Economic Overviews

Is a second recession in so short of a time in the offing? It certainly seems that way. The hope for a continued recovery has grown dim lately as many of the economic indexes are moving towards contractionary territory... There are several concerns pressing the U.S. economy and, in the words of David Rosenberg, chief economist at Gluskin Sheff, "one small shock" could send us into a second recession. [We, for our part, believe that even] another round of Quantitative Easing by the Fed...may not be enough to offset the real problems facing the U.S. economy. [Let's take a closer look.] Words: 1295

The Depart of Transportation's Federal Highway Commission has released the latest report on Traffic Volume Trends data through May. The lead observation is that travel on all roads and streets declined by -1.9% (-5.0 billion vehicle miles) for May 2011 as compared with May 2010. [Let's take a look at some graphs to illustrate the trend going back to 1971.] Words: 370

The United States and most of Europe...risk an eruption and collapse of the mountain of unsustainable sovereign debt built up over the last two decades. Frankly, the U.S. dollar and national debt situation is so dire - and our means to contain a sovereign debt crisis so limited by multiple wars and Washington's debt and political incompetence at home - that anything could happen, almost overnight. [The best] America and most European governments and the central banking elites, which created the criminal sovereign debt fiasco, [appear able to do is] try to buy more time and delay the inevitable. This inaction means the threat of an immediate US debt and dollar collapse cannot be ruled out. Therefore, readers who have not protected themselves certainly have cause to worry because now could be too late. [Let me explain further.] Words: 1689

Do not raise the debt-ceiling. You heard me: block the debt ceiling vote. Don’t raise it. America’s out-of-control, a debt addict. It is time to detox - to deal with the collateral damage [now] before it’s too late. We need to fix America’s looming credit default, failing economy and our screwed-up banking system now - with a Good Depression. If we just kick the can down the road one more time, we’ll be trapped into repeating our 1930’s tragedy - a second Great Depression. [Let me explain.] Words: 1422

A predictive software program called Senturion, developed for the U.S. military and sporting a 85% accuracy rate, has concluded that Greece is going to default. [Let me explain further.] Words: 244

If you thought the global financial crisis of 2008 was difficult, wait till the sequel comes to your doorstep...An unprecedented financial storm of unknown scope and dimension is upon us...there is a civilization-scale catastrophe taking place and there will be little or no recovery from it for as far as the eye can see into the future. Words: 1450

SocGen has published a fantastic, must read, big picture report which compares the world in the 1980/1985-2000/2005 time period and juxtaposes it to what the author, Veronique Riches-Flores, predicts will happen over... the period from 2005/2010 to 2025/2030. She sees dramatic changes but, unfortunately, they will not be pretty. Let's take a look at what the report has to say about the future. Words: 3025

Many people missed the market’s enormous appreciation during the latest equity bull market because they were late to the game or chose to sit on the sidelines. If you’re one of those people on the sidelines who has been debating whether to get your feet wet in today’s market—now could be your chance. Citigroup says there’s roughly a 90% chance markets could move higher over the next six months—and a 97% chance over the next year—according to historical data. On average, the market bounces 8.9% the following six months and 17.3% the following year. Words: 1292

The next crisis will be a Crisis of Faith pertaining to the US Federal Reserve... when the market begins to realize that the Fed CANNOT backstop the entire financial system (it never could but most people hoped regardless) - and...when this happens, THEN the REAL crisis will hit and it will make 2008 look like a picnic. Bernanke has [already] admitted publicly that he’s clueless [as to] what’s going on [and this] is a MAJOR step towards the world realizing that he’s lost control. [As such,] if you’re not taking steps now to prepare for what’s coming, you need to start moving. [The REAL crisis is coming - soon! Let me explain.] Words: 1018

A hurricane of debt, deficit, and demographics is heading to the shores of all developed economies. With it will come high inflation rates, high costs for credit, low growth rates, and weakening developed country currency value. Ben Bernanke in a helicopter will not stop the hurricane’s devastating path. More stimulus packages will not stop it. Blaming the Chinese for lending us too much money will not stop it. Pretending that the storm isn’t coming will most assuredly not stop it. It threatens to derail the lukewarm economic recovery and to alter forever the heretofore path of robust growth for the developed world. In a sense, debt, deficit, and demographics will reset the world to a “New Normal”. Words: 3341