Deficits, Debt, and International Investments
Last week it was official. The U.S. government ran a $1.42 trillion deficit for fiscal year 2009, the worst year since 1945. The fiscal year ends on September 30. While not surprising, the enormous numbers are still hard to believe. The FY 2008 deficit was $442 billion – nearly $1 trillion less. While...
SEC Tries To Get Efficient
Under criticism for letting Bernie Madoff’s scheme drag on for years, the Securities & Exchange Commission is trying to improve itself and rebuild its image. This is an excellent idea, and good timing too, given that the people who ignored Madoff for so long have now moved on to bigger and...
Deflation Means No COLA for Seniors
Sorry, senior citizens: there will be no cost-of-living adjustment in your Social Security payments this year. You are victims of deflation. Today the Labor Department reported that the Consumer Price Index rose 0.2% in September and fell -1.3% in the last twelve months. This was no great surprise,...
Collecting Canadian Energy Income (ENY)
Gold may be taking off right now, but it’s not the only thing in an uptrend. Energy is also moving higher. Today we turn our energy-minded attention north to Canada. In addition to its political stability, a trait missing from many resource-rich nations, Canada’s proximity to the U.S. ensures...
Is The S&P 500 Overvalued?
With another earnings season and a voracious market rally in progress, it might be wise to look at whether or not stocks are valued fairly at current prices. The answer is “probably not.” Investors need not look any further to the price-to-earnings ratios. The S&P 500 P/E ratio based...
It’s About Time: FTC 16 CFR Part 255
Proper disclosure means different things to different people. In the investment “advice” world, proper disclosure is different for Registered Investment Advisors than brokers or insurance agents. In the investment “publishing” world, publishers typically try to hide behind their “freedom of...
Bankrupt Deadbeat Banks Stiff Taxpayers
Only a few weeks ago, We The People seemed to be turning a profit on the U.S. Treasury’s investment in banks via the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP. Not so fast. Yes, a few banks repaid the government with interest. As I noted at the time, their main motivation was probably to escape...
Gold Taking Off?
This week gold prices broke out to new all-time highs above $1,000 and ounce. Short-term momentum is picking up for all kinds of gold-related assets as well. Is the trend sustainable? Yes, at least for now. Given the economic situation, more and more investors appear to be deciding to allocate...
Mining For Peruvian Profits With Buenaventura Mines (BVN)
For many investors, “Latin America” equals “Brazil.” That’s not a bad idea. Brazil is the region’s largest economy and the 10th largest economy in the world. iShares MSCI Brazil Index (EWZ), the primary ETF tracking Brazilian equities, is up 40% in the past three months. Even...
ETF Deathwatch – October 2009
The “official” number of exchange-traded products on Deathwatch dropped for the second month in a row. This month’s list contains 111 names, seven fewer than last month. E-TRACS CMCI Short Platinum Excess Return (PTD) heads the list again this month. PTD saw action on only three days in September,...
