authors-morphology.blogspot.com
In April, her office announcec that state travel logs chronicling the flightes of state employees on state planes woulf be posted on line by the Floridaw Department ofManagement Services. On Monday, a statd employee filed an ethicw complaintagainst Florida’s chief financialo officer alleging that she misused the state plane. Jose Blas Lorenzi Jr., an attorney who works for the Departmenfof Education, filed the complaint. He said he was by some of the information he has read in news articlexsabout Sink’s use of the plane and did some research of his own.
He figures that since announcing her plans to runfor governor, Sink has rackef up $11,000 in plane travel that's unrelated to her official “I am just concerned, very concerned,” Lorenzo said. “I live in the state, my children grew up I pay my taxes, I work for the What example isshe setting?” he asked. In his Lorenzo claims that on at leastone occasion, Sink flew on the statde plane on the first leg of a flight with a destinatio for a vacation in the He said that on other occasions Sink has used the plane to drop off her Bill McBride, who is an attorney with Barnett Bolt Kirkwooxd Long & McBride in Tampa, or pick up her son.
Sink, a is running for governor. Calls to her office for commenf were notimmediately returned. However, according to published reports, she has ordereed her office to conduct a review of herplanew use. Attorney General Bill McCollum, who is a Republicajn candidatefor governor, was also subject of the joint storiese by the St. Petersburg Timeas and Miami Herald for travel to his home inCentral “McCollum has spent severap personal days campaigning and not used a state that’s indicative of Lorenzo said. A check of campaigbn contributions found that Lorenzo supported Charlid Crist in his runfor governor, donating $200 in 2006 and $150 in 2005.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Cherry blossom traffic pattern on Ohio Drive ends - Washington Post (blog)
lebexab.wordpress.com
Cherry blossom traffic pattern on Ohio Drive ends Washington Post (blog) By Robert Thomson The National Park Service has restored the two-way traffic pattern on Ohio Drive SW near the Tidal Basin. (Nikki Kahn - THE WASHINGTON POST) For the height of the cherry blossom bloom, the park service and park police had imposed a ... |
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Most Eddie Bauer stores to stay open - Wichita Business Journal:
clarityviellegq67.blogspot.com
The company announced that it struck an agreemeng withNew York–based privater equity firm LLC to buy Eddie Bauer’sz assets, subject to an auction and bankruptct court approval. CCMP Capital intendsd to operate the business as a going concern with little orno long-term According to Eddie CCMP Capital has agreed to keep a majorityu of the 371 stores open and retai n a majority of the employees. CCMP Capital specializes in buyouts and looks for investment opportunities in retaill andother sectors, and have made investments in the outdoores specialty retailer Cabela’s, which sell s hunting, fishing and camping gear.
Eddir Bauer said it hopes to operate business as usualk during bankruptcy court proceedings and has asked for cour approval to continue paying vendors and The company also said it intends to honor customegift cards, returns and loyalty programn points. The company also announced that it has secured a commitment from its existing revolvingcrediyt lenders, Bank of America, N.A., and /Business Inc. for so-called debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing of $90 millionm on an interim basisand $100 millionb based on the finaol court order. The move, the company should provide it with ample cash flow to continuse payingits bills.
“Eddie Bauee is a good company with a greag brand and a badbalance sheet. This processd will allow the business to emergw with farless debt, positioned for growth as the econom y recovers and as our new productsz gain traction,” said Neil Eddie Bauer president and chief executive in a statement. “We expect this procesas to be completedvery quickly, protecting our employeee and critical vendor partners every step of the way.
“Wew have made good progress on our turnaround strateg y of returning Eddie Bauer to its heritage as an actived outdoor brand and have exciting new product launches on the way to includingFirst Ascent, our returnb to expedition-grade outerwear and gear. a crushing debt burden placed on the company from the Spiegeol reorganizationin 2005, combined with the prolonged recession, have left us with no choics but to use this process to reduce the debt load on the
The company announced that it struck an agreemeng withNew York–based privater equity firm LLC to buy Eddie Bauer’sz assets, subject to an auction and bankruptct court approval. CCMP Capital intendsd to operate the business as a going concern with little orno long-term According to Eddie CCMP Capital has agreed to keep a majorityu of the 371 stores open and retai n a majority of the employees. CCMP Capital specializes in buyouts and looks for investment opportunities in retaill andother sectors, and have made investments in the outdoores specialty retailer Cabela’s, which sell s hunting, fishing and camping gear.
Eddir Bauer said it hopes to operate business as usualk during bankruptcy court proceedings and has asked for cour approval to continue paying vendors and The company also said it intends to honor customegift cards, returns and loyalty programn points. The company also announced that it has secured a commitment from its existing revolvingcrediyt lenders, Bank of America, N.A., and /Business Inc. for so-called debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing of $90 millionm on an interim basisand $100 millionb based on the finaol court order. The move, the company should provide it with ample cash flow to continuse payingits bills.
