Wall Street adviser: Actual unemployment is 37.2%, 'misery index' worst in 40 years … Don't believe the happy talk coming out of the White House, Federal Reserve and Treasury Department when it comes to the real unemployment rate and the true "Misery Index." – Washington ExaminerDominant Social Theme: There's nothing wrong with the US economy that the coming r...Read More
Crippled eurozone to face fresh debt crisis this year, warns ex-ECB strongman Axel Weber … Ex-Bundesbank head Alex Weber expects fresh market attacks on eurozone this year and economist Kenneth Rogoff says the euro was a "giant historic mistake." … A top panel of experts in Davos has poured cold water on claims that the European crisis is over, warning that the eurozone remai...Read More
Wall Street adviser: Actual unemployment is 37.2%, 'misery index' worst in 40 years … Don't believe the happy talk coming out of the White House, Federal Reserve and Treasury Department when it comes to the real unemployment rate and the true "Misery Index." – Washington ExaminerDominant Social Theme: There's nothing wrong with the US economy that the coming r...Read More
IMF Raises Global Outlook as Advanced Nations Accelerate … The International Monetary Fund raised its forecast for global growth this year as expansions in the U.S. and U.K. accelerate, and urged advanced economies to maintain monetary accommodation to strengthen the recovery. – BloombergDominant Social Theme: The IMF speaks and the world listens.Free-Market Analysis: When did IMF utte...Read More
All that glitters: Century-old gold benchmark faces overhaul … Gold-fixing refers to a ritual dating back to 1919 in which banks speak by phone from a couple of minutes to more than an hour about buying and selling gold. … Banks are considering an overhaul of London's century-old gold benchmark used by miners, jewellers and central banks to buy, sell and value the precious metal, a...Read More
IMF Raises Global Outlook as Advanced Nations Accelerate … The International Monetary Fund raised its forecast for global growth this year as expansions in the U.S. and U.K. accelerate, and urged advanced economies to maintain monetary accommodation to strengthen the recovery. – BloombergDominant Social Theme: The IMF speaks and the world listens.Free-Market Analysis: When did IMF utte...Read More
All that glitters: Century-old gold benchmark faces overhaul … Gold-fixing refers to a ritual dating back to 1919 in which banks speak by phone from a couple of minutes to more than an hour about buying and selling gold. … Banks are considering an overhaul of London's century-old gold benchmark used by miners, jewellers and central banks to buy, sell and value the precious metal, a...Read More
Money Reporter, MPL Communications Inc.133 Richmond St.W., Toronto, ON, M5H 3M8. 1-800-804-8846What to do about common stocks We experienced a nice little year-end rally in Canadian stocks. Over the past four weeks, ending with January 3, 2014, the S&P/TSX Composite Index rose 3.22%, its biggest four-week gain since early November. Over the same period this past month our list of Recommended Co...Read More
Obamacare At 'Significant' Risk of 'Death Spiral,' Economist Warns … Economist John Goodman, who warned last October that Obamacare could plunge into a "death spiral" if not enough young, healthy people signed up for coverage, says that danger is now "significant" following news that the Obama administration failed to hit its young adult enrollment target....Read More
Ex-DEA agent jumps jobs to join marijuana investment firm … In a decade with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Patrick Moen rose to supervise a team of agents busting methamphetamine and heroin rings in Oregon – before giving it all up to join the nascent legal marijuana industry in nearby Washington state. In November, the former federal drug agent quit his post to work for a marij...Read More
Obamacare At 'Significant' Risk of 'Death Spiral,' Economist Warns … Economist John Goodman, who warned last October that Obamacare could plunge into a "death spiral" if not enough young, healthy people signed up for coverage, says that danger is now "significant" following news that the Obama administration failed to hit its young adult enrollment target....Read More
Ex-DEA agent jumps jobs to join marijuana investment firm … In a decade with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Patrick Moen rose to supervise a team of agents busting methamphetamine and heroin rings in Oregon – before giving it all up to join the nascent legal marijuana industry in nearby Washington state. In November, the former federal drug agent quit his post to work for a marij...Read More
The rise of the climate change denier: New figures find 23% of Americans do not believe global warming is happening Research found 63 percent do believe in climate change 53 percent are 'somewhat' or 'very' worried about the consequences Change believed to be in response to coverage of IPCC talks – Daily Mail OnlineDominant Social Theme: Climate change is real. The majority b...Read More
Hedge Funds Raise Gold Wagers as Goldman Sees Drop: … Hedge funds raised bullish gold wagers to the highest in eight weeks as signs of stronger Chinese demand drove prices to the longest rally since August. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. says the gains will be short-lived. – BloombergDominant Social Theme: Gold … fuggetaboutit!Free-Market Analysis: In the other article in this issue we...Read More
The rise of the climate change denier: New figures find 23% of Americans do not believe global warming is happening Research found 63 percent do believe in climate change 53 percent are 'somewhat' or 'very' worried about the consequences Change believed to be in response to coverage of IPCC talks – Daily Mail OnlineDominant Social Theme: Climate change is real. The majority b...Read More
Hedge Funds Raise Gold Wagers as Goldman Sees Drop: … Hedge funds raised bullish gold wagers to the highest in eight weeks as signs of stronger Chinese demand drove prices to the longest rally since August. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. says the gains will be short-lived. – BloombergDominant Social Theme: Gold … fuggetaboutit!Free-Market Analysis: In the other article in this issue we...Read More
Madoff/subprime – spot the difference … Bernard Madoff still has some magic. The public finds anything connected to the fraudster's case fascinating, from a prison interview to JPMorgan's agreement last week to pay $2.3 billion for Madoff-related sins. And why not? Madoff was a grandmaster of the confidence trick. But there is more to it than that. His way of doing business was...Read More
David Cameron says British Press plays 'vital' role in democracy… Media are "rowdy and tenacious", says Prime Minister, but the country is "fortunate" to have reporters who stand up to politicians. The British Press is the "linchpin of democracy", Prime Minister David Cameron has said. British newspapers are "rowdy and tenacious" and often make...Read More
Madoff/subprime – spot the difference … Bernard Madoff still has some magic. The public finds anything connected to the fraudster's case fascinating, from a prison interview to JPMorgan's agreement last week to pay $2.3 billion for Madoff-related sins. And why not? Madoff was a grandmaster of the confidence trick. But there is more to it than that. His way of doing business was...Read More
David Cameron says British Press plays 'vital' role in democracy… Media are "rowdy and tenacious", says Prime Minister, but the country is "fortunate" to have reporters who stand up to politicians. The British Press is the "linchpin of democracy", Prime Minister David Cameron has said. British newspapers are "rowdy and tenacious" and often make...Read More