Money and Financial Lifestyle

Four year Presidential Cycle and the Equities Market Submitted by David Urban on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 When the sell off is finished the market is getting ready to embark on a strong rally into 2011 US equities have had a difficult time since April of this year as fears over a double dip recession, a stubbornly high unemployment rate, and the possibility of slowing corporate profit growth have weighed on the markets.

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Four year Presidential Cycle and the Equities Market

This is a fascinating piece on the reasons the federal government might be protecting BP.

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Why is the U.S. Government Protecting BP?

(From http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/ on August, 22, 2010) This graph shows the national Loan Performance data since 1976. January 2000 = 100

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CoreLogic: House prices flat in June, 2010

In a new report, MIT’s David Autor looks at the shifting employment landscape in America and comes to the conclusion that America’s workforce is splitting into high-paying jobs and low-paying jobs.

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America’s Disappearing Middle Class

The Coming Pension Crisis That Will Screw Us All by John Mauldin, Thoughts from the Frontline A report just out from the Center for Policy Analysis, by Courtney Collins and Andrew J. Rettenmaier (solid academic types from Mercer University and Texas A&M respectively), that indicates that state and local pension funds are drastically underfunded

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The Coming Pension Crisis, by John Mauldin

It had to happen… after direct government intervention in banking, insurance and auto manufacturing, and Fed bailouts of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Obama Administration has decided that the only way to get the economy moving is to reduce mortgage balances for underwater homeowners, by forgiving a portion of the balances of mortgages held by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac…

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An August Surprise from Obama? by James Pethokoukis

The Obama Agenda and the Enthusiasm Gap August 3, 2010 A stimulus too small to significantly reduce unemployment, a TARP that didn’t trickle down to Main Street, financial reform that doesn’t fundamentally restructure Wall Street, and health-care reforms that don’t promise to bring down health-care costs have all created an enthusiasm gap. They’ve fired up the right, demoralized the left, and generated unease among the general population.

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The Obama Agenda and the Enthusiasm Gap

Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index July 31, 2010 The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index for July is 67.8, down significantly from the June reading of 76.0. The survey’s chief economist, Richard Curtin, summarizes: Scarce jobs and stagnating incomes have been the top concerns of consumers for some time. What changed in July was their recognition that the anticipated slowdown in the economy will keep jobs scarce for some time, while their uncertainties about future prospects were increased by the policies of the Obama administration

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Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index… down for July, 2010

Corporate Profits Are Up Because of the Unemployment Crisis by Derek Thompson, staff editor at TheAtlantic.com Blogger’s comment: About twenty years ago, China and corporate America made an unspoken deal… China would take the jobs and corporate America would take the profits.

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Corporate Profits Are Up Because of the Unemployment Crisis

Consumers, Wall Street disagree on economy Confidence waning in households even as earnings help boost stock market By Anne D’Innocenzio, Associated Press updated 7/27/2010 6:54:08 PM ET WASHINGTON — The disconnect between Wall Street and Main Street is growing. Americans’ confidence in the economy faded further in July, according to a monthly survey released Tuesday, amid job worries and skimpy wage growth

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Consumers, Wall Street disagree on economy, 7/27/2010