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As Americans ponder the health care reform initiatives now coming from Congress and the Obama Administration, I want to say a few words about what the subject means to me.
America is often touted as the richest country in the world.  It is certainly a rich nation with an advanced economy.  As such, certain basic services [...]

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La tercera petrolera china ofrece 12000 millones por la filial argentina de Repsol – Finanzas
The Chinese are all over the natural resource sector. CNPC has offered $17 billion for Repsol YPF assets in Argentina. Now CNOOC another Chinese oil company is also interested.

El paro baja en 55250 personas el mayor descenso en ocho años en [...]

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Credit in Spain is contracting at an unprecedented rate, down 33% in the first quarter as Spain faces a housing bust and near 20% unemployment. Below is my translation of part of a Spanish-language article explaining the situation.
Consumer credit fell by 33.7% in the first quarter, to €5.796 billion, and late payments rose to 17.54%, [...]

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Apparently the answer to this question is yes.  CNBC is reporting that home ‘owners’ who refinance their mortgages through loans backed by Fannie and Freddie will be able to borrow up to 125% of their homes’ value (hat tip Marshall Auerback).  That’s not a typo: we’re talking no-money down and 25% cash back.  Sign me [...]

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The June 2009 Manufacturing ISM Report On Business® came out today and we saw yet another rise in the PMI to 44.8.  While equity markets in the U.S. seemed pretty pleased that the numbers continue to go up, I found this report a bit troubling.  Let me tell you why.
Back on January 2nd, we saw [...]

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FT Alphaville is reporting that the credit rating agency Fitch puts credit card losses at 10.4% of outstanding loans.  This is a record.  Bad news if you are a credit card company.  So, what does one do in that situation?  You raise rates on customers that are paying, silly.
Citi’s rate increases emerged on the day [...]

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I happened upon an article about shops being closed in France that highlighted a larger issue about cultural attitudes in the U.S. and Europe regarding work, leisure and material wealth.  I would like to share some thoughts with you on these issues because I think they are significant in regards to savings, debt and other [...]

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George Soros believes regulators “will always be wrong.” But, he does not feel that gives them an excuse to fall asleep at the wheel. In this video conversation with the Wall Street Journal’s Alan Murray, Soros makes the case for regulatory reform, citing the need to expand beyond targeting money supply because “markets have moods.”
 
The [...]

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PIMCO, the world’s largest bond fund, has a new investment outlook by Founder Bill Gross. In it he says that we are in a long-term lower growth pattern as the asset-based economy of yore has melted away.  He warns that this means risky assets should not be one’s investments of choice.
Here are a few choice [...]

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Of late, there have been a lot of worries about he potential for inflation in the U.S.  Marc Faber is the most noted pundit in this regard. Over-the-top comments he made back in May about hyperinflation in the U.S. may have been a catalyst for all of the inflation talk. See my post Marc Faber: [...]