Monday Morning Links

MUST READS
Why This U.S. Recovery Is Weaker - Bloomberg
Germany may see economy shrink in fourth quarter - BBC
2.3 million distressed homes have yet to hit market - O.C. Register
Housing market returning, but not soon enough for Obama - The Hill
The other reason grads are drowning in debt - CNN/Money
Student loans: Even military worries about rising debt - CSM
Chinese Gold Imports Through August Surpass Total ECB Holdings - Zero Hedge
Greg Smith: ‘Getting An Unsophisticated Client Is The Golden Prize’ - HuffPost
Who are the muppets now? Goldman exposé falls short of hype - Reuters
Dysfunctional, Dishonest, Insane & Intolerable - The Burning Platform
Is a Debt Jubilee the Next Big Meme? - Dollar Collapse
The Data-Generating Process - Hussman Funds

MARKETS/INVESTING
Oil price rises on Middle East conflict fears - AP
Gold rebounds as stocks recover, dollar retreats - Reuters
Individual investors are destroying their wealth - MarketWatch
Wall St. Week Ahead: Investors face earnings blitz with dread - Reuters
Still Joined At The Hip: Inflation Expectations & Stocks - Capital Spectator
Hong Kong Defends Its Currency Peg for First Time Since 2009 - Businessweek
HSBC forecasts “glittery future” for Gold next year - BullionStreet
Silver is forming a massive Head and Shoulders top - Peter Brandt
What is China really doing in the gold markets? - Mineweb
Action Step: Buy junk silver - The Survival Mom

ECONOMY/WORLD/HOUSING/BANKING
The US bright spot - FT Alphaville
Greece Austerity Diet Risks 1930s-Style Depression - Bloomberg
Big rise in credit cards brings increase in debt - China Daily
Japanese exports to China fall amid territorial dispute - BBC
EU faces two tough months of bargaining to boost euro confidence - Reuters
IMF’s epic plan to conjure away debt and dethrone bankers - Telegraph
Defying doomsayers, China to avoid Japan-style bubble - Reuters
Canada’s housing market won’t have a U.S.-style meltdown - Globe & Mail
Housing market turns sharply, but why? - Nevada Appeal
Orange County: An epicenter of real estate fraud - O.C. Register
We need a clearer picture of QE’s long-term effects - Telegraph
QE3 Side Effects—Asian Policymakers Fight Back - CNBC