Stocks have moved up and down violently over the last few months, but for all of their efforts, have gone nowhere. In fact, in the past three months the major indexes have moved a grand total of two points higher! The shorter-term view of the market looks like we're experiencing a bounce, but my advice to you is to stay skeptical.

Korea is one of our most important trading partners, and has in the past been a "canary in the coal mine" in terms of serving as an omen of more fragile economic conditions for the U.S. If the S&P 500 were to similarly lose a third of its value this year, it would be at 1,005. That's a long way down from here, so it's one more reason to continue to be extra cautious.

Stocks may have been quiet all week, but news out of Europe, Asia and the U.S. financial institutions continues to grab investors' attention as we transit toward autumn. Much of this news will likely have a long-term impact on U.S. share prices and is worth a long hard look for anyone trying to make money in this market.

Bear markets can slam your portfolio twice if you're not careful. You already know that a bear market can whack your portfolio on its way down, but did you also know that it can wipe out further gains if you get back into the market too soon?

Every now and then my hometown team, the Seattle Mariners, and the shares of large companies behave similarly. Volume has been light as the market is now acting like the financial equivalent of my beleaguered Seattle Mariners: dazed, morose and almost lifeless. Find out if there's hope for a playoff spot for the Mariners or the market.

Find out what this could mean for the U.S. dollar, oil and your investments.

The major indexes appear on the surface to be tracing out attractive uptrends from their mid-July lows, but there's no reason to start the celebration. The lack of a sharp contraction of selling is worrisome. It's time to prepare for a pullback.

If you want to make money in this market with a long-term strategy, it's time to bet against the market in general, as well as against financials and basic materials makers. Read on and I'll prove to you why this is the best investment strategy for the current market.

Global weakness has been a real shocker to folks who thought that Europe and other countries had strong economies that would insulate them from a U.S. recession. It just hasn't been so, and as a result of global market declines, the U.S. dollar is finally gaining strength. This is very bad news for commodity stocks and the huge runs they've had over the past few years. If you ask me, it's time to dump your commodity plays.

Find out which markets may be headed for bear country and which sectors are holing strong, despite global market concerns.

After what seems like a lifetime of declines, the U.S. dollar has finally staged a comeback. Before you put on your rally caps, though, this victory for the greenback sent commodities tumbling. Read on to find out what the dollar has to do with your stocks and which devastated industry has also shown some signs of life this week.

Historical data doesn't absolutely predict the future, but it sure does provide some excellent guideposts. Let's dig in to what history has to say about what we can expect from the market going forward.

August is often the turning point that could send the market into a two-decade bull run or drop 11% in 30 days. So which way is the market headed this August?

Jobs are the bedrock of the U.S. and world economy. We know from academic studies and common sense that people who don't have jobs don't buy things, and people who know people who are losing their jobs also curtail their purchasing. It's a vicious cycle, and after a very weak employment report this week, the cycle may be gathering strength. Get all the details now.

Oil has finally come down off its highs, and investors are looking for the next hot sector. Want to know where they're headed next? Steel. Read on to find out which companies in the booming steel market are due for an influx of oil money.

Everyone is speculating about financial stocks and if we've seen a "dead-cat bounce" or a true bottom. Read on to get the truth about the banking industry and what's ahead for these stocks as well as the rest of the market.

Although they may recover some of their losses, the banks and brokers are unlikely to be among the leaders of the next bull market, whenever it starts. So we might as well just stop thinking about buying them as value plays every time they seem to get cheaper.

Government officials tried to pull off something that no administration has EVER come close to accomplishing: kill off short-sellers and oil speculators while quelling inflation and turning banks' losses into profits!

Even with the Dow up over 300 points in the past few days, there are still plenty of reasons why you shouldn't jump head first into this market just yet.