The end game of global leveraged debt – double-digit percentage point market declines in Europe and Japan and the danger of refinancing debt with longer term debt.
There is a painful realization that shifting debt around like a game of musical chairs has little merit unless real production is achieved as an end result. May was a disappointing month for markets in general. While the S&P 500 certainly fell, markets in Japan and Europe took double-digit declines. The massive amount of leverage [...]
Saying goodbye to the middle class concept of retirement – many workers plan to work up until they are 80 well beyond the typical life expectancy of Americans. How long will $25,000 last in retirement?
The romantic concept of being able to retire on a sunny beach with endless drinks is a modern notion largely pushed by mainstream advertising. It is hard for many middle class Americans to imagine a world where retirement is a luxury for the very few. However that is the path we are now following. The [...]
Educated and unemployed – majority of unemployed Americans attended some college. Top degrees in fields with little employment demand.
The higher education bubble is racing along to a tipping point especially when the value of a college education is now being questioned on multiple fronts. One of the more prominent arguments being thrown around is the return on investment or value of a college degree especially when the costs of attending a private institution [...]
Using the young as a shield for hitting the deficit spending wall – the bill will come due for the young. Government spending prioritizes old American immediate needs and will send the bill to the young.
The level of government spending is mind boggling but has taken a backseat to the issues being experienced over in Europe. We are running trillion dollar deficits as if this was somehow customary in our history. For each dollar spent we are seeing less of a result in the real economy. Part of the issue [...]
Who will pay for the massive US public debt? 30 percent of those with incomes above $10 million audited.
Now that tax seasons is mostly finished for your average American and people can exhale and take a breather, some interesting data is released by the IRS. Audit data is fascinating because it highlights that in terms of those getting an audit, the more you make the more likely you are to be audited. It [...]
The curious calculus of the US employment numbers – Decline of 2.4 million in extended and emergency unemployment benefits coincides with 2.2 million rise in disability benefits. Last time we had 8.1 percent unemployment rate we had 14,000,000 fewer Americans on food stamps.
The math on the employment situation in the US simply does not compute. Over the last few years, many have escaped the employment market by diving into massive student loan debt. This looks good for the employment figures since these people are not counted as part of the workforce. The headline unemployment rate of 8.1 [...]
The wrecking ball of hidden inflation and Fed based strategies – food inflation far outpacing overall inflation and eating away at the purchasing power of 46,000,000 Americans on food stamps.
The Federal Reserve has openly called for a steady growth of inflation. This almost dogmatic view on inflation is problematic because it is detached to the lack of wage growth being experienced by working and middle class families. What you do not hear articulated from the Fed is that they would like to encourage wage [...]
How to bankrupt a generation of young Americans in four steps – young Americans living at home surges by 50 percent from 2005.
The viable pathway for success for many young Americans seems to have gotten very narrow in the last decade. The opportunities for many young workers have become mired with an economy that is largely in a deep recession with limited quality positions. Many are saddled with debt and taking on employment positions that may not [...]
The chicanery between the Fed and ECB – twin balance sheets near peak levels and many European nations back in recession. Methods of understating US unemployment rates.
The Fed and ECB (European Central Bank) have taken notes from the exact playbook in dealing with the global financial crisis. People tend to believe that these are somehow fully set government agencies but in reality, they are designed to protect their number one constituency group. The Fed and ECB have the primary mission of [...]
Contagion and the viral spreading of debt based systems – CEO pay at regional banks surge on average to $10.5 million thanks to bailouts while austerity is forced onto the middle class.
The biggest economy in the world just reached a new peak with their unemployment rate. We are not talking about the United States but the massive block in the Eurozone. The unemployment rate in the 17 country block reached a new all-time high at 10.9 percent as austerity measures are being used to combat massive [...]
