Bonds

Spain now pays more than 6.6 percent on its 10-year bonds. The U.S. pays just over 1.6 percent. Eurozone debt, however, may yet hurt both sides of the Atlantic.

Safe stocks? Risky bonds? Chris Farrell looks at a new investing paradigm.

There were several massive earthquakes off the coast of Indonesia today, triggering tsunami warnings across the Indian Ocean. Those warnings have been cancelled and no serious damage has been reported so far.

The survey consensus was for no increase to slight increase in interest rates for 2012. Nothing dramatic. Very muted. There's no sense that the economy will turn gangbusters. At best, the economy will show modest gains in 2012.

My problem is that my brother (in his late 20s) is super lazy and would never do any financial planning on his own. I've been trying to get him to open a Roth IRA for a while, but no chance. So now I'm thinking of starting one for him for his birthday and setting it up so a certain portion of his paycheck will transfer automatically. But there's no way he will ever be motivated/responsible enough to do his own investing. I'm not sure what strategy to follow because I don't want to do his investments for him. Is it worth hiring a professional? Do the major online trading sites (Etrade, Vanguard, ScottTrade, etc.) offer some kind of package where you just add some money and it is professionally invested for you? Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you! Laura, Chicago, IL

Private investors are being asked to accept big losses on their loans to Greece, in order for the country to get more bailout money and avoid a messy default that could send Europe back into crisis. About two-thirds of bondholders so far have agreed.

I don't think investors should fear the march of time. The specter of a baby boomer-driven stock and bond market implosion seems implausible to me largely because of the move toward market economies around the world. By the time retiring boomers are selling in earnest, markets will be even more global than they are now. There are a lot of foreigners to buy U.S. assets.

Yep, that’s trillion with a “T”.

The hard economic times in Europe have actually been a good thing for Germany, which can still borrow at low rates and benefit in export markets.