As many businessmen pointed out to me during my trip, Brazil's size also gives it another built-in advantage that those other countries lack: a big internal market of nearly 200 million potential consumers.

BBC: Brazil: No reverso

Over the weekend, the Senate committee, led by Michigan Democrat Carl Levin, released internal Goldman emails that suggest the company was positioning itself to take advantage of a market drop even though it was packaging securities and selling them to clients who had the opposite view.

FORBES: Blankfein: SEC Case Filing 'One Of The Worst Days In My Professional Life'

People who want to take advantage of this year's gift-tax exemption should beware of one giant constraint: The Internal Revenue Service will deny tax benefits to a trust if the person who sets it up retains control, either himself or through an agent.

WSJ: How to Control Your Heirs From the Grave