>… Yes, there are some mammoth-sized unknowns out there that could hurt your returns. But when the biggest “what ifs” are resolved, you could also profit, if you play it right.

1. What if Europe gets worse? No matter how much investors might desire it, Europe’s economic mess just won’t go away. But the big fear is that it will deteriorate even more before it gets better.
2. What if U.S. housing finally improves? It’s now close to five years since the housing bubble burst. When it rebounds isn’t only an investment question, but of vital importance to households as well.
3. What if the jobs recovery falters? The long-awaited jobs recovery seems to have arrived. The unemployment rate has dropped steadily, albeit slowly, from 9.1% in August to 8.5% in December. The big question: Can it be sustained?
4. What if there’s another budget crisis? Last summer, investors watched in horror as Congress wrestled over the government’s finances. They even risked the first-ever default on U.S. debt.
5. What if China’s economy heats up? China’s economy matters because it’s the second largest in the world. Over the past decade, the communist country has grown fast, but lately it has been cooling off. The question is: What happens when it heats up again?