Unthinkable that the U.S. government would seize control of a portion of your retirement? Think again. It is happening all over the world, and the U.S. may soon follow suit.

Eight countries have raided retirement plans since 2008, including France, Poland, Ireland, and Hungary.

Please read more here.

Bit of investment advice from a Facebook friend!

Basketball legend Magic Johnson led a group that won an auction for the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team Tuesday night, marking the final chapter in a soap-opera-style saga for the legendary franchise.

With a bid of $2.15 billion, including the surrounding land, Mr. Johnson, controlling partner Mark Walter and partners Peter Guber, Stan Kasten, Bobby Patton and Todd Boehly beat out a group of some of the wealthiest businessmen in the country to land a team that is one of Major League Baseball's flagship franchises. The sales figure shatters the previous record sales price for a U.S. sports franchise, Steve Ross's purchase of the Miami Dolphins for $1.1 billion three years ago.

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Global foreign direct investments have decreased from US $ 1.97 trillion in 2007 to 1.19 trillion in 2009. The forecasts for 2012 are optimistic (1.46 trillion) and one expects to get back to the record level of 2007 around 2014. But most participants at the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) Conference agreed that the crisis will again limit overseas investments from mature countries.

In fact, except for Japan, this crisis is regional, limited to the western world. Europe is now clearly hoping to do better thanks to the growth of the BRICs and other fast emerging countries. But Europeans have been warned that hungry new competitors appear, notably in South East Asia, where a tremendous growth is generated by their strong regional integration capability.

Please read more here.

A recent study by research firm Morningstar Inc. found that just 40% of mutual fund managers were doing with their own money what they want you to do with yours: invest in their funds. After the report came out,the digital ink flowed on the question of whether mutual fund managers should “eat their own cooking.”

Please read more here.

Celebrity Chef Michel Nischan is redefining the American food industry. Once committed exclusively to fine dining and white tablecloth meals, this food aficionado is now a pioneer for fresh, healthy and sustainable food.

My new hero!

Mr. Zwilling writes about some of the most common turnoffs that investors encounter in plowing through business plans.

Here is what he hears from investors that you shouldn't do, and can attest to from his own efforts.

Please read more here.

Having traveled abroad and having dealt with several currencies all last year, I can definitely relate to much of what is reported in these videos.

Plus, some of the analogies between Hurricane Katrina and the U.S. economy struck a chord with me - being a New Orleans native.

The Wall Street Journal reports that U.S. banks are increasing their loans to consumers for the first time since the credit crisis erupted, as lending standards begin to loosen and demand for new loans edges higher.

Please see related graphics here.

For start-ups, landing that first check from an investor is a milestone. Seed capital – often from friends and family – is just the first step in a fundraising journey that can drag on for months or even years.

Here are some of the lessons that entrepreneurs have learned about raising capital for their start-ups.