There's been a spate of data lately showing a slowing global economy, including disappointing June manufacturing figures out of the United States and Germany, and most recently, weak second quarter gross domestic product growth in China. It's no wonder, then, that many investors are wondering what's behind the slowdown, whether it will continue and what they should consider doing if it grows worse. The most obvious culprit driving the slowdown is the ongoing crisis in Europe, which is hurting both U.S. manufacturing and Chinese exports. However, there are other idiosyncratic factors dragging down growth in China and ... (full story)