Bernanke Describes A Critical Juncture Where Economic Prospects Pivot On Long-Term Unemployment

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on March 27, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) As conditions ripen for a bottom in housing in 2013, I am more frequently reviewing the on-going dynamics of the unfolding recovery in employment. The rates of unemployment and under-employment, and … Read more

Nassim Taleb Likes Euros And You Should Too

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on March 19, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) In November, 2010, Nassim Taleb (Mr. Black Swan) broke a long-standing media blackout to talk on CNBC about his distress over quantitative easing Part two (QE2). At the time, Taleb concluded … Read more

Chart Review: Silver Breaks Out

It took almost a month, but silver has finally joined gold in its post-Fed breakout. The chart below shows that silver has broken above stiff resistance at the 50-day moving average (DMA). This resistance has kept silver under a lid for five months. Source: StockCharts.com With the Federal Reserve promising to keep rates low through … Read more

Robert Reich Over-Reaches By Blaming Investing and Shopping for Income Inequality

Soon after I finally posted my review and critique of Robert Reich’s book on income inequality titled “Aftershock: The Next Economy and America’s Future,” Reich published commentary which extended his analysis of income inequality to blame investors and shoppers for the problem. The concise argument appeared in an editorial in the Financial Times called “We … Read more

Investing In A Housing Recovery with Dynex Capital

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on January 31, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) {snip} Dynex Capital (DX) is one of several companies in the business of buying mortgage-backed securities. Specifically: {snip} Dynex Capital (DX) came to my attention because on Friday the company raised … Read more

Chart Review: Australian Dollar Hitting Critical Junctures

I moderated my bullishness on the Australian dollar in early December because Australia’s terms of trade have likely peaked for now and the Reserve Bank of Australia had lowered rates twice. Last week, I recharged my bullishness on the Australian dollar after the Federal Reserve extended its dovish monetary policy. The Australian dollar experienced a … Read more

No QE3, But Federal Reserve Statement Green Lights Commodity Currencies and Gold

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on January 26, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) In its latest monetary policy proclamation, the Federal Reserve announced that it will likely extend the window for near-zero interest rates until at least late 2014. There was no hint of … Read more

Talk of QE3 Increases As the Dollar Rises – Time to Reposition

This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on January 12, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) Mainly thanks to a plunging euro (FXE), the U.S. dollar index (UUP) now sits at 52-weeks highs set in January, 2011. When the Federal Reserve telegraphed its second round of quantitative … Read more

T2108 Update – January 13, 2011 (Dealing with the QE3 Wildcard)

(T2108 measures the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day moving averages [DMAs]. To learn more about it, see my T2108 Resource Page. You can follow real-time T2108 commentary on twitter using the #T2108 hashtag. T2108-related trades and other trades are posted on twitter using the #120trade hashtag) T2108 Status: 77% (overbought day #9) … Read more

Wrangling Over Income Inequality: A Comprehensive Review and Critique of Robert Reich’s Book “Aftershock”

According to “Building a Better America One Wealth Quintile at a Time” by Dan Ariely and Michael I. Norton, Americans are generally misinformed about the true distribution of wealth in America. Robert Reich’s “Aftershock: The Next Economy and America’s Future” represents an insightful and creative approach to educating the reader on income inequality and potential … Read more