For domestically-focused investors and companies, gaining exposure to the rapidly growing US Hispanic population offers the best prospect for sales and earnings growth over the next three years, say Goldman Sachs researchers.

With a clear understanding of the impending energy crisis, and a realistic grasp of our options going forward, investing in energy and other commodities is a no-brainer. Here are some of the best bets in energy investing.

Approached sensitively, charitable giving can be a wonderfully unifying force. Children can be quite positive about funds designated for charities when they are allowed to have a role in the charitable decision-making.

Gold prices tend to ride a wave of investor emotion, says noted economist Jeremy Siegel. Investors and speculators have bid gold prices up over the past year because they consider it a safe haven amid worries about the credit crunch, slowing economy, rising inflation and stock market volatility. "Once the fears are past, gold goes back down."

There are two systematic screens to discover who is placing "big bets" on what they think are great potential stock investments – Unusual Volume and Institutional Investments. Any investor – individual or institutional – can replicate these screens. Here's how.

If you can't mitigate a U.S.-led downturn by shifting away from U.S. stocks, what can you do? One answer might be to get more defensive everywhere. Fortunately, ETF investors have hundreds of choices thanks to the many innovative index products that have been introduced in recent years.

With all of the uncertainty out there, it's natural to be a little skittish right now. However, by considering several time-tested strategies,and timely opportunities, you can build a fixed income portfolio capable of weathering the storm.

The current market sell-off is only a brief moment in time. The key to long-term investment success and wealth building is not "picking the bottom." The key to success: take advantage of the opportunity to purchase an asset at an attractive valuation before the opportunity disappears.

Billions of dollars have been invested in timberland by institutional and high-net worth investors over the past 20 years. By some measures, returns have outpaced stocks and other financial assets.

Brazil's real estate market, awakened from its lethargy in mid-2005, has continued to grow, fed by the country's economic and political stability, the powerful reduction in interest rates, and the measures taken by the Lula government to provide incentives for civil construction and home buying.

It may take a bit of time but most activists are ultimately able to achieve what is known as a "catalyst," or major improvement in the stock price through such actions as the sale of a company or a stock buy back.

Commodities should have a place in an investor's portfolio. It is no longer simply a matter of whether or not you believe that we are in a bull market or a bubble, but it is a matter of properly diversifying your investments. While diversification might not seem as important when most every investment is going up, it becomes increasingly important during times of economic uncertainty.

This is not the first time in history that the economy has faltered. And it won't be the last. If some of your wealth has been eroded or is in jeopardy, it is more important than ever to assure that what remains of it is distributed to your heirs and beneficiaries as efficiently and effectively as possible.

A Charitable Life Estate is a gift agreement between a donor and a charity, involving either a residence or farm.The donor gifts the property to charity but retains the right to live in the property, usually until death. This estate planning tool carries many tax and other benefits.

Wealth created by one generation can deeply enrich the lives of generations to follow. However, multi-generational wealth may also pose challenges. In an article for Wealth Management Exchange, Joe Calabrese of Harris myCFO explores the four basic issues of inheritance: entitlement, differing needs, the grandchild conundrum, and distribution.

The end of the year means it’s time to review your investment and estate plans and make the moves that will safeguard your estate from unnecessary taxation. It is also a critical time to make sure your investments are in line with changing objectives for yourself and your family.

The advisor/investor relationship contains ripe territory for real or perceived conflicts of interest. With proper handling, these potential pitfalls can be resolved before they sabotage the success of a financial plan.

With the recent market turmoil, investors are looking for more credibility and transparency from their advisors. Institutional investors have long demanded audited track records from advisors to confirm performance claims. Now many private investors are doing the same.

Advisors don't provide audited track records. So how do you shop for the best? Answer: Very carefully.

A primer on what to expect in terms of service and capabilities.

There's a cycle that occurs approximately every four years as capital gains build up in investors' accounts. In tax year 2000, for instance, investors were subject to low performance in many mutual funds - especially high-tech stocks. At the same time, these investors got hit with excessive capital gains taxes. The same thing occurred during the 2003 thru 2007-tax period.

Tax bill higher than expected? You might need better planning to achieve greater savings over the next few years. Consider having your advisor abandon the complex equity portfolio with lots of turnover that generates tax.

The main criteria the author uses in choosing funds are the managers' philosophy of investing and their track record in both up and down markets.

A case study on shielding pension assets from the tax collector.

Earthquakes in China; cyclones in Myanmar; killer tornadoes in the Midwest and Southeast U.S. The world has been rocked by a series of devastating natural disasters in the past week. If you want to help, here are some of the organizations you can contact.

Get a sense of which charitable vehicle or vehicles most suit your needs and interests.

What is successful investing? With the Applied Portfolio Management (APM) program at the University of Kansas, Kent McCarthy, the founder of the program, and I have had the opportunity to observe many types of investors and investment thinking. Just as there are many ways to define success in life, successful investing is also multi-dimensional.

The Thanksgiving holiday is an ideal time to pull back from the daily concerns that preoccupy us and focus on issues that truly matter -- family and values.