I write a quarterly column for Inside Business which is supposed to take both a look back as well as a look forward. The most recent column can be found here:
http://insidebiz.com/news/q4-recovery-makes-its-way-main-street
Unfortunately, that column was submitted just before the Swiss National Bank unexpectedly allowed their currency to float. That announcement may turn out to be the most significant economic event of this year. It also raises the probability that we could see a derivatives failure. In fact, several currency traders have already filed for bankruptcy, and nobody knows who has guaranteed a price for the Swiss currency.
Increased scrutiny of the derivatives market is required for the next few weeks.