Monthly Archives: September 2013

‘Beanie Babies’ creator will pay $53.5 million to IRS for $885,300 delinquency

"The creator of the wildly popular Beanie Babies toy line agreed to plead guilty to felony tax evasion charges and will pay a $53.5 million penalty as part of a settlement agreement, the Chicago Tribune reported on Wednesday. Prosecutors accused Warner of failing to notify his accountants about both a Swiss bank account and the $3.1 million in foreign income it generated. He subsequently did not disclose that income in his 2002 tax return, enabling him to avoid paying $885,300 in taxes for that year. UBS revealed Warner’s account as part of a 2009 agreement with the IRS after admitting that it helped U.S. clients hide their accounts." Continue reading →

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How to Finance a Second Passport, and More…

"Financing is available for this purpose from a few banks, but at less favorable terms than in the USA. You won't find a regular 30-year mortgage, for instance. The best most banks offer is a five-year mortgage on 50% of the purchase price with a balloon payment at the end. Interest rates are higher, too. After five years, you can roll over the mortgage for another five years. But you might not need to... a recent change in the law lets you sell your real estate five years after you qualify for citizenship. You can even sell it to someone else seeking economic citizenship." Continue reading →

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Bill Bonner: Larry Summers Was a Lousy Choice Anyway

"Yes, Summers is smarter than we are. Yes, he has a better academic record. Yes, he is a real economist. Yes, he has widespread political support and a winning personality. But beyond those things, studies find that people with lower IQs make better truck drivers than people with high IQs. Which puts the critical question right out in the open: What kind of thing is running a central bank? And how smart do you have to be to be a successful central banker?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBill Bonner: Larry Summers Was a Lousy Choice Anyway

Here’s Why You Think Inflation Is Much Higher Than the Government Says

"According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, producer prices for finished goods moved up just 1.4 percent for the 12 months ended in August, the smallest advance since a 0.5-percent rise in April 2013. According to the BLS release, over the past 12 months, at the producer level: Fresh and dry vegetables are up 47.1%. The price of chickens is up 6.2%. Residential gasoline is up 7.7%. Soaps and detergents are up 6.6%. Footwear is up 4.9%. Processed eggs are up 10.3%. Milk is up 6.7%. So if you don't eat, wear shoes or wash, there is hardly any price inflation." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHere’s Why You Think Inflation Is Much Higher Than the Government Says

Terrible News: Mark Zuckerberg Does D.C.

"Mark Zuckerberg appears to have learned the lessons of his Silicon Valley predecessors — he’s not waiting to get caught in Washington’s cross hairs before trying to find friends on Capitol Hill. In a rare personal lobbying blitz, the 29-year-old Facebook CEO and billionaire is slated this week to meet with top Senate and House Republican and Democratic leaders and the chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.[...] Zuckerberg’s visit also highlights his company’s ongoing shift from a thriving tech startup in Silicon Valley to a prominent corporation with vested interests in Washington." Continue reading →

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Georgia congressman complains: ‘I’m stuck here making $172,000 a year’

"A Georgia Republican congressman was caught complaining about what he described as a low salary in a closed-door meeting with fellow party members concerning the Affordable Care Act. During a discussion concerning a possible exemption for lawmakers and staff members from taking part in the state health exchanges mandated by the new law, Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA) reportedly lamented that aides can become lobbyists 'and make 500,000 a year. Meanwhile I’m stuck here making $172,000 a year.' USA Today reported that Gingrey’s net worth is estimated to be between $3 million and $7.6 million, while the median household income in Georgia is $49,736." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGeorgia congressman complains: ‘I’m stuck here making $172,000 a year’

Surprise, Surprise: Consumers Do Not Believe the Fed’s Inflation Projections

"Caroline Baum of Bloomberg addresses the question of why consumers have ignored the Fed’s widely ballyhooed inflation target of 2 percent and the fact that CPI inflation has averaged only 1.5 percent over the past five years. Her answer is enlightening: 'Consumers either don’t listen, don’t care or derive their expectations from their own shopping cart. Food and gas comprise a big part of the household budget, and energy prices, at least, have been rising much faster than inflation. Just as consumers vote their pocketbook, they use their pocketbook to make judgments on where inflation is today and where prices are headed.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSurprise, Surprise: Consumers Do Not Believe the Fed’s Inflation Projections

Krugman: “The Employment Story is Highly Unimpressive”

"Even Paul Krugman gets it. He writes: 'The measured unemployment rate is down a lot — in fact, at 7.3 percent it’s almost exactly the same as it was in November 1982 1984, when Ronald Reagan won big on claims of restored prosperity. But most of the fall in unemployment reflects lower labor force participation rather than job growth. Even if we focus on prime-age workers, so as to net out demographic effects, the employment story is highly unimpressive.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingKrugman: “The Employment Story is Highly Unimpressive”