CHICAGO (AP) -- McDonald's Corp. executives came out swinging when they announced their assault on the comfy world of coffee shops.

After the success of its upgraded drip coffee -- which even managed to snag a thumbs-up from testers at Consumer Reports earlier this year -- the fast food chain known for super-size meals is gearing up for a massive expansion into the world of lattes.

"We want to move from beverages as an accompaniment to being a beverage destination," Don Thompson, president of McDonald's USA, said in a meeting with analysts Tuesday. "Our speed, our convenience, the value that we can afford to customers without quality comprise will make us a formidable player."

Restaurants will offer lattes, mochas, cappuccinos and espressos with a choice of different flavorings and milk. Industry watchers say the drinks cost about 50 cents less than at Starbucks.

But as it tries to cash in on the fast-growing specialty coffee market, the world's largest restaurant chain is already finding itself at odds with the unlikeliest of groups: Its own franchise owners.

"There's a real groundswell of resistance among the franchisees about this," said Richard Adams, a

Two episodes ago, I explained how gold acts as the anti-dollar, meaning that its price tends to go up as the U.S. dollar goes down. Since 2001, the U.S. dollar has been losing value and the price of gold has been going up. It was $270 per troy ounce in early 2001 and is now, in late October 2007, over $780 per troy ounce.

Why Gold Holds Value Over Time

The supply of gold is constrained, which helps gold hold its value. The gold supply increases very, very slowly as more gold is mined. Gold acts as a hedge against inflation and a store of value over time. In ancient Rome, a single one-ounce gold coin could buy a quality toga, a pair of sandals, and a belt. Today, the same is true: a single one-ounce gold coin is about $780, enough to buy a good quality suit, shoes, and a belt.(1)

If you think that we'll experience more inflation ahead and that the dollar is likely to continue to lose value, you might be contemplating how to put a portion of your portfolio into hard assets, such as gold.

But how does an ordinary person invest in gold?

Gold ETFs

One of the easiest ways to invest in gold is through an exchange-traded fund, or ETF for short. You can

It's the forbidden question most of us prefer to avoid, at our financial peril. If you've ever picked up a tab, purchased a ticket or taken a trip with friends against your better judgment, you've probably wondered, however fleetingly, if your social life is driving you into debt.

"It is a dirty little secret. It isn't something anyone wants to look at or talk about," says MP Dunleavey, author of Money Can Buy Happiness.

"Your friends can put a lot of pressure on you economically if you're not willing to admit that that dynamic is going on. You have to acknowledge the financial disparity between you and your friends. It's painful, but if you don't, all kinds of crazy things can happen."

Money counselor Ruth Hayden says couples will tear themselves apart to maintain their country club memberships, ski trips to Aspen with the old gang and expensive private schools for the kids rather than risk ostracism by their social circles.

"Whether you're 27 or 67, you are under pressure financially to be part of a group, although we don't choose to think of it that way," Hayden says.

How did we go from keeping up with the Joneses to having lattes with the Trumps? Read on -- if you value