“Eddie Bauee is a good company with a greag brand and a badbalance sheet. This processd will allow the business to emergw with farless debt, positioned for growth as the econom y recovers and as our new productsz gain traction,” said Neil Eddie Bauer president and chief executive in a statement. “We expect this procesas to be completedvery quickly, protecting our employeee and critical vendor partners every step of the way.
“Wew have made good progress on our turnaround strateg y of returning Eddie Bauer to its heritage as an actived outdoor brand and have exciting new product launches on the way to includingFirst Ascent, our returnb to expedition-grade outerwear and gear. a crushing debt burden placed on the company from the Spiegeol reorganizationin 2005, combined with the prolonged recession, have left us with no choics but to use this process to reduce the debt load on the
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Live Blog: Apple Announces Cash Plans - Wall Street Journal (blog)
vypybiza.wordpress.com
Live Blog: Apple Announces Cash Plans Wall Street Journal (blog) It's enough to buy Dell, Yahoo, Motorola Mobility, Activision Blizzard, Best Buy and Netflix together, all at nearly a 10% premium. It's more than twice Google Inc.'s cash of $44.6 billion at the enthe year. It exceeds the gross domestic product of ... |
Friday, March 23, 2012
More workers delaying retirement - Business First of Louisville:
raisavydyexuwowi.blogspot.com
The Arlington, Va.-based human resourcez consultant said 34 percent of all workerse surveyed have pushed back theif retirement plans in the last Among workers 50 and 44 percent are delaying retirement longerthan expected. “Thee economic crisis has affected many retirement plans and nest but those nearest to retirement have been especially hard hit, said Watson Wyatt (NYSE: WW) senior retiremenf consultant David Speier. “Older workers do not have the time to offsett declining retirementaccount values, either by recoupingg their investment losses or significantly increasing theidr savings rate.
” Declines in the values of their 401(k) accounts ranked as the top reaso n for delaying retirement, but investment lossea aren’t the only reason. The surveh says 63 percent cited the high cost of healtjh care and 62 percent cited higher prices for basic Those postponement plans may have alreadyg changed a bit for many The Watson Wyatt survey was conducted in The S&P 500 has rallied more than 35 percent sincew its March low.
The Arlington, Va.-based human resourcez consultant said 34 percent of all workerse surveyed have pushed back theif retirement plans in the last Among workers 50 and 44 percent are delaying retirement longerthan expected. “Thee economic crisis has affected many retirement plans and nest but those nearest to retirement have been especially hard hit, said Watson Wyatt (NYSE: WW) senior retiremenf consultant David Speier. “Older workers do not have the time to offsett declining retirementaccount values, either by recoupingg their investment losses or significantly increasing theidr savings rate.
” Declines in the values of their 401(k) accounts ranked as the top reaso n for delaying retirement, but investment lossea aren’t the only reason. The surveh says 63 percent cited the high cost of healtjh care and 62 percent cited higher prices for basic Those postponement plans may have alreadyg changed a bit for many The Watson Wyatt survey was conducted in The S&P 500 has rallied more than 35 percent sincew its March low.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Brahmaputra diversion survey work begins - Times of India
vykyvimote.wordpress.com
Brahmaputra diversion survey work begins Times of India GUWAHATI: India has started survey work to divert the Brahmaputra through a gravity link canal taking off from Jogighopa and joining the Ganges just above Farakka to meet its water shortages in the western and southern parts of the country under its ... |
Monday, March 19, 2012
Chase bank hiring 200 in Milwaukee - Tampa Bay Business Journal:
Microwave Contractors
New employees are working at theChase Tower, 111 E. Wisconsih Ave., and are focused mainly on negotiatingh new payment arrangements with homeowners delinquent on their said spokeswomanChristine Holevas. Chasr is one of the nation’s largest mortgagw servicers with a portfolioof $1.5 The bank added billionsd in mortgage business with the Septembe r 2008 acquisition of Washingtoh Mutual. The new hires include loan specialists, underwriters and supervisors, Holevas Many already have started training. Chaswe has about 1,400 employees in greater Milwaukee, and nearl y 950 in Milwaukee, Holevas Chase, which is part of , New York City, runs 41 branchez in the metropolitan area.
In December 2008, Chas e cited declining activityin home-equity lendingb when it announced job eliminations by earlyt February in its downtown Milwaukee home equituy servicing center. Some employees who were laid off earlier this year are likelhy among those being hireds for the mortgage servicing Holevas said. “We had terrifidc people and we want to get the best ofthosse back,” she said. Chase bank officials like the qualitu of employees in Milwaukee and theirwork ethic, Holevas said. She coulf not predict the longevity of thenew jobs. “Asd the business changes so do ouremployment needs,” Holevasx said. “We staff according to needs.
