Investment

When investors approach Dallas lawyer Richard Lewins about a dispute they have with their stockbroker, they know he has a unique perspective.

Bank-bashing is the thing to do these days, but some people still want the comfort and security of having their money in a financial institution.

The word "as-is" can indeed be one scary phrase. Especially when buying a home in today's market where foreclosures and short sales that need fix-up work are plentiful.

Ladies and gentlemen, may the best investor win. Sick of squabbling with one another as stocks tanked, some married couples have decided to draw a red line through their financial houses.

The Premise: Sure, the economy picked up steam this past fall. But much of that growth is tied to the trillions of dollars the U.S. government threw at the financial crisis.

Magician David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear, but even he might be envious of the neat trick some mutual fund companies have recently accomplished: making poor-performing mutual funds – and their records – vanish.

Heading into 2010, most financial analysts and investment professionals seem to agree on two things: We’re no longer on the brink of another Great Depression, and there won’t be another 60 percent surge in the stock market anytime soon. Beyond that, things get a little hazy.

Investors ended the year on high and sour notes

As anyone devoted to the rituals of swirl, sniff and sip can attest, 2009 was a very good year for bargain hunters – whether they’re newbie collectors who rarely pay more than $50 for a bottle, or seasoned wine geeks who write six-figure checks for pristine cases of the rarest old first-growth Bordeaux and Burgundy.

A year ago, with the markets and the economy in meltdown, the SmartMoney Power 30 was full of the usual cast of government giants and Wall Street heavyweights: Ben Bernanke, Timothy Geithner, Warren Buffett. But as the U.S. moves into a new phase, a time of slow but seemingly steady recovery, some of the biggest players might seem more on the fringe – academics, advisers, even a lobbyist.