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  • On the Economy & Obama's Trillions

    Most (but not all) of the economic reports over the last month or so have been positive, and more and more forecasters now believe that GDP growth will be slightly positive in the 3Q. Unfortunately, we don't get our first 3Q GDP estimate until the end of October. The latest GDP estimate for the 2Q was unchanged at -1.0%, which was better than expected. I will cover the latest encouraging (and not so encouraging) economic news just below.

    Next, on Friday, August 21, the Obama administration quietly announced that the White House Office of Management & Budget revised upward its long-term federal deficit projections to fall in line with those of the Congressional Budget Office. The White House finally admitted that its economic assumptions were too optimistic - to the tune of $2 trillion over the next 10 years. So now it's official - even President Obama admits he will more than double the national debt in the next 10 years, which will likely lead to another financial crisis.

    ...

  • Is The Recession Over? Don't Bet On It

    Over the last month, we have seen several encouraging economic reports: 2Q GDP was down considerably less than expected (-1.0%); the unemployment rate officially fell slightly in July to 9.4%; and the ISM manufacturing index posted a nice improvement last month. As a result, many forecasters have declared that the recession is over. This week, we will look at the latest economic reports which suggest that we've seen the worst of the recession, but do NOT mean the recession is over. I will also reprint excerpts from a recent economic and market analysis from Dr. John P. Hussman, of the Hussman fund family, which I think you will find interesting.

    ...

  • Recession May End But Growth Prospects Low

    Last Friday's better than expected GDP report has caused many forecasters to declare that the recession is ending. While I would say that it is still too early to declare that the recession is ending, the latest data strongly suggests that we've seen the worst of this recession and the credit crisis. Even if the recession is ending, economic growth going forward is likely to remain disappointing since the unemployment rate will continue higher for some time to come. We will look at the latest economic numbers and draw some conclusions as we go along. We will also look at the latest survey of over 100 large hedge fund managers and what they predict for the economy, stocks, interest rates, etc. It all should make for interesting reading.

    ...

  • Why This Recession Could Last Another Year

    While we have seen some encouraging economic data over the last month or so, the vast majority of reports remain negative. The housing slump is getting worse, not better, with home prices plunging a record 19% in the 1Q. The home foreclosure rate skyrocketed 46% over year-ago levels in March. Meanwhile, millions of adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) are going to "reset" to higher monthly payments over the next couple of years. And finally, the default rate on commercial real estate loans and mortgages is rising rapidly. All of this reinforces my view that this recession will last all year or longer, and this is bad news for the credit markets and the stock markets. Don't be fooled by all the talk of "green shoots" in the economy. We are not out of the woods yet....

  • Signs of the End of the Recession - Maybe

    While most of the latest economic reports remain quite bleak, we have seen a few modestly positive indicators over the last few weeks. In addition, the latest Wall Street Journal survey of 53 economists concludes - on average - that the recession will end by the 3Q of this year. If correct, that would be very good news. Yet the leading economic indicators (LEI) and the unemployment rate continue to worsen month after month. Thus, I continue to believe that we will be in this recession for the rest of this year. The Federal Reserve's latest Beige Book assessment agrees, unfortunately. This week, we will take an in-depth look at the latest on the economy, the credit crisis and when we might see an end to this recession. Finally, I will discuss the recent rally in the stock markets, and whether this is a new trend or simply a bear market rally. Let's jump in....

  • Have We Turned The Corner On The Recession?

    While the global recession and credit crisis are still in full swing, at least we have finally seen a few positive economic reports of late. Specifically, we have seen some good news in the housing sector where new and existing home sales actually increased nicely in February, following months and months of decline. We also saw an unexpected jump in durable goods orders for last month. These reports, along with the nice jump in the stock markets, have led several noted forecasters to suggest that we've seen the bottom in the recession and the worst of the credit crisis. I am not so convinced.

    We will also take a close look at Treasury Secretary Geithner's latest bank bailout plan that would partner government and private investors in a scheme to take toxic assets off of the banks' books, but there is no guarantee that this new plan will work. We'll also examine the Fed's latest plans to buy Treasury debt and more toxic assets from banks. Next, we'll examine the latest report from the Congressional Budget Office regarding President Obama's record large budget for 2010, which the CBO says will result in a massive $2.3 trillion deficit. Can I say, I told you so?

    It's a lot to cover in one letter, but I trust you will find it interesting....

  • Who Will Buy America’s Trillions In New Debt?

    Since taking office on January 20, President Barack Obama has proposed new government spending of almost $3 trillion dollars. Yes, $3 trillion consisting of his $787 billion "stimulus" package, up to $2 trillion in bank bailouts proposed by Treasury Secretary Geithner earlier this month, and another $275 billion for homeowners and mortgage companies that Obama announced last week. The question is, who is going to buy this gargantuan amount of US Treasury debt over the next few years? With the global recession, the largest foreign buyers of Treasuries, like China, Japan and Europe, may not be in a position to keep buying our debt. It now appears the US Federal Reserve will be called upon as the "lender of last resort," but the Fed will be forced to print these trillions in new money. That could trigger another round of big inflation (hyperinflation, some predict) in the coming years. This week, I will explore the implications of this record spending and borrowing. Be warned that what follows is not pretty, but it is what it is. The latest plunge in the stock markets is indicative of just how precarious the situation is. As investors, we need to understand what is happening and how to react to it. Let's get started....

