All that being said, negative marks on your record may often strike you as little more than cute, sleeping puppies.

FORBES: UPDATE: Broker Wins Expungement Of Sleeping Dog Customer Complaint

Buying a May (or June) 6 strike put could allow traders to take advantage of a negative post-earnings reaction.

FORBES: High Earnings Expectations: Broadcom, Corning, and RF Micro Devices

Whatever the practical challenges of trying to renegotiate Nafta, or, indeed, the truth of its negative impact on the US economy, criticism of free trade seems to strike a particular chord in blue collar, Rust Belt states, such as Pennsylvania and Ohio, which have been shedding manufacturing jobs over the past few years.

BBC: Trade and jobs to fore in US election

Deep differences of opinion over tax and spending reforms made it impossible to strike a compromise, and this defeat will mark another market-negative catalyst from our federal government.

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