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FRIDAY, January 13th, proved unlucky for nine euro-zone countries: they had their credit ratings cut by Standard and Poor’s (S&P) soon after the American markets closed for the week. France and Austria were stripped of their triple-A credit rating. Three smaller euro-zone countries (Malta, Slovenia and Slovakia) also suffered a one-notch downgrade. Italy and Spain had their ratings knocked down by two notches (to BBB+ and A respectively), as did Portugal and Cyprus, whose debts are now considered junk by S&P.

Though grim, the news was not the blanket downgrade feared by eurocrats. In December S&P had given a warning of a possible downgrade to all euro-zone countries, bar Greece (which could fall no further) and Cyprus (which was already on the hit-list)—just days before leaders of the European Union met in Brussels to tackle the euro-zone crisis once and for all. S&P argu

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The good news is that we are living longer. This means that we have many extra years to enjoy ourselves with our friends and family, with our food, drink and other earthly pleasures. As long as we keep popping all the anti-cholesterol, anti-sugar and anti-high blood pressure pills we keep going. We do all the blood tests every year, the doctor never gets out of his seat behind the desk, he simply analyzes the results, prescribes the right pills and we keep going.   The bad news   We are outliving our money. This means that our pensions, retirement plans and nest-eggs are all drying up while we still need them. So the race is on. Will we outlive our pension and end up poor and the miserable objects of state care, or will the pension outlive us and allow us to spend a respectable and pleasant old age in a retirement home? 0 Full post…

Its true that the fastest way to build credit is to use a credit card. However, many people prefer not to use credit cards. Even if you dont want to use credit cards, though, your credit score is important. Mortgages and car loans require that you have good credit if you want the best rates.

On top of that, there are a number of other financial service providers that want to know your credit score. Satellite and cable TV providers often ask to run your credit to determine whether or not you need to provide a security deposit. Insurers often check your credit to determine your premiums. While employers arent supposed to check your credit score, they can check your report.

You want your credit report to show your finances in the best light, and you want your credit score to reflect your good habits as well.

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With Thanksgiving a happy memory, now is the perfect time to sit down, relax and plan out your holiday shopping for the year.  Take out a pen and paper and write down everyone youll need to by gifts for this Christmas.   Create a budget on just how much youre willing to spend and STICK TO IT.  Once your list is complete, youre ready to go holiday shopping!

The key to a great holiday shopper is knowing how to extend your budget and how to wow with the gifts you buy.  Well help you with the latter in this article, as weve compiled 25 great Christmas gift ideas under $50.  All of these gifts can be purchased online and if you look hard enough, you might be able to find them even cheaper with the use of online coupon codes.  The list has Christmas gift ideas for mom, dad, siblings friend coworkers and pretty much anyone else you would want to buy a Christmas gift for.  Merry Christmas!

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Salient Advisors, a Houston-based asset manager, is taking steps with U.S. regulators to gain permission to market exchange-traded funds, and plans for its first ETF to be focused on energy master limited partnerships.

In a filing it submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Salient requested so-called exemptive relief from sections of the 1940s Investment Act to market actively managed ETFs and fund-of-funds ETFs.

The company detailed plans for its initial fund, the Salient MLP and Energy Infrastructure ETF, which would invest in master limited partnerships as well as in energy infrastructure companies.

The Salient fund would enter an already well-populated space of MLP ETFs sponsored by companies like Alerian and Van Eck. The biggest MLP-related exchange-traded product is the J.P.

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ASK any pundit why Italy is in crisis and they will mention some combination of Silvio Berlusconi, a towering national debt, and a moribund economy. The explanation resonates since all three have undeniably been enormous negatives for Italy. Today’s market action seems to vindicate the reasoning: with the prospect of a new government under Mario Monti and speedy implementation of a new budget, Italian bond yields have plummeted below 7%, and stocks around the world have rallied.

But these factors are not the root cause of the crisis and as long as Europeans behave as if they are, a resolution will elude them.

Italy has been burdened by Mr Berlusconi, a large national debt and a moribund economy for most of the past decade. As Daniel Gros points out, some of Italy’s key fundamentals—investment, R&D, educational attainment—have actually improved relative to Germany in that time. Yes,

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