Yearly Archives: 2013

The Next Head of Fannie and Freddie Gutted ‘Audit The Fed’ Legislation

"Now that GSEs Fannie and Freddie are basically government agencies, they are run by FHFA, the GSE regulator. And it looks like the next head of FHFA will be Mel Watt, the Congressman who gutted Ron Paul's Audit the Fed legislation. According to Bloomberg: 'Paul, a member of the House Financial Services Committee, said Mel Watt, a Democrat from North Carolina, has eliminated 'just about everything' while preparing the legislation for formal consideration. Keith Kelly, a spokesman for Watt, declined to comment. Watt’s district includes Charlotte, headquarters of Bank of America Corp., the biggest U.S. lender.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Next Head of Fannie and Freddie Gutted ‘Audit The Fed’ Legislation

Ron Paul on Bernanke’s Criminal Gang

"I am disappointed, but not surprised, that the Federal Reserve decided to hand the American people more of the same failed policies that caused and then perpetuated our current financial crisis. Chairman Bernanke may believe there is no inflation, but try telling that to seniors who are on a fixed income, students trying to save for college, and the millions of other Americans who are contending daily with rising prices. If the problem was the Fed not printing enough, and Congress not spending enough, why have the trillions of dollars in monetary stimulus only benefited big banks and corporations?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRon Paul on Bernanke’s Criminal Gang

Bubble Symmetry and Housing

"Hmm, what would have happened if the Federal Reserve hadn't dumped trillions of dollars into the mortgage market, and the Federal housing agencies hadn't subsidized mortgages and housing with 3% down payments and tax credits? Perhaps all the trillions of dollars of intervention has accomplished is extend Phase 2. Central bank and state manipulation distorted the symmetry of housing's decline, but did they stave off Phase 3 permanently? If bubbles eventually revert to their starting level, Phase 3--capitulation and a return to pre-bubble prices--still lies ahead." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBubble Symmetry and Housing

Meet Mr. Money Mustache, the man who retired at 30

"I didn’t start saving and investing particularly early, I just maintained this desire not to waste anything. So I got through my engineering degree debt-free and worked pretty hard early on to move up a bit in the career, relocating from Canada to the United States, attracted by the higher salaries and lower cost of living. Then my future wife and I moved in together and DIY-renovated a junky house into a nice one, kept old cars while our friends drove fancy ones, biked to work instead of driving, cooked at home and went out to restaurants less, and it all just added up to saving more than half of what we earned. We invested this surplus as we went." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMeet Mr. Money Mustache, the man who retired at 30

David Graeber, DEBT: The First 5,000 Years [2012]

"Graeber carefully shows that everything from the ancient work of law and religion to human notions like 'guilt,' 'sin,' and 'redemption,' are deeply influenced by ancients debates about credit and debt. It is no accident that debt continues to fuel political debate, from the crippling debt crises that have gripped Greece and Ireland, to our own debate over whether to raise the debt ceiling. Debt, an incredibly captivating narrative spanning 5,000 years, puts these crises into their full context and illuminates one of the thorniest subjects in all of history." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDavid Graeber, DEBT: The First 5,000 Years [2012]

Madness of a Stimulating Fed

"It would be nice to read a real evaluation of central banking in the modern mainstream press. But perhaps this is as close as we can expect to get. The author explains that low interest rates and money manipulation have given rise to wild economic swings and questions about the current monetary easing. In fact, he does more than question it. He actively questions the central bankers' mental health. Of course, the Fed will set off another destructive boom and bust cycle. In fact, it's already a given. The trouble with central banking is that it simply doesn't yield up rational conclusions." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMadness of a Stimulating Fed

Bye-Bye, Bernanke… Hello Timmy?

"Paul Brodsky, a founder of QB Asset Management, with a decidedly different take. As some background, Paul's hypothesis – not unlike that of many Casey Researchers – is that governments will have no choice but to continuously accelerate money creation, which will lead to a reset of the global financial system sooner rather than later. Therefore the Fed doesn't need someone with sterling academic credentials as its next chairperson – it needs a diplomatic,'relationships' type to lead the US through the coming economic upheaval. And he believes that dark horse is Timothy Geithner." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBye-Bye, Bernanke… Hello Timmy?

Rental Investors Find Rich Pickings in Midwest, South

"Investors in single-family rental housing face the brightest prospects for steep returns in a string of cities in the Midwest and South, many of which were hit hard in the economic downturn, according to a study released Wednesday. Foreclosure-tracking firm RealtyTrac ranked the 20 best markets in the country for landlords to buy single-family rental houses by calculating the annual return an investor could achieve from buying and renting out a typical three-bedroom house. Memphis, Tenn., Saginaw, Mich., Toledo, Ohio, and Jacksonville, Fla., were among those on the list." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRental Investors Find Rich Pickings in Midwest, South

Is the Fed Blowing a New Housing Bubble?

"Over the past year, the Federal Reserve has ramped up its policy of quantitative easing, with the result being new stock market highs and surging bond prices. Moreover, housing prices jumped 8%, the biggest annual gain since 2006. The result is that more than a trillion dollars have been added to the market value of single-family homes. Homeowners are now wealthier and according to what economists call the 'wealth effect,' they should be willing to spend more, helping the economy. But recent data released by FHFA suggest that the increase in house prices is not being driven by a broad-based improvement in the economy's fundamentals." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIs the Fed Blowing a New Housing Bubble?