Economic Overviews

Have you ever wondered what money really is [and why we need to own some gold as a result]? You'll notice that everyone you read has a strong opinion , but who's right? [Let look at the situation and see if we can come to an answer that we both can agree on.] Words: 3086

A final or total catastrophe of the currency system will occur as a result of unlimited money printing that will lead to hyperinflation. Stock markets will benefit temporarily from this QE [but we expect that the] markets will fall 90% against gold in the next few years. The correction in the precious metals [will] likely [soon] be over and we should see the metals going to new highs in 2012. Words: 450

There are hundreds and hundreds of sites that post economic, financial and investment articles but, unfortunately, most of them are all about quantity of articles rather than the quality of them. As such, if you are tired of spending hours each week surfing the net or even visiting your up-to-now favourite financial site looking for articles that are extremely informative, relatively brief and very well-written then go no further than munKNEE.com. Here's why. Words: 977

Comparing the level of the Vix Index of implied equity volatility to the level of the 10-yr Treasury yield is a handy way of gauging how extreme market sentiment is. The Vix index is a good proxy for fear (because the implied volatility of options determines how expensive it is to purchase options in order to limit one's downside risk), and the 10-yr Treasury yield is a good proxy for the market's long-term outlook for growth and inflation. When you combine a high level of the Vix with a low level of the 10-yr, you have a market that is not only very fearful but also very pessimistic about the future. [IMO, however, we may well have time on our side. Here's what I mean by that.] Words: 730

A recent survey conducted by Information Management Network (IMN), global organizers of institutional finance and investment conferences, showed that, while 93.3% of respondents believe market volatility will remain the same or increase in 2012, 87% cited a consistent or increased risk appetite in the next six to 12 months with 62% investing in a variety of alternative assets. Read on for more survey findings. Words: 401

Decisive policies must be urgently put in place to stop the euro area sovereign debt crisis from spreading and to put weakening global activity back on track. [If not we can expect to see a] massive escalation in economic disruption, an increase in the risk of a credit crunch [and] the global economy tipping into a recession. Words: 834

In a speech to the Canadian Club in Toronto this past week Canada's Finance Minister Jim Flaherty urged European leaders to find a solution to their debt crisis as it has spread beyond the eurozone and into credit markets worldwide creating a "dire and pressing problem" that threatens the rest of the world with possible "social unrest and instability". Words: 870

The market believes that there is more profit to be made in speculation than in new business investment - and speculation is what you get when you weaken the incentives to invest in productive activities for the long haul. In fact, fear and uncertainty are inhibiting growth [- almost everywhere - as shown in graphic form in the 8 charts below]. Words: 1000

The Federal Reserve has a dual mandate set by Congress of maximum employment and stable prices. During Chairman Bernanke’s most recent press conference he indicated that the Federal Reserve has done a better job of maintaining price stability while falling short of fostering maximum employment. [As such,] we believe the Federal Reserve will continue to increase the monetary base and weaken the dollar as long as unemployment remains elevated. While the economy (measured by real GDP) and the unemployment rate have not benefited from a substantial increase in the monetary base, the price of gold and silver have benefited from money printing. We believe this statement is quite important for monetary policy and for investors. [Let us explain further.] Words: 388

Canadians may wish to consider the underlying trends in inflation and unemployment before making major financial decisions. Recent unemployment data in Canada shows unemployment at 7.3% [vs. 9.0% in the U.S.] and inflation rising to an uncomfortable 3.2% [vs. 3.6% in the U.S. for a Misery Index of 10.5 vs. 13.6 in the U.S.]