[Editor’s note: In honor of the New Year, we at StreetAuthority thought it might be worth looking back at some of our most popular articles of 2012. This article was originally published on Nov. 15.] With the drama of the presidential election behind us, it’s time for investors to focus on the real task at hand: How investments will pan out next year, particularly in the energy sector. After all, energy has a role in just about every good produced and service… Read More

[Editor’s note: In honor of the New Year, we at StreetAuthority thought it might be worth looking back at some of our most popular articles of 2012. This article was originally published on Nov. 15.] With the drama of the presidential election behind us, it’s time for investors to focus on the real task at hand: How investments will pan out next year, particularly in the energy sector. After all, energy has a role in just about every good produced and service rendered in this country.  Being the contrarian investor that I am, I think 2013 could mark the end of triple-digit prices for oil. The good news is energy investors don’t have to panic. There are plenty of opportunities to profit from cheap oil. Black gold’s last “hurrah…” From its 2008 peak near $133 per barrel, oil has settled back to around $90 per barrel — a nearly 34% drop. But the best way to track oil… Read More

America is looking over the precipice of the fiscal cliff and it appears that a deal will not be reached before the New Year. About $600 billion in spending cuts and new taxes will begin… Read More

Looking for a bargain? No it’s not a bridge. It’s a carefully selected single-family home in Phoenix, or maybe even Atlanta, or another once hard-hit city in the United States. Not interested in the hassle of buying a foreclosed home, fixing it up, and… Read More

There are very few things that affect every human being on the planet. But regardless of age, race, gender or religion, only one thing ties everyone together — the need for food. That’s why my No. 1 commodity for 2013 is… Read More

I want to share with you the most important things to look for when building an income-generating portfolio. Even though high-yielding securities grab all the headlines, double-digit yields aren’t everything.#-ad_banner-# A lot of companies that pay a high… Read More

The most important thing to know as an investor is that the future is uncertain. No matter what kind of analysis and forecast study is conducted, the future is always a mystery. But there are rules of thumb investors can rely upon when it comes to forecasting the future course… Read More

By the simplest of measures, it was a good year for stocks. The S&P 500 rose 12%, extending a bull market that began in March 2009. Yet the bull is showing his age. Sharp… Read More

Bill Gates has a secret. It’s something very few people know. For the most part, only those who closely follow his business or work with him are aware of this secret. As the second wealthiest person on Earth, with a net worth… Read More

My dad has been running our family farm in northern Illinois for more than 40 years. I grew up riding tractors, feeding cows and running through cornfields, though admittedly I never took to the business of farming. Growing up on the farm, I knew one thing for certain: Every single… Read More