On the surface, The Federal Reserve Board and Facebook have nothing in common. But media speculation about Fed action is very similar to the speculation that preceded Facebook’s IPO. For…
Stock Rally Built On Wishful Thinking
“This is the most disrespected rally I’ve ever seen.” John Buckingham, Al Frank Asset Management Stock prices have rallied and are closing in on their highest level in five years. …
Is Everybody Happy?
Forget about growth in GDP, the unemployment rate, inflation, stock prices and all things relevant to money. Federal reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke suggested this week that happiness should be used…
French Tax Policy: One For You, Three For Me
French President Francois Hollande’s proposal to take three quarters of the money earned by France’s wealthiest earners is bound to create an economic boost – for Belgium, Germany and other…
Dog Days Not So Slow
Another near-miss “flash crash,” more European craziness, buzz about more action from The Federal Reserve Board and a stock market that rises along with the unemployment rate … who says…
GDP Doesn’t Stand For Great DePression
Measuring growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is like taking the economy’s temperature. The annualized growth rate of 1.5% at the end of the second quarter – which is a…
Over Fed
To QE3 or not to QE3? That is the question the Federal Reserve Board has been pondering for months … or at least Fed observers think it’s being pondered. But,…
Dancing With A Cow
While Europe’s sovereign debt crisis has beaten down the U.S. stock market, it has helped the bond market. Because the European bond market is in such poor shape, U.S. bonds…
An Anorexic Recovery
If we could put the recovery of the past few years on a scale, it would be the thinnest in history. Recently, though, it has become downright anorexic. Goldman Sachs…
A Step in the Right Direction?
An unemployment rate above 8% is no longer news – it’s been above 8% for 41 months, which is the longest streak since the Great Depression. However, during the Clinton…