Archive for: The Federal Reserve

Has the Fed Already Planted the Seeds of Our Next Financial Crisis?

IPOs, the S&P 500, Treasuries, and tech stocks…what do they all have in common? They’re all enjoying a strong upswing. It’s almost too good to be true. Well, maybe it is too good to be true.

Why Can’t D.C. Keep it Simple?

You’ve probably heard the expression “When a butterfly flaps its wings, it can cause a hurricane to form halfway around the world.” That simple little saying suggests just how unpredictably complex a system can be. But it’s not just our weather that can be described as complex. Virtually every system in the world can be described in the same way.

Three Things I Know About 2012

Trying to predict the future can be an exercise in futility. But as an investor and someone who looks at the markets constantly, forecasting is something we have to do. It’s the only thing that can prepare us for what might happen… and might not. So with that in mind, I’d like

US Debt? Naw! It’s the Global Financial Markets That Make Fed Chief Bernanke Nervous

Ben Bernanke and the Fed reported on the state of the economy Tuesday. Wasn’t much that was new or startling. And that was fully expected. The reason the market was down yesterday had more to do with Europe than the Fed’s report. But that doesn’t mean some changes can be teased out

Why did the Fed Bailout the Banks to the Tune of $7.77 Trillion?

We were already upset enough when Congress bailed out our banks to the tune of $700 billion worth of tax payer money. And we didn’t like the fact that the Fed allowed the banks to “fake” the value of their books. But this secret $13 billion bailout really takes us over the

The Fed Is Yelling “Fire!”

Has yelling “fire” in a crowded theater ever been a good thing? I never want to hear it. After all, that means that there is probably a blaze inside. People could lose their lives, the property owner could lose a lot of business, and if there isn’t a blaze the rush to

Housing Continues to Slip in Philly Area and Nationwide, Says the Philly Fed

The Philly Fed issued its report today on regional housing permits. It said, “From September to October, the issuance of residential building permits increased in New Jersey and fell in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the nation.” But did you know that the Fed also provides a “change log?” So we can see what

Who Owns Our Debt?

How dangerous is our $14 trillion debt to the financial and national security of our country? Impossible to answer unless you know who owns our debt.