The consumer confidence index is forecasted to fall to a two-year low amid economic conditions that have sparked widespread pessimism throughout the financial markets.

Many pundits suggest the Fed's surprise 75 basis point rate cut was a response to the worldwide collapse in stock prices.  John Mauldin offers an alternative explanation.

Professional system trader Art Collins shares his daily biases in the index, bonds and currency futures markets for January 28.

A lot of the disappointment on Friday was attributed to reduced expectations of next week's Fed meeting.  Many had been hoping for a 50 basis point cut, but the consensus at this point is for a 25 basis point cut or even that they may not cut rates again at all.

Mike Paulenoff's work on the Market Vectors Gold ETF (GDX) suggests strongly that the price structure is peaking and could roll over at just about any time in the upcoming two weeks.

The current action began in 1971, when Richard Milhous Nixon snuck in and stole the gods’ golden fire. Gold’s record for maintaining steady prices was second to none. But modern political economists wanted a different kind of price stability, a stability they could mess with. They would control the value of money themselves.

For those traders who are hoping for the tides to calm in the coming week, they will have to continue hoping because the economic calendar is filled with market moving data.

A worse-than-expected new home sales report could exacerbate market speculation about the Fed's next move as signs continue to suggest that the US economy is in or nearing a recession.

If the momentum remains strong, Toni Hansen sees the market pushing back up into December's congestion in the next week or two, but believes it will likely stall before it could manage such a move.

Tim Bourquin interviews Barry Burns, who talks about why "trying to figure the market out" is the opposite of what traders should be doing.