How do you make money in such a difficult stock market? The old standby strategies of buying growth or buying value stocks haven't been working lately. And while some investors may have that innate ability to pick winning stocks, most don't. So what is the average investor supposed to do? Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are the perfect solution. Get three of my favorites here.

With the Beijing Olympics over, businesses reopened and inflation under control, the likelihood of Chinese stocks resuming their uptrend this year is very good. I'm actually anticipating a complete turnaround in Chinese stocks in the next six to nine months. Continue reading to find out why I'm so optimistic.

Stock traders and investors that make up the marketplace simply get it wrong on occasion.

When analysts get it wrong, investors need to pounce. Taking advantage of these market inefficiencies is one of the best ways investors can beat the market. Case-in-point: SIRI.

We all know the headlines are indeed scary. That's the point. News organizations are now huge corporate entities trying to make money and scary headlines sell. However, one glimmer of hope that has caught my eye lately is a story on one of my favorite companies Walt Disney Co. (DIS).

The allure of Vegas is obvious and over the years developers have made the city an adult Disneyland drawing oodles and oodles of customers. And with those customers profits followed. The question today is will those dollars continue to flow when consumers are strapped, losing jobs, and incomes stagnant.

You just can't win in this economic environment. Competition is fierce and the market reacts negatively to whatever path companies choose to take in dealing with the difficulties.

Have you noticed how popular the "X-Games" have become? You know, those Olympic-like contests featuring dare devil bikers, skateboarders, snowboarders and the like that are featured on ESPN. Heck, some of those disciplines have become so popular they've become part of the real Olympics as BMX biking was this summer in Beijing! One of the companies that gets this demographic and gets it well is Volcom, Inc. (VLCM).

As a business owner, I have a strong bias against unions and labor issues.  In my opinion, competition should dictate all results on both sides of the capitalism coin.  Companies should be free to compete with other companies and workers should be free to compete with other workers.

With the announcement of the U.S. government seizing control of mortgage giants Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE) the housing crisis appears to be nearing its zenith. This means is more money in consumers' wallets more money store cash-registers. Think of the rescue as a massive economic stimulus package for consumers!

This weekend the government finally took over mortgage lenders Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE). World markets cheered and stocks are higher across the board. That's good news for all involved, right? Not so fast...

That’s the only word I can use to describe the market. Disappoint it, and you will pay the price. Case-in-point: Mining equipment maker Joy Global (JOYG).

There's no doubt about it: 2008 is turning out to be a winner-takes-all election year. As both candidates hit the campaign trail, you can be sure that they will be ramping up their economic rhetoric. In order to help you make sense of it all, here are the Top 5 hot-button election issues and their net "bull" or "bear" impact on your portfolio!

Those that pursue the task of building portfolios (like me) will always find that in some cases, they are just flat out wrong. I liken it to baseball player's ERA. The best hitters fail 7 out of 10 times.

I recently asked a good friend of mine what he was buying in the stock market these days. Given his 40 years of institutional knowledge combined with his strong sense for fundamental value, I can honestly say he is one of the best investors I know. Needless to say, I was surprised by his fanaticism with crude. Wasn't oil just another bubble that was bound to pop?

In case you missed it, there has been a major shift in the tectonic plates of the software war brewing between Microsoft (MSFT) and Google (GOOG).

Investing can take on a similar path as parenting. As an investor, those who are prepared will generally see prosperity over the long haul...

Rational Investors that understand the business cycle tends to outperform the stock market over the long term. Depending on the stage of the cycle, those who plan ahead can ride the wave to prosperity. Seeing that the average business cycle lasts 4 years, we can have a pretty good idea as to where to put our money.

Stocks rise and fall for so many different reasons, it's nearly impossible to predict exactly what will happen. Truly confounding is when a stock plummets on what would be interpreted by most to be good news. Case-in-point: Big Lots, Inc. (BIG).

The Beijing Olympics ended Sunday night with a bang and China took a well deserved bow. How could you not be impressed? I was personally struck by the enormity of it all, and frankly, as a capitalist, I was just about drooling!