One great thing about my position here as Director of Marketing is my extensive contact list. I say that because I have access to thousands of excellent traders, investors, and economists at my finger tips! So when things around the world catch my attention, I can quickly find someone who can give me the skinny on what’s really going down. One of my contacts is Nicholas Vardy, Editor, The Global Guru, and he’s got a MUCH better pulse on the world aboard then I do. That’s why I asked him to give us his reasons why the markets outside the US are doing so well and WHY!

He told me he’d love to get feedback from the Trader’s Blog readers, so let’s not let him down! You can also visit The Global Guru to get his new report on his favorite global picks.

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Make Your Fortune from the

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NEW Unemployment figures Show We’re Still Lingering in Depression.

This week began with shrieks of joy. First, a federal court came down on Bernie Madoff like a brick on a bald head. Madoff, convicted of lying to investors, drew a sentence that only a sea turtle or a swamp oak could complete. Then, like children playing in the sea, investors were teased by one wave of good news… and tickled by the next.

Bloomberg reported that “Wall Street’s largest bond-trading firms say the worst may be over for investors… ” Then, General Electric’s CEO, Jeffrey Immelt and famous investor George Soros both said that the crisis is “behind us” and that growth will begin again next year. Finally, analyst John Dorfman opined that the stock market would be a safe place for their money at least through the end of the year.

And now comes the big American holiday – July 4th. Investors

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Excessive Executive Compensation: When is Too Much, Too Much?

by Dr. Scott Brown, Education Director, Investment U

With every disclosure I receive on executive compensation coming out of failing and defunct firms it makes me sick - as an investor and citizen alike. And I’m not the only one…

Many Americans have been outraged as the CEOs and other executives responsible for the financial crisis have pocketed millions of dollars in bonuses and golden parachutes.

And rightfully so.

The recent bailouts of banks, automakers and insurance companies has brought excessive executive compensation into the public eye. And the numbers are staggering.

According to The Corporate Library, in 2008 the CEO of an S&P 500 company received an average compensation of $10.4 million. During that time the S&P 500 lost almost 40% of its value. Yet despite these declines, CEO perks grew in 2008 to an average of $336,248 - a full nine times the ...

GE, More Mutual Fund than Company

General Electric (NYSE: GE) reported a 47% decline in their fourth quarter earnings almost a week ago. But we’re still trying to get a handle on just what GE does.

Looking at their website, we’ve discovered they have no less than 14 divisions. Aviation, Electrical Distribution, Business financing, Healthcare, Media & Entertainment, Rail, Water, Appliances, Consumer Electronics, Energy, Consumer Financing, Lighting, Oil & Gas, and Security.

It sounds more like a phone book directory than a company’s business segments. Consider that GE’s revenue is almost 30 billion more than the gross domestic product of Kuwait. No matter how you cut it, that’s a massive organization.

But in the grand scheme of things, the number of business segments doesn’t matter as long as GE can remain profitable. The problem is that even if one or two divisions have a great

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A must read article on Minyanville.com puts the smack down on General Electric (NYSE:GE) shares, and another one from Bloomberg.com isn't going to help shareholders come tomorrow or the foreseeable future.  GE shares get ready to battle the media. Let's face it, when fear is driven into the hearts of investors, no matter how it gets there, word of mouth, CNBC, your baby's momma -- it's fear none the less. When that happens, investors bail, and the selling could jump start now that the media is tearing GE a new one. General Electric (NYSE:GE) appears to be a "cheap stock" when you consider traditional investing measures: P/E now under 10, at 7.67. Shares are of GE are now $16 down 58% in the last year. It's a company we have all grown up with, same ...

General Electric (NYSE:GE) gave the markets more bad news to digest this morning. The company lowered its profits forecast and suspended its share buyback program. This sent its stock futures plummeting 4.1% this morning.

GE boss Jeffrey Immelt said, "Given the recent dramatic developments in the financial markets, we have made some tough decisions to further reduce risk and strengthen our balance sheet while maintaining our dividend.''

Andrew Snyder says the news is certainly bad but not devastating. He says GE's strong foundations will see it through this difficult period. And GE's sharp drop could prove to be a good buying opportunity: