Europe debt crisis

Alcoa, a major aluminum producer, kicked off earnings season on a dull note. Will other American companies be affected by the ongoing problems in Europe?

In Berlin today, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Nicolas Sarkozy meet for the first time this new year to talk about European debt, and treaties to allow for more budget control of eurozone nations.

In the face of the euro crisis, so many investors are desperate for a safe place to park money, they're paying the German government to hold onto their cash.

Nicholas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel are speaking in Berlin today, trying to hash out the details of a master plan to save the euro. But it appears the leaders are still working on the same old problems.

In Europe, some countries in the north are doing well while in southern countries like Italy and Spain, unemployment is skyrocketing.

Hungary is the latest European Union country to head into trouble, but it isn't part of the eurozone.

Leaders usually like to start the year with optimism, but Angela Merkel and others are finding it hard to see the bright side to the current situation in Europe.

What can we expect from the housing, jobs, and European markets in the year ahead?

In Greece, tax collectors are on strike to protest benefit cuts while in Italy, the government was able to borrow $9 billion to help pay for services, but banks willing to lend also demanded a high return.

The continent has had a dramatic year. The debt crisis seems to be in check right now, but there’s no telling what might happen next year.