Economy

Where will the dollar go from here? My answer: Though currency market volatility is likely to continue, I still see a stronger dollar over the longer term. Here's why:

The American middle class, long the most affluent in the world, has lost that distinction - to Canada, no less!

We are confronted with so much information through the media and the internet that finding and processing relevant information has become quite a challenge. To remedy the situation, in part, below is an infographic that illustrates the most important facts and figures about the U. S. economy. Take a look.

The Bank of Canada took a good look at the Canadian economy, saw it was sinking into the mire, glanced at the collapsed prices of commodities, particularly oil, saw how they were wreaking havoc in Canada, and then looked at the global economy, particularly at China and the US, and freaked out with the realization (acknowledgement) that things are heading south FAST.

An unprecedented global debt bomb threatens to explode at any moment. 24 nations are currently facing a full-blown debt crisis, and there are 14 more that are rapidly heading toward one. The only “solution” under our current system is to kick the can down the road for as long as we can until this colossal debt pyramid finally collapses in upon itself and when it does it will be unlike anything that we have ever seen before.

Our economic situation is vastly misunderstood and the future adverse consequences of this misunderstanding can not be understated. To highlight the tenuous situation I present below 10 charts on the economy that highlight the "atypical" nature of our economic situation a full 73 months after the official June 2009 end of the recession. To say there is much “on the line” here would be a complete understatement.

The Bank of Canada has cut its overnight rate for the second time in the last six months - to 0.5% - and the Canadian dollar has reacted as expected, [indeed, as intended,] putting the Canadian dollar at a six-year low in terms of dollars (-10.2%) and pound sterling (-10.4%). So why the rate cuts and competitive devaluation?

Canada's real estate market has started to look eerily similar to the conditions that were present before the United States' real estate crash...This article reviews the data to compare the Canadian real estate values to the U.S. real estate market, to suggest why the Canadian real estate market is due for a significant correction.

The government needed a safe place for Chinese people to put their savings to work but the stock market turned out not to be that safe. Now the government may have to hold off on some painful reforms to keep confidence and consumption up and cash flowing through the economy and provide more time for China's 3 bubbles to pop to the country's detriment.

Looking at hard data from the bond market can help with the assessment of recession probabilities. So what is the current Treasury yield spread suggesting is the probability of a recession this year?