Change How You Look at Economic Indicators: Three Perspectives
Looking Back, Looking Forward The month of January is named after the Roman god Janus, who was imagined as having two faces: one looking toward the past, the other looking toward the future. In a...
View ArticleNew Chair, Same Fed?
In more than three hours of testimony before the House Financial Services Committee on February 11, new Federal Reserve Chair Janet L. Yellen laid out a monetary policy blueprint very similar to that...
View ArticleIf Inflation is Low, Why Are Prices High?
“Headline inflation,” as measured by changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), was a low 1.5% in 2013 and running at an annual rate of just 2.1% through June 2014.1 Yet when you go to the grocery...
View ArticleUpside Down: Tightening the Rules of Corporate Inversions
On September 22, 2014, the U.S. Treasury announced new rules making it more difficult and less profitable for U.S. companies to move their headquarters overseas through a process known as inversion....
View ArticleWatching for Inflation
Fed officials eventually need to decide when to tighten monetary policy and raise the benchmark interest rate, which has been near zero since 2008. Most Fed officials believe the first rate increase...
View ArticleIs a Strong Dollar Good for the U.S. Economy?
On January 16, 2015, the U.S. dollar reached an 11-year high in its value against the euro — part of a trend that has seen the value of the dollar rise steadily against the currencies of major U.S....
View ArticleThe Problem with Projections
Last June, the Federal Reserve lowered its 2014 forecast for economic growth from 3% to between 2.1% and 2.3%, after data indicated that a particularly harsh winter caused U.S. gross domestic product...
View ArticleKey Indicators Signal Progress for the U.S. Economy
Data from government and private-sector reports can generate tantalizing headlines for the business media. And lately, nearly six years after the official end of the Great Recession, the good news is...
View ArticleBouncing Back: Key Indicators Signal Progress for the U.S. Economy
Data from government and private-sector reports can generate tantalizing headlines for the business media. And lately, nearly six years after the official end of the Great Recession, the good news is...
View ArticleA Grain of Salt – Or is it Oil?
Have you ever heard that oil and gold prices are related to the value of the U.S. Dollar? One thing that is always pointed out in the news is that somehow there is a strong relationship between those...
View ArticleThe 20 Things Only Highly Successful Stock Investors Understand
Over the past two decades we’ve learned many lessons from not only our own experience, but from other successful investors. In this video I discuss “The 20 Things Only Highly Successful Stock Investors...
View ArticleIs There Opportunity in Europe?
You may have noticed that European currencies has been under pressure recently. In this video, I discuss what is on our radar screen in Europe, emerging markets and equity investments. I discuss...
View ArticleGlobalism is Protectionism in Disguise
We are witnessing a public revolt against “globalism” in the EU. Voters see it as a tangled web of politics that can kill their economy and culture. Can you be in favor of free market capitalism and...
View ArticleParty Like Its 1999!
Remember the 1990’s? We had a huge bull market and technology was booming. Watch this video for lessons learned from the 90’s and how it can help us be better investors today.
View ArticleWhat’s on My Radar: The Economy, China, Taxes, Credit Scores, UPS, and Oil...
Macro Overview Political turmoil was not able to derail market momentum in May as the three major market indices continued on their upward trajectory. Delayed passage of stimulus driven legislation is...
View ArticleWhat’s on My Radar – July 2017
Macro Overview International markets reacted in June as central banks throughout Europe and Asia signaled that monetary stimulus efforts were slowly being dispatched. The news propped up European...
View ArticleBeef Prices, the Fed to Sell Bonds, and Demographics
Macro Overview Markets seemed undeterred by political indecisiveness in Washington surrounding healthcare reform, which could affect upcoming tax reform in the fall that is hinged on the ability of...
View ArticleMore Homes For Sale, Less Homes Sold – Housing Market
Update Dynamics within the housing market are a result of wages, consumer sentiment, interest rates, and the economic environment. Over the past year, the number of homes for sale and the number of...
View ArticleHow The Debt Ceiling Came About – Historical Note
Formally known as the statutory debt limit, the United States debt ceiling or debt limit is a legislative restriction on the amount of national debt that can be issued by the Treasury. The debt limit...
View ArticleEuro Getting Stronger, Dollar Getting Weaker – Currency Update
The euro jumped above 1.20 for the first time in 2 1/2 years, as weaker than expected U.S. economic data boosted European growth forecasts. The common currency has been rising for several months on the...
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