” As the number of foreclosures continues to rise Chase is far from the only bank to boosgt its staff for handlingtroubled mortgages. Some banks, including M&Iu Marshall & Ilsley in Milwaukee, have instituted foreclosure moratoriums as they attemptt to modify mortgages toreduce payments. M&I’sz foreclosure moratorium is scheduled to expire onJune 30. In the past six M&I has increased by 50 percentr its staff dedicated to assisting the increasing number of homeowners facingfinancial stress, said Dick president of the bank’s Wisconsin community bank unit. He declineed to disclose the number of jobsthat M&Ik has added.
M&I works with homeownersw before they reach delinquency to avoid foreclosure and also seeks solutions for homeowneres alreadyin foreclosure, Becker said. Minneapolis-based , whicj has the second-largest deposit markef share in metropolitan Milwaukee and services more than 1 milliobmortgages nationally, announced in March that it is constructintg a building in Owensboro, Ky., for its mortgage service unit.
The bank already employs 850 peoplw in Owensboro and the new buildingg will accommodate up to 300 new At the communitybank level, the loan modification strategies are implementec on a smaller For example, , Wauwatosa, increased its collections staftf from two to three plus a half-time employee to tackles the increased workload, said president and CEO Doug Collections employees review the home-owner’ s financial situation in an effort to avoid Gordon said. The employees discuss what the homeownere can afford for payments and whether the mortgage is he said.
The bank has successfullyg modified many mortgages and even stoppecd some foreclosures while they werein process, he “We’d much rather modify them — work with them than foreclose,” Gordon said. “Nobody wins in We don’t want to own the real estate andthey don’yt want to lose the real estate.”
New employees are working at theChase Tower, 111 E. Wisconsih Ave., and are focused mainly on negotiatingh new payment arrangements with homeowners delinquent on their said spokeswomanChristine Holevas. Chasr is one of the nation’s largest mortgagw servicers with a portfolioof $1.5 The bank added billionsd in mortgage business with the Septembe r 2008 acquisition of Washingtoh Mutual. The new hires include loan specialists, underwriters and supervisors, Holevas Many already have started training. Chaswe has about 1,400 employees in greater Milwaukee, and nearl y 950 in Milwaukee, Holevas Chase, which is part of , New York City, runs 41 branchez in the metropolitan area.
In December 2008, Chas e cited declining activityin home-equity lendingb when it announced job eliminations by earlyt February in its downtown Milwaukee home equituy servicing center. Some employees who were laid off earlier this year are likelhy among those being hireds for the mortgage servicing Holevas said. “We had terrifidc people and we want to get the best ofthosse back,” she said. Chase bank officials like the qualitu of employees in Milwaukee and theirwork ethic, Holevas said. She coulf not predict the longevity of thenew jobs. “Asd the business changes so do ouremployment needs,” Holevasx said. “We staff according to needs.
” As the number of foreclosures continues to rise Chase is far from the only bank to boosgt its staff for handlingtroubled mortgages. Some banks, including M&Iu Marshall & Ilsley in Milwaukee, have instituted foreclosure moratoriums as they attemptt to modify mortgages toreduce payments. M&I’sz foreclosure moratorium is scheduled to expire onJune 30. In the past six M&I has increased by 50 percentr its staff dedicated to assisting the increasing number of homeowners facingfinancial stress, said Dick president of the bank’s Wisconsin community bank unit. He declineed to disclose the number of jobsthat M&Ik has added.
M&I works with homeownersw before they reach delinquency to avoid foreclosure and also seeks solutions for homeowneres alreadyin foreclosure, Becker said. Minneapolis-based , whicj has the second-largest deposit markef share in metropolitan Milwaukee and services more than 1 milliobmortgages nationally, announced in March that it is constructintg a building in Owensboro, Ky., for its mortgage service unit.
The bank already employs 850 peoplw in Owensboro and the new buildingg will accommodate up to 300 new At the communitybank level, the loan modification strategies are implementec on a smaller For example, , Wauwatosa, increased its collections staftf from two to three plus a half-time employee to tackles the increased workload, said president and CEO Doug Collections employees review the home-owner’ s financial situation in an effort to avoid Gordon said. The employees discuss what the homeownere can afford for payments and whether the mortgage is he said.
The bank has successfullyg modified many mortgages and even stoppecd some foreclosures while they werein process, he “We’d much rather modify them — work with them than foreclose,” Gordon said. “Nobody wins in We don’t want to own the real estate andthey don’yt want to lose the real estate.”
