Glimmers Of Hope For The Economy?
We have been pointing out for over a year now that the trend in the economic data has been negative and we’ve taken some grief for that as the stock market has marched higher. Jeff Snider, in particular, has been raked over the coals by some commenters (public and private) for his reporting on the .. read more
Fear Is Receding, Greed Winning Going Away
Well, as I said in last week’s update, volatility has returned. It was another wild week in global markets with politicians, central bankers and even some actual economic data providing the fireworks. Japan barely kept the JGB/Nikkei roller coaster on the tracks with a wild week that ended with the Nikkei in what some are .. read more
Tactical Update
As we’ve been reporting, the economic data has been showing weak performance. But, the market hasn’t seemed to mind. QE is in high gear. It is supporting asset prices as the over-leveraged sectors of the economy heal themselves. The banking and household sector received bailouts and a slow healing process puts them in a better .. read more
The Return Of Volatility
Stocks lost ground last week to the tune of about 1% but the route to that loss involved more volatility than we’ve seen in some time. The volatility index has moved higher by a third since that key reversal day a week ago Wednesday. And the volatility hasn’t been confined to stocks. The bond market .. read more
Greenspan Without Style
When I mentioned that Greenspan’s market has persisted long after his words fell from memory, that extended to overextended stock investors as well. By almost any measure, Ben Bernanke has outdone the “record” of his predecessor, yet he has so few quotable lines outside of those really bad predictions during the runup to the 2008 .. read more
The Hubris Of The Bulls
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 I spend a good portion of my time trying to figure out the mood of the market. That isn’t just so I can bet against it although that is the proper strategy at times. John Maynard Keynes likened the fluctuation of stock .. read more
Social Security Strategies
Courtesy of Bob Williams: As discussed in preceding articles, there are many factors to consider in deciding when to begin taking social security. For couples, there are additional considerations which make the decision a little more complicated but may help maximize benefits. File and Suspend Assume that John has reached his full retirement age (FRA) of .. read more
When Do I Begin Social Security?
Courtesy of Bob Williams: “When should I begin to take Social Security?” That is one of the most frequently asked questions by those on final approach to retirement. It’s not uncommon to hear people say, “I’ve paid into Social Security for years. I’m going to take it at 62 and get what’s mine!” To be sure, .. read more
