Our economy is definitely struggling, but it has not yet entered a recession—although the job loss report from Friday has me concerned. In this month’s issue, I have added 10 charts; eight of these charts do not yet indicate a recession. In fact, two of the charts hint at continued economic expansion. During these tough economic times, it is important to find investments that offer fairly predictable returns with sustainable and growing cash flows. In this issue, I give you two infrastructure plays that fit the bill—one is an ETF and the other a U.S. based company with an attractive 7.2% yield. I also have added a new timber ETF and two closed-end funds to my Monster Master List. Make it a good month.

Tags: airport, ALCO, Alico, Alliance Resource Parters, American Express, American Society of Civil Engineers, ARLP, Awakening Councils, AXP, BHP, BHP Billiton, BlackRock Asset Equity, BTU, Canadian Pacific, Chavez, Chinese Internet use, chvy volt, Claymore/Clear Global Timber Index, coca-Cola, CP, CUT, depression, ECF, economy, employment, Federated Investors, FII, Forbes, Higway Trust Fund, infrastructure, Iran, Iraq watch groups, iShares S&P Global Infrastructure ETF, J.M. Smucker, Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, KMP, KO, Macquarie Infrastructure company trust, MIC, murder rates, Natural Resource LP, NRP, Obama, oil prices, omega-3, Peabody Energy, Pfizer, Phillip carret, public infrastructure, recession, Rep. Mike Pence, Republican Study Committee, Rio Tinto, RTP, Saudi Arabia, Senator mcCain, SJM, Tortoise Energy, TYY, Walter Schloss, Xstrata, XTA.L

Oil and gold prices are skyrocketing. The housing slump, along with the sub-prime write-off mess, has nowhere near run its course. Manufacturing employment is falling. And all this is occurring in the ever-important election year. But despite my jaundiced view of the U.S. presidential candidates and the storm clouds advancing over the U.S. economy, there are still promising investment opportunities to ride out the turbulence — you just need to stay focused, patient, and objective. This month marks my annual Q&A issue, so along with discussing the economy and the potential for a recession, I answer a number of the questions weighing on your minds.

Tags: AA, AAUK, ALCO, Alcoa, Alico, Anglo American, BA, Bank of Florida, BHP, BHP Billiton, Boeing, BOFL, BTU, Cameco, CCJ, China, China Panda, coca-Cola, coins, Dodge & Cox income, DODIX, Enerplus Resources, ERF, FDG, Fording Canadian Coal, GE, general electric, GLD, global economy, gold, Harry Winston Diamond Co., inflation, JOE, KO, manufacturing employment, municipal bonds, natural gas, NEM, Newmont Mining, NILSY, Norfolk Southern, NSC, oil, PBG, PCL, Peabody Energy, Penn West Energy, PEP, Pepsi Bottling, Pepsico, PG, Plum Creek Timber, president, presidential cycle, PRJPX, PRNEX, Procter & Gamble, PWE, Rayonier, RDS.A, recession, Rio Tinto, Royal Dutch Petroleum, RTP, Russia, RYN, Southwest Water Company, St. Joe, streetTracks Gold Shares, SWWC, Sysco, SYY, T. Rowe Price Group, T. Rowe Price Japan, T. Rowe Price�New Era, TAVIX, Teck Cominco, TEK-SVB.TO, terrorism, Third Avenue International Value, TimberWest Forest Corp., TROW, TWF.UN, UL, Unilever, United Parcel Service, UPS, Vanguard GNMA, Vanguard Growth Index, Vanguard Precious Metals & Mining, Vanguard Precious Metals & Mining Fund, Vanguard Short Term Investment Grade, Vanguard Value Index's, Vanguard Wellesley Income, Very Light Jet, VFIIX, VFSTX, VGPMX, VIGIX, VIVAX, Vladimir Putin, VLJ, VWINX, W.M. Wrigley, WWY