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U.S. GDP growth ranks #166 in the world over the past decade, proving that America is no longer the top economic powerhouse. Ron Rowland tells you which countries are leading the way, and offers ETF picks for several of the fastest-growing economies.

The U.S. economy grew by just 2.2% in the first quarter, slower than expected and well below fourth-quarter 2011 growth. Monty Agarwal breaks down the components of the GDP report, and gives his outlook for economic growth and stocks going forward.

A recent report shows that our entitlement programs will run out of funds even sooner than expected – 2033 for Social Security and 2024 for Medicare. Nilus Mattive explains why the outlook is dimming, and tells us how we can fix the problems.

The European Central Bank is pursuing the same accommodative monetary policies as the Federal Reserve, but the euro has not been pressured as the U.S. dollar has. Jack Crooks explains the discrepancy, and tells us when the euro will lose its support.

The markets have seemed quiet lately, with sideways trading action. But Larry Edelson says important developments are taking shape beneath the surface, and we may soon see breakouts in gold, silver, the U.S. Dollar Index and the Dow Industrials.

The U.S. housing and manufacturing sectors are taking, and Europe is in even worse shape. But Mike Larson points out that central banks around the world are doubling down on their money-printing strategy, despite the fact that it hasn’t worked.

Latin American nations like Peru, Chile and Colombia are quickly catching up to Brazil and Mexico, and the entire region is getting attention from ETF sponsors. Ron Rowland examines the offerings and tells you which are worth investigating further.

Gold prices are still near record highs, but mining shares are getting hammered. Sean Brodrick explains why, and tells you whether this represents a buying opportunity in junior miners or the major players in the industry.

Natural gas prices have fallen sharply this year, and the oil services sector has underperformed the overall stock market as a result. But Tom Essaye sees an opportunity for contrarian investors in services companies focused on oil, not natural gas.

Nilus Mattive offers a real-world example of writing covered call options for his dad’s income portfolio. He discusses a strategy called “buying to close,” which protects your underlying position and locks in a profit on the premium you’ve collected.

The IMF predicts China’s economy will have a soft landing, because its domestic consumption is making up for a drop in exports to the U.S. and Europe. Tony Sagami names two American companies capitalizing on the growth of Chinese consumer spending.

As China allows the yuan to fluctuate more freely against the U.S. dollar, some analysts are predicting that it will soon become the world’s reserve currency. Jack Crooks offers seven reasons why the greenback won’t give up that status any time soon.

Mike Larson predicted the slump in momentum darlings like Apple and Priceline.com. Now he sees warning signs from the housing market, and warns that the coming declines in home builders and related stocks could drag down the broader market as well.

Intel reported its slowest sales in two years last quarter, but Rudy Martin thinks any slump could represent a buying opportunity. He says new introductions in wireless, cloud computing and consumer electronics will boost Intel’s sales going forward.

Most equity ETFs are weighted by stock market capitalization. But Ron Rowland highlights ETFs based on the size of the earnings stream of each company in the portfolio. They’re offered by WisdomTree and Russell Investments, and are doing quite well.

While the rest of the investment world looks to the European government bond markets, Tom Essaye is focusing on copper and base metals, which recently hit a lower low despite good news out of China, indicating an imminent downturn in equities.

The European Central Bank put the debt crisis on the back burner for a while with its refinancing operations, but Monty Agarwal says the party is about to end. He has a unique hedge fund strategy to take advantage of the changes in the bond market.

The stock market can look very different depending on the time frame you study. Nilus Mattive points out that it’s very difficult to call the market’s tops and bottoms, so it’s important to understand other factors like sector rotation and dividends.

Ben Bernanke and the Federal Reserve have created a Pavlovian response in fund managers by cranking up the printing presses every time the U.S. economic recovery begins to falter. Jack Crooks asks whether the latest stumble will lead to QE3.

Larry Edelson has been watching the markets closely from Bali, Indonesia. He sees lots of sideways action, and not much new in terms of fundamentals. He analyzes the latest charts on gold, silver, the dollar and the Dow Industrials.

Mike Larson sees many similarities between the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s, and today’s huge tech rally. He says Wall Street darlings like Apple and Priceline.com will soon lose their momentum, and the sector will collapse like it did in 2000.

There are ETFs offering access to several regions of the world, but Ron Rowland notes that the nations bordering the Mediterranean Sea are not represented in one fund, despite their centuries-long ties. He offers suggestions for getting around this.

Grain prices are rising despite growing U.S. surpluses of wheat and corn. Sean Brodrick explains the reasons for the rally, including a decline in supply from Russia and other global producers and surging demand from emerging markets including China.

As Spanish government bond yields approach 6 percent, Tom Essaye says Europe is heading for another wave of the sovereign debt crisis. The markets know that EU leaders will eventually act to head off a disaster, but are unwilling to fix the problem.

Nilus Mattive offers another tip for keeping additional money away from Uncle Sam: Coverdell ESAs. These education savings accounts allow you to contribute to schooling costs for a child in your life, and the funds are sheltered from tax liability.