  • Obama Seeks Multi-Trillion Dollar Bailouts

    This week we start with a review of the latest economic data which indicate that the recession is still deepening. Following that, we will examine the $800+ billion stimulus plan that President Obama requested and the House passed last week. Unfortunately, apprx. two-thirds of that massive plan is pork-barrel spending that will not help the economy anytime soon or at all. Next, we will look at Obama's request for $1-$2 trillion to help the banking system. And finally, we will address the fact that the Fed is gearing up to directly purchase hundreds of billions of long-term Treasury bonds in case the massive bailouts don't work. It should be a lively letter!...

  • Obama's Tax Policy: None Dare Call It Welfare

    We have recently learned the details of President-elect Obama's massive income tax overhaul, and the plan is much worse than we had anticipated. Obama's liberal tax plan would give annual tax rebates to millions of Americans who already pay NO income taxes whatsoever. Giving government tax rebate checks to those who already pay zero income taxes is nothing short of expanding the welfare state (or socialism as I prefer to call it). Worst of all, if Obama gets his massive tax plan approved, it will mean that a majority of Americans will pay little or no income taxes, while the so-called "wealthy" will foot the rest of the bill. If we reach such a point, there will be little to no chance of true tax reform for the foreseeable future. Read what follows very carefully....

  • The Recession & More Government Bailouts

    Well, the 'R' Word (recession) can now be officially used to describe the US economy since the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) declared that we have been in a recession since December of 2007. Considering the back-dated nature of NBER's announcement, we find ourselves in the midst of the third longest recession since the Great Depression, with no end yet in sight. No wonder the Treasury and Fed are pulling out all of the stops to bail out the economy. This week, I'm going to discuss the current bleak economic picture, the Fed's latest bailout and the possible long-term consequences of the Fed's printing money....

  • Credit Crisis: Do Bush & Paulson Have A Clue?

    The latest about-face by Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson - abandoning the plan to buy up troubled assets from banks, and shifting to more large equity infusions - has lawmakers and investors wondering if President Bush and the Treasury have any clue as to how to solve the financial crisis. But before we get into that, we look at the latest analysis from Stratfor.com on the financial crisis we are in. And finally, we take a look at the current state of the economy and the recession. News continues to worsen, especially forecasts for 4Q GDP, which many economists and analysts now believe could be negative 4-5%. All of this continues to weigh on the stock markets, which as this is written, are threatening to make new lows....

  • The Democrats' Plan To Highjack Your 401(k)

    Well, election day is upon us. While the mainstream media would have us believe that the results are a foregone conclusion in Obama's favor, recent polls have indicated a narrowing of his lead over McCain in some battleground states. Obviously, we'll all just have to wait and see how the votes turn out. In the meantime, I think it's important that we conservatives notice some of the trial balloons that are being floated by the Democratic leadership. One recent proposal that would eliminate the favorable tax treatment of 401(k) plans shows us that, no matter how the election turns out, we have plenty to fear from the liberals who are already in office....

  • On The Economy And Active Management

    Recent economic reports continue to signal an economy that is spiraling into a recession. How deep and how long that recession may be is anyone's guess, but I think it's beyond question that a major slowdown is in our future. Of course, this also means sluggish corporate earnings, a depressed stock market and a lower demand for goods and services. With trillions of dollars of wealth now devoured by the subprime monster, the natural question is how to invest in an uncertain market. Fortunately, we have the answer for you as I will explain this week after reviewing some economic data. This is not an E-Letter that you'll want to miss....

  • Might Uncle Sam Make Money On The Bailout?

    The entire country is in a tizzy over the massive government bailout plan. The credit markets have seized up even further, risking a real credit crisis or worse. Banks are dropping like flies. Yet the $700+ billion bailout was voted down yesterday in the House of Representatives. But it is far from dead. This week, I will summarize the latest bailout plan, both the good and the bad and the risks. Actually, there are some smart people who believe the government will make money on the bailout plan, maybe a lot of money. I'll explain that as well, although I don't necessarily agree. Hopefully, this week's discussion will be helpful. Let's jump in....

  • The Recession & What To Do About It

    The US economy has held up better than most analysts expected for the first part of this year. But it does look like economic growth will go negative for at least the next 2-3 quarters, meaning a mild recession is likely in the months ahead. Meanwhile, inflation is definitely on the rise, what with energy and food prices exploding. The obvious question is, what will the Fed do? This week, we investigate the economic outlook in detail for the next year or so, the trends in inflation and how the Fed may react. More importantly, the investment outlook for the next several years is one of modest returns at best, and the risks to the downside continue to increase. At the end, I have some ideas for how to invest successfully in this high risk environment....
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