The following article by Lynn Carpenter shows an interesting correlation between currency appreciation (or depreciation) and stock market returns. London is a money town. It has been the center of the whole Western world’s currency transactions for three centuries. Until 1945, the British pound sterling was the world’s primary reserve currency. The pound is less popular than the dollar or euro now. But whatever currency is king, London is likely to bank it, trade it and exchange it. London bankers and brokers were old in the business when the New York Stock Exchange was born under a buttonwood tree on Wall Street. London bankers and fund managers were master investors when U.S. stock … [Read more...]
The Real Basket of Goods
I recently received the following from Ed Devol, "When I try to educate people about the impact of inflation, I find putting it in terms of time worked for something is a good way of explaining inflation". Thanks, Ed. I agree, when I am deciding whether to purchase something, I like to think of it in terms of how many hours I have to work to buy it. (It helps keep it "real"). In addition economists often link how many hours the average person has to work to eat. A poor country might require eight hours of work a day just to eat. While a rich country might require only 1 hour a day. So you might like the following article by Lynn Carpenter as she tracks prices and earnings over the last 60 … [Read more...]
Credential Inflation: Bachelor’s Degree Not Enough
In today's tumultuous economic climate, when we hear the term "inflation" we think money and a failing economy our minds immediately turn to expenses, debt, and money woes. Rarely, however, do our minds turn to college degrees and job prospects. On July 22, 2011 Laura Pappano from The New York Times published an article titled The Master's as the New Bachelor's. Introducing into the public mindset the concept of "credential inflation" and "degree inflation", this article has caused quite the hoopla in the academic world and many a panic attack among 20 somethings throughout the country. Pappano suggests that there is a certain amount of credential inflation occurring throughout the job … [Read more...]
Does The “FED” Really Just Print Money?
Printing Money, Quantitative Easing, Money Supply and Currency in Circulation--- how do they relate? Today we are looking at an excellent explanation on the FED's money printing process by James Hamilton, economist of the University of California, San Diego. Did the Federal Reserve really print a Trillion dollars in their Quantitative Easing program? Did that increase the money supply by a Trillion dollars? He presents some interesting charts on currency in circulation versus currency reserves. Tim McMahon, editor … [Read more...]
Inflation and Velocity of Money
How do you define inflation? In some ways it's a slippery thing, like trying to nail Jell-O to a tree. One common definition amounts to "a general and sustained rise in the price of goods and services." Another is "a persistent decline in the purchasing power of money." Others argue that inflation is directly tied to the money supply. That is to say, they believe a substantial rise in the money supply is the same thing as inflation. (This is one small step removed from Milton Friedman’s old assertion: "Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon.") Why is the debate important? Because of the infamous chart you see below (courtesy of hedge fund QB Partners and the St. Louis … [Read more...]
The Case For Hyper-Deflation
by Carl BlackIn all of history, there has never been an episode of hyperinflation that involved a currency that exists primarily as digits stored electronically in accounting programs. Money is defined and decreed by government as being Federal Reserve Notes and Coins issued by the U.S. Mint, backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. The issue of what constitutes money within the United States is established by law and a matter of publicly accessible record and held as common knowledge. Credit is defined as the provision of resources (such as granting a loan) by one party to another party where that second party does not reimburse the first party immediately, thereby … [Read more...]
Where is Gold Going From Here?
In today's editorial, David Banister takes a look at Gold and where it could be going. He provides an excellent possible scenario that matches with my views and experience exactly. He is projecting a rally to the $1500 range with a pull back from there and a major take-off for the final wave to the blow-off top from there. This is exactly what we would expect based on Elliottwave patterns. Tim McMahon- editor How long and how high for Gold, and how to play it David Banister-www.MarketTrendForecast.com Regular readers of my articles on Gold over the past few years know that I have a theory on this Gold Bull market. In summary, it’s that we are in a 13 Fibonacci year uptrend that … [Read more...]
The Housing Bubble Revisited
What really makes a bubble? Are bursting bubbles inflationary or deflationary? What lessons can we learn from history? In this article Justice Litle addresses these issues. ~Tim McMahon, editor By Justice Litle, Editorial Director, Taipan Publishing Group A burst housing bubble is a harbinger of deflation, not inflation, due to massive debts incurred and massive savings lost. To really get your head around the inflation debate, it helps to understand the late great housing bubble. To that end, this description seems as informative as they come: The smell of Boom was everywhere. It caught even those who were not particularly attracted by it. A former president of Freddie Mac, … [Read more...]
Hyperinflation in Weimar Germany vs. The U.S. Now
Postcards From Weimar Germany Justice Litle, Editorial Director, Taipan Publishing Group Monday, September 20, 2010 The Weimar Republic is perhaps the quintessential example of hyperinflation. But the buildup took longer than one might think. Walter Levy is a German-born oil consultant. His father, a German lawyer, took out a life insurance policy in 1903. Every month he had made the payments faithfully," recounts Levy. "It was a twenty-year policy, and when it came due, he cashed it in and bought a single loaf of bread. Such was life in the German Weimar Republic. Things got so bad there for a while, dentists and doctors stopped asking for currency, seeking … [Read more...]
The Con of the Century
By deepcaster.com “…In essence, these private banks and corporations now own the revenue stream of the Federal government and its taxpayers. Neat con, and the marks will never understand how "saving our financial system" led to their servitude to the very interests they bailed out. … [Read more...]
