Meet The New Boss

Finance Goes From Foe to Friend in Hollande Government

"During his election campaign in 2011, President Francois Hollande famously called finance his 'greatest adversary.' In a speech today, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin called finance 'a friend,” quickly specifying that he was talking about 'good finance.' The new stance comes as the president’s popularity is at a record low and his economic policies have drawn the ire of members of his own Socialist Party and of allied groups. Recovery remains anemic and joblessness is at a record high. Global finance, however, has stuck with Hollande. Investors have piled into French bonds, giving Hollande’s government borrowing costs that are close to the lowest on record." Continue reading →

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Yellen tells graduates: Show grit like Ben Bernanke

"Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen on Wednesday delivered what you’d expect from a commencement speech: graduates, she said, should 'tend the fires of curiosity,' listen to others, and show grit in the face of failure. Yellen reminded New York University students in Yankee Stadium that even Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio failed most of the time they stepped to the plate, according to a text of her remarks. And what example did Yellen find for such an inspirational beacon of bravery? Why, her predecessor, Ben Bernanke." Continue reading →

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Ukraine Goes Cyprus 2.0, To Tax Deposits Over 100,000 Hryvnia

"Ukraine's parliament is to consider draft laws which would ban foreign-currency bank deposits and introduce a 25% tax on interest on deposits in banks and other financial institutions in circumstances where the interest received is more than 5% above the rate set by the National Bank of Ukraine. The proposed amendments to banking and tax legislation were put forward by Yevhen Sihal, who is a member of the country's ruling Party of Regions. In an explanatory note submitted with the drafts, he argued that the higher tax rate will encourage consumer spending, reduce the cost of business loans, and provide extra funding for the country's Pension Fund." Continue reading →

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Pensions in Ukraine to be halved: sequestration draft

"The self-proclaimed government in Kiev is reportedly planning to cut pensions by 50 percent as part of unprecedented austerity measures to save Ukraine from default. With an 'empty treasury', reduction of payments might take place in March. Ukraine’s new prime minister, Arseny Yatsenyuk, promised the government would do its best to avoid a default, adding that he expects an EU/IMF economic stabilization package soon. The European Commission offered Ukraine an 11 billion euro loan if Kiev agrees a deal with the IMF. Accepting IMF money will mean many sacrifices for Ukraine’s economy, [such as] increased gas bills, frozen government salaries, and all around budget cuts." Continue reading →

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David Stockman: Lunatic Fed Engineering Global Collapse

"Yellen has been part of this Fed system since the 1990s. Just start with the year 2000: The balance sheet of the Fed was $500 billion. Today it’s pushing $4 trillion. That’s an eight-fold increase just in this century. She’s been part of it all along, and if that isn’t monetizing the debt, (then) I don’t know what the word means. It is only the top 1% that has experienced a huge windfall from the serial bubbles that the Fed has created. So, if you go right to the core of what this is all about -- what the Fed’s mission is, what the new chairman of the Fed will be doing and saying, I think we had a pretty good indication that she’s going to take this lunatic policy that we’ve had for years now right over the edge." Continue reading →

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Yellen Strikes Out

"Mrs. Yellen insisted that she supports 'transparency and openness on the part of the Fed.' She claimed that in terms of the 'range of information and the timeliness of that information, we are one of the most transparent central banks in the world.' That’s not only irrelevant but wan. She then declared that she would not support 'a requirement — any requirement — that would diminish the independence of the Federal Reserve in implementing, and deciding on implementing, monetary policy.'" Continue reading →

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How to Build a Huge Bonus in Your Portfolio

"Some commentators are betting that the Fed will begin to taper now, though the big money says tapering will start in March. Tapering, whenever it happens, is not tightening. Tightening is pulling money out of the system. Tapering is simply slowing an out-of-control train to 135 miles per hour from 150. There’s a pileup in the offing either way. No matter what comes of tapering talk this week, one fact will remain unchanged: The Fed will maintain interest rates at or near 0%. And even if tapering does happen this week, the Fed will accompany the move with commentary promising to extend the period in which rates remain excessively low." Continue reading →

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Bill Bonner: The Real Numbers Behind America’s Phony Recovery

"What kind of economy is it that reduces a man’s wages over a 43-year period? We don’t know. But it’s not likely to win any prizes. But why, with so many strikes against it, does the US economy still have the bat in its hands? It’s partly because the Fed has pumped up stock, bond and house prices – not to mention net corporate profit margins and consumer spending . So, the averages look pretty good… and they mask the ugliness beneath them. The bottom 90% of the population – people in 9 houses out of 10 – have 10% less income than they had 10 years ago. This is not a success story. It’s a disaster. And not one that tempts us into an overvalued US stock market." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBill Bonner: The Real Numbers Behind America’s Phony Recovery

Don’t Let the Fed Pick Your Pocket

"If you are one of those who believe that rates will rise when Ben Bernanke leaves office in January, think again. The new Federal Reserve chief, Janet Yellen, has no intention of boosting rates. She will certainly not be a friend to savers. During Yellen’s confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill, she acknowledged that seniors are hurt by low interest rates that are a matter of policy. However, the incoming Fed chief believes the greater good — the health of the U.S. economy — takes precedence over savers. This means that if you’re still relying on CDs and interest-bearing accounts to generate income, you’ll be slaughtered." Continue reading →

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Ukraine protests increase risks of currency crisis

"Massive protests against Viktor Yanukovich hammered Ukraine's financial markets on Monday, increasing the risk of a currency crisis as the president tries to hold on until an election in early 2015. Ukraine's debt insurance costs jumped and currency traders increased bets on a devaluation after 350,000 people protested on Sunday against Yanukovich's decision to ditch a trade pact with the European Union. Central bank Governor Ihor Sorkin backed up foreign exchange intervention by vowing to do everything needed to uphold financial stability. In an online video message, he urged savers 'to be confident in the banking system' and not to withdraw their deposits." Continue reading →

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