According to a recently published study from Morgan Stanley, roughly 12 percent of mortgage defaults are now so-called "strategic defaults." Strategic defaults are those in which the borrower decides to stop making payments because the current value of the home is less than the balance due on the loan. What does this trend say about American consumers and our legal system? Will "strategic defaults" become more widespread or diminish? What impact will they have on future real estate and credit markets? What are the implications for you? We'll provide the answers you need.

Unlike any other country in the history of the world, the United States was founded on the ideal of unfettered social and economic mobility. For most of its history, social norms and government policies have been put in place to maximize opportunity in preference to minimizing risks. In fact, today's "social safety net" was a foreign idea, imported from Europe about 80 years ago. Nevertheless, there is a growing perception that America's long-venerated "opportunity society" is being undermined in an effort to build a cradle-to-grave "nanny state." Is this perception accurate? Even if it's not; what are the implications of this growing perception of the facts and what is the likely impact on your business, your investments, and your life? We'll answer these important questions.

Despite the decline of long-term marriages as a proportion of all households, a mountain of research shows that the "married, never divorced" lifestyle still delivers enormous advantages, not just to the couples but also to their families and to society. What are the implications? We'll fill you in.