Monetary Easing, The Counterfactual, And A Lower Dollar In the Balance

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on September 11, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has made the case for further monetary easing simple and straightforward. Unless some miracle happens in the economy to send growth hurtling upward (presidential campaign promises, … Read more

Another Fiscal Cliff For Japan Coincides With Another Visit to Historic Yen Levels

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on September 11, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) In August, 2011, Prime Minister Naoto Kan stepped down from power to resolve gridlock over the budget of the Japanese government. On September, 7, 2012, current Finance Minister Jan Azumi made … Read more

The British Pound Is Back In Fashion

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on September 2, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) The currency markets have gone through waves and cycles of themes thanks to the constant tinkering and interventions by the world’s central banks. With the big news headlines for the United … Read more

More Positive Milestones for the Residential Housing Market

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on August 30, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) The residential housing industry received more positive data on August 29, 2012. First, the latest Federal Reserve’s beige book further confirmed the stronger price trends shown in the Federal Housing Finance … Read more

The Farm Economy Is So Healthy, Government Subsidies Are Going to Millionaires

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on August 28, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) In “Why Taxpayers Pay For Farmers’ Insurance“, Planet Money recently took on the sensitive subject of subsidies to farmers. My sense has always been that these subsidies are more controversial amongst … Read more