greece

At this time last year, maybe you thought the economy would be a bit more gracious by now. No such luck. But as we reflect on the year that was, here are six financial lessons that 2011 taught us all.

At Thanksgiving, we remember the year's blessings and declare hope for the future. But if you're having a hard time swallowing that this year, we offer this recipe for cooking up 2011's most egregious financial news stories. Bon appetite!

The Atlantic Ocean is wide, but maybe not wide enough. On Thursday, markets had a mixed reaction to the deepening economic crisis in Europe. Some sources reported that the European Central Bank would step in. But in the U.S., small business owners are growing nervous.

Conceding a fragile global recovery and plodding job growth back home, President Barack Obama said Friday he is confident European leaders are fixing their ominous debt crisis that threatens to undermine the United States and his own shot at a second term.

Many European nations have deficits that make the U.S. look thrifty, and over a year after their problems came to light, they're still holding the worldwide recovery back. But because they share the euro, normal solutions aren't available, which means the EU must bite the bullet and accept an orderly default, or watch matters spiral downward.

Tiny Slovakia looked set on Tuesday to reject the expanded eurozone bailout upon which global investors were pinning their hopes -- and at this moment, the Slovak Parliament could veto the Continent's plan for economic salvation. How did it it come to this, and what could happen next?

American household incomes have fallen more since the recession ended than they fell during it, a new study reveals; EU leaders say they have a plan to solve the sovereign debt crisis; and Netflix has declared its big Qwikster plan dead on arrival.

The S&P 500 is precariously close its 52-week low. If it breaks below that number, how much further might it fall? Recent history suggests the possibility of a long drop.

The world's fourth Elvis-themed restaurant is scheduled to open in a mall in Georgia this year. But not in the Peach State in the heart of the Dixie -- the Elvis American Diner is in the Republic of Georgia. Seems that in the former Soviet Union, the King and 1950s Americana are considered pretty nifty.

Greece is in debt, in trouble, and its people are rebelling against austerity measures. But it's not without resources: What could the government in Athens get if it leased the Parthenon? Or naming rights to the Acropolis? Sacrilege, perhaps -- but when you really need the money...