked down are on sale this year. Here are where the best deals are in consumer goods and travel.
http://kiplinger.com/features/archives/2008/12/really_great_deals.html

In the News:
Stocks to Buy in a Recession
Here are six companies that should hold up well -- and 13 that are on sale. Among them Abbott Labs, Gilead, Google, Apple, Medtronic, CVS Caremark, Wal-Mart, Kraft Foods, Boeing, Broadcom to name a few.
http://www.kiplinger.com/columns/picks/archive/2008/pick1208.htm

10 Fast & Easy Ways to Throw Away Your Money
Getting ahead requires work; falling behind is much easier. Follow these tips to achieve total financial failure.
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/Financial_Literacy/investing_money/shrink_bottom_line_a1.asp?caret=114d

In the News:
Big Company Stocks Trading Under $1 and Those Heading There
Wall Street's big plunge over the past few months has pushed some very well known stocks down to pennies. Among the companies trading under $1 include Fannie Mae, Sirius XM, Thornburg Mortgage, Charter Communications and Level 3. In addition, a number of other big names could easily get there very soon. Among them are Ford Motor, Citigroup, E*Trade, AIG, Sprint, New York Times Company.
http://www.247wallst.com/2008/12/big-company-sto.html

Companies Thriving in a Recession
While many businesses struggle during the recession, a handful of U.S. and global companies are riding out the storm in good shape. Among them are Wal-Mart, Abbott Labs, McDonald's, P&G, Costco, Kraft Foods, J&J, Novartis and Homeaway.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2008-12-03-recession-proof-companies_N.htm

In the News:
5 Stocks With Super Yields
It's hard to resist the lure of a big payout. Here are companies whose dividends look secure. They include Briggs & Stratton, General Electric, Diageo, Mattel and Microchip Technology.
http://www.kiplinger.com/columns/picks/archive/2008/pick1201.htm

7 Price Tags That Are Actually Falling
Budgets may be tightening, but don't blame these items -- their prices have fallen as much as 88 percent. The cost of these seven goods and services has actually gone down over time. They include phones, footwear, watches, apparel, new vehicles and electronics.
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/real-estate/20081202_seven_falling_prices_a1.asp