Have the markets already gone through their inflationary melt up phase? Are they now giving way to debt deflation, in which cash is hoarded and the price of all assets (tangible and otherwise) falls? Well…no.

Much of the recent drop in oil prices is due to the rally in financials, says Byron King. But the black goo is still double the price it was two years ago. Worse still, the US is now coping with chronic inflation. Precious metals are the best way to your savings and purchasing power…

The machinations of the US Federal Reserve are uppermost in the minds of investors — and the media. The Fed is in a jam. On the one side slowing growth and the specter of the credit crisis. Rising inflation on the other.

Are US stocks due for a rally? Don’t count on it, says Rick Pendergraft. More bearish movement is likely. Take steps to protect yourself.

S&P’s/Case-Shiller’s index of housing prices in 20 major US cities fell by a record 15.3% year-on-year in April, the steepest drop since the began collecting data in 2001.