Petro China has passed ExxonMobil as the largest energy company in the world in terms of production. Plus, it has lower labor costs, lower regulatory costs and huge expansion plans. Tony Sagami names several other attractive foreign energy companies.

Peripheral euro-zone countries gave up control over monetary supply, interest rates and currency levels when they joined the monetary union, and subsequently can’t compete with German exports. Jack Crooks says the only way out is to abandon the euro.

Economic data in the PIIGS nations and throughout Europe suggests that it’s already back in recession, and economic growth is slowing in Asia as well. Mike Larson tells you how to protect your assets for when this wave washes up on American shores.

Despite a wave of social reforms in Cuba, the United States is unlikely to end its embargo any time soon. But Rudy Martin says there are many foreign companies ramping up investment in Cuba, offering large commercial investment opportunities.

Ron Rowland offers several tips for ETF investors during tax time. He explains how capital gains and dividends from ETFs are usually taxed, demystifies the dreaded “Schedule K-1,” and highlights a type of fund that can deliver tax-free income.

Gasoline prices are on the rise, mainly due to a jump in Brent crude. Tom Essaye notes that there is a wide spread between Brent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) prices, and offers several recommendations for profiting from that spread.

Monty Agarwal sees a dichotomy forming between large Asian economies like China and India, and smaller nations such as Thailand. While China and India have instituted anti-growth measures to curb inflation, Thailand is expecting a V-shaped recovery.

If dividends are taxed at a higher rate in 2013, some believe that corporations will cut down on their payouts. Nilus Mattive debunks this theory, and says that even if tax rates go up it’s still easy to shield dividend-paying shares in tax shelters.

It seems that the central banks can do no wrong: Bad economic news leads to more accommodative monetary policy, which props up the asset markets. But good economic news props up the markets too. JR Crooks says only two things could derail the rally.

Housing stocks are still flying high, along with the broader market. But Mike Larson says that the rally is due to continued money printing by global central banks, not underlying strength in the real economy. He thinks the party is coming to an end.

Nilus Mattive highlights a feature of Roth IRAs, which allows your heir to be paid minimum distributions. If the Roth IRA is invested in dividend-paying stocks, this would allow the value of the account to grow even while it’s paying yearly returns.

The United States is in a balance sheet recession, and if the government doesn’t respond with substantial spending, it could tip the global economy back into recession. But Jack Crooks says the U.S. dollar could benefit in either scenario.

Africa has become a hot frontier market for some of the world’s smartest investors, and China has become the continent’s largest trade partner. Monty Agarwal explains why Africa presents stellar profit opportunities, and tells you where to invest.

China is shifting away from an export model and toward a greater reliance on domestic consumer demand. Jack Crooks says this shift will result in a stronger yuan and a stronger dollar, higher interest rates and a reduction in the U.S. trade deficit.

Larry Edelson examines the recent moves in the gold, silver, currency and stock markets. He sees precious metals stair-stepping down toward their next support levels, while the U.S. dollar strengthens and the Dow shows continued strength.

Ron Rowland discusses a new category of exchange traded funds and exchange traded notes, which use the Volatility Index as their benchmark. They either try to profit from increased volatility or help investors hedge against volatility.

U.S. gasoline prices have jumped 8% in the past month, but Sean Brodrick says there are several ways to ride that trend and make extraordinary profits in the energy sector. He names three areas of the industry where he sees the best opportunities.

One year after the tsunami and nuclear disaster, the Japanese government is boosting the economy and devaluing the yen through stimulus spending and direct intervention in the currency market. Tom Essaye discusses how to play the Japanese recovery.

Despite a sluggish global economy, the top 1% are still doing very well, especially in China. Tony Sagami recommends buying shares of luxury retailers that are popular among Chinese millionaires, such as LVMH Moet Hennessey, Coach and BMW.

Global central banks have pumped up asset prices by printing money. But now that effect is starting to wear off, and economic growth is slowing in emerging markets and Europe. Mike Larson says that the U.S. may not be far behind.

Rudy Martin discusses the latest annual shareholder report from Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. Buffett says that so-called safe money assets like bonds are actually the most dangerous, and recommends select equities like emerging market stocks.

Central banks around the world continue to flood the markets with cheap cash, inflating virtually every asset class. Mike Larson presents a strategy for profiting while the money is still flowing, as well as after policymakers shut off the taps.

We’re at the start of a New Fuel Revolution in natural gas. Ron Rowland sees three major areas of opportunity in the industry: ETFs and ETNs focusing on natural gas, pipelines owned by master limited partnerships (MLPs), and small-cap energy stocks.

The United States is playing a chess game in the energy markets against rivals such as China and Iran. We must exploit our vast supplies of natural gas, and turn away from foreign oil and crop-based fuels like ethanol, to win.

Nilus Mattive answers viewers’ questions from the Orlando MoneyShow. He further explains his covered call writing strategy, offers his forecast for the stock market, defends his recommendation to buy I-Bonds and assesses the market for Treasuries.