Baltimore-(TFN):Time to panic? If you are part of the Obama administration the answer is yes. If you are an American investor, hold off on the freaking out for at least another month or so.

With the nation’s unemployment rate officially in double-digit territory and the under-employed rate ready to the 20% mark, the politicians that promised bliss in the days ahead are eating their words today.

And that means Wall Street is eating its recent gains.

For nearly a month, the Dow has hovered around the 10,000 mark. After hundreds of billions of dollars were withdrawn earlier this year, it was relatively easy to put that money back to work and send the equities market higher.

But now that the economic data is showing facts of slower-than-expected expansion rather than “ideas” of growth, investors are forced to explain their logic. The Dow doesn’t want to budge from 10k.

So far, I’ve heard very

Thursday, March 12, 2008 Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Free money is destroying America… 19% interest on your money… Going long on banks… Getting out of gold… "Shorty" Guzman vs Bernie Madoff… More Greenspan guff…

*** Porter Stansberry says "free money is destroying America." We couldn’t agree more. The idea that the government can ‘fix’ things is as bogus now as it was during the Great Depression. The government, by creating the biggest credit bubble of all time through the Federal Reserve, caused the economic disaster we now all face. The idea that it can now solve the problem through more free money is an outright sham.

As Porter says in today’s DailyWealth:

Nowhere in history will you ever discover a market whose efficiency was improved by government interference. Likewise, history is bereft of even

Andrew Snyder says there are many companies at risk of bankruptcy in the early stages of Obama’s presidency. Investors in these companies could be left with nothing. Andrew picks three stocks that have a good chance of hitting zero this year.

This from Today’s Financial News:

It is only day number two for the Obama administration and already the economic pressure is growing. It looks like his pick for Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner, may not get confirmed as quickly as many would like. And cries that the new president’s stimulus package will not be nearly enough are getting louder and louder.

So far… no change. But we are hopeful.

What’s more, the latest round of economic data shows no signs of economic rebound. New jobless claims rose by a surprising 62,000 claims to reach 589,000 for the week, the highest level since 1982.

Do not expect a sudden wave of hiring from the construction industry.

If Crude oil Breaks Through $53, It’s a Screaming Buy

Dear Value Seeker,

America’s job losses have come into sharp focus again today.

The New York Times calls it a “rising tide.” It’s more like a tsunami…

Initial jobless claims for the week ended January 17 shot up by 62,000 to 589,000. This is the highest weekly rise in unemployment since November 1982.

Meanwhile, Microsoft ensured an abrupt reversal of yesterday’s stock market rally by warning that it was “not immune” to the recession.

The tech giant also announced it would give 5,000 workers their marching orders, including 1,400 today.

Microsoft joins a long and growing list of blue chips that have announced job cuts in 2009.

It’s a list The Wall Street Journal’s Real Time Economics blog is tracking:

President Obama takes office at a critical time for the US economy, says Andrew Snyder. The bear is raging in the stock markets, but Andrew says there are some diamonds in the rough. He picks the best three stocks for Obama’s first 100 days in office.

This from Today’s Financial News:

It is do-or-die time in corporate America. If companies do not get their finances in line and make a turnaround during the first quarter of 2009, their days as a going concern are over.

Indeed, the bankruptcy courts will be busy as we countdown President Obama’s first 100 days in office, but that does not mean we will not see long lines of investors cashing in their market-creaming gains. This is a time of great flux in the American markets, which requires savvy, well-researched investing techniques.

Make the right choices and the next 100 days will be like no other. Make the wrong

Dear Value Seeker,

As I sit down today, President-elect Obama is making his way to Capitol Hill. (He’ll be President Obama by the time you read this.)

Obama campaigned on a message of change. His inauguration speech today in expected to focus on hope.

Unfortunately, hopes for banks are fading fast.

“Financial stocks clobbered,” reads a MarketWatch headline today.

Chaos in Britain’s financial system, along with more weak earnings from regional banks, dragged financial markets lower again today.

Neel Kashkari, who is running the Treasury’s TARP program, has written to 20 banks in receipt of handouts demanding monthly reports on business and consumer loans. Kashkari wants an “insight” into how the banks are spending taxpayers’ money.

What a good idea! Shame we had to throw $350 billion down the toilet before he thought of it…

Not that it

Andrew Snyder says that in today’s market it is vital to invest only in the companies with the best chance of survival. Prestige Brands (NYSE:PBH) gets little attention, but it has strong sales, a solid balance sheet and an undervalued share price. Andrew says this makes it one of the best stocks under $10 in the market right now.

This from Today’s Financial news:

Look through the reports surrounding just about every publicly traded company and you will see one thing, a significant drop in demand for their products. With unemployment soaring and economic uncertainty scaring the wits out of consumers, almost every industry is plagued with plummeting sales and reduced revenues.

In times like this, it is critical to have the skills to pick out the winners and invest in only the companies with the best chances of survival. Look for strong brand image and a history of steady sales

Circuit City was the latest bankruptcy domino to fall last week. Andrew Snyder says more big-name retailers could soon follow. But this is just the economy working as it should. The weak fail and the strong just get stronger. Andrew says the fall of Circuit City is great news for Best Buy (NYSE:BBY), who will become clear market leader once this crisis is over.

This from Today’s Financial News:

They are falling like dominoes these days. Without help from Uncle Sam, many of the nation’s top businesses do not stand a chance. They are taking investors with them.

When Circuit City ( filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November, investors believed there was an opportunity to restructure. They thought if they could find temporary protection from their creditors, holiday sales just might bring their company back from the brink of total collapse.

It didn’t happen.

Holiday sales across the board turned out to be

Dear Value Seeker,

Here we go again…

Shares of Bank of America are down 20% today. So are shares Citigroup.

Citi shareholders have been dumping their holdings all week. And who can blame them? Analysts expect dismal 4Q earnings tomorrow.

But Bank of America is causing the real stir today.

Growing losses at Merrill Lynch mean BoA’s takeover of the struggling i-bank seems may have been rather rash (to say the least).

And what do banks do when in trouble these days?

After a Crash… The Rules Change…

How One Man Turned $39,000 into $100 Million in Today’s Market Conditions

Bestselling author and investor reveals his crisis profit secrets… And why even so-called ’safe’ recession investments like cash, money-market funds and Treasuries can demolish your portfolio.

Read More Here

The Wall Street Journal revealed yesterday that BoA, having already received $25 billion under the TARP, has

Dear Value Seeker,

Here we go again…

Shares of Bank of America are down 20% today. So are shares Citigroup.

Citi shareholders have been dumping their holdings all week. And who can blame them? Analysts expect dismal 4Q earnings tomorrow.

But Bank of America is causing the real stir today.

Growing losses at Merrill Lynch mean BoA’s takeover of the struggling i-bank seems may have been rather rash (to say the least).

And what do banks do when in trouble these days?

After a Crash… The Rules Change…

How One Man Turned $39,000 into $100 Million in Today’s Market Conditions

Bestselling author and investor reveals his crisis profit secrets… And why even so-called ’safe’ recession investments like cash, money-market funds and Treasuries can demolish your portfolio.

Read More Here

The Wall Street Journal revealed yesterday that BoA, having already received $25 billion under the TARP, has