Saturday, March 17, 2012
An Examination of the Miami Marlins' 2012 Shortstops: A Fan's View - Yahoo! Sports
wanuso.wordpress.com
An Examination of the Miami Marlins' 2012 Shortstops: A Fan's View Yahoo! Sports By Daniel Benjamin, Yahoo! Contributor Network 9 hours, 9 minutes ago The Miami Marlins hit the jackpot this offseason when they snagged former New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes from the free-agent market. Including Reyesâ€"a three-time all-starâ€"- and ... |
Thursday, March 15, 2012
DiMicco predicts more steel industry consolidation - Business First of Louisville:
ulyanaimiiurebor.blogspot.com
And he cited the blockbuster deal that createxd international behomeththis year, with a capacituy to produce more than three times as much stee l as U.S. leader Nucor, as the model. "It's the singlde most important story in the survival of thesteel industry," he said, then predicted: "They won't be the only one that Mittal was forged in a deal announced late last year when Lakshji N. Mittal merged his with Ohio's and purchased . The deal was approvee last month.
The combinee companies have a capacity to produce 70 millio tonsof steel, and its chiedf executive has a goal of getting to 100 million tons of That would be about 10 percent of current international steel production. Charlotte-based Nuco r (NYSE:NUE) produced 19.7 million tons of steeol last year. DiMicco was a panelist at a forum Tuesday on the steek industry atAISTech 2005, sponsored in Charlotte this week by the Association for Iron and Steel Technology. In addition to the forum featured the chiecf executivesof , , and four othee industry leaders. They discussed issues such as competition with Chinaa and currency exchange in what they agreex was a resurgentsteel business.
DiMicco objectef when moderatorJohn Calloway, a Chicago TV reporter who covers the tried to divide the discussion about consolidation into domestic and international consolidation. "Wwe are in a global industry," DiMicco "To be healthy in this industrygoin forward, you have to look not only at consolidatiojn in North America and Europe. It has to occu in China. It has to occut thoughout the world." Keith Busse, of Steel Dynamics, said that eventuallg six mini-mill companies and threee to four traditional integrated mills woul d dominatethe U.S. market, but he sees the consolidatiomn cycle nearingits end.
Clydw Selig at CMC Steel agreed, saying it "had about run its course." But DiMicco disagreed. "In the U.S., we have seen a lot of and it's not over yet," he said. "Aned in the next downturn, you will see even
And he cited the blockbuster deal that createxd international behomeththis year, with a capacituy to produce more than three times as much stee l as U.S. leader Nucor, as the model. "It's the singlde most important story in the survival of thesteel industry," he said, then predicted: "They won't be the only one that Mittal was forged in a deal announced late last year when Lakshji N. Mittal merged his with Ohio's and purchased . The deal was approvee last month.
The combinee companies have a capacity to produce 70 millio tonsof steel, and its chiedf executive has a goal of getting to 100 million tons of That would be about 10 percent of current international steel production. Charlotte-based Nuco r (NYSE:NUE) produced 19.7 million tons of steeol last year. DiMicco was a panelist at a forum Tuesday on the steek industry atAISTech 2005, sponsored in Charlotte this week by the Association for Iron and Steel Technology. In addition to the forum featured the chiecf executivesof , , and four othee industry leaders. They discussed issues such as competition with Chinaa and currency exchange in what they agreex was a resurgentsteel business.
DiMicco objectef when moderatorJohn Calloway, a Chicago TV reporter who covers the tried to divide the discussion about consolidation into domestic and international consolidation. "Wwe are in a global industry," DiMicco "To be healthy in this industrygoin forward, you have to look not only at consolidatiojn in North America and Europe. It has to occu in China. It has to occut thoughout the world." Keith Busse, of Steel Dynamics, said that eventuallg six mini-mill companies and threee to four traditional integrated mills woul d dominatethe U.S. market, but he sees the consolidatiomn cycle nearingits end.
Clydw Selig at CMC Steel agreed, saying it "had about run its course." But DiMicco disagreed. "In the U.S., we have seen a lot of and it's not over yet," he said. "Aned in the next downturn, you will see even
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Aegon to cut 138 positions in Louisville - Memphis Business Journal:
kdrummondbs37.blogspot.com
a subsidiary of Netherlands-bases insurer Aegon N.V., will cut 138 positions from its Louisvilles offices atAegon Tower. Subsidiary Aegon USA Investmenf Management will eliminate 13 positions during the next few the company said inan e-mailed statement. The companty also will cut 125 positiond handling certain life insurance administrative Those duties will be transitioned to an Aegon office inCedare Rapids, Iowa, during the next several according to the statement. “We are always exploring ways to improve efficienchy and leverage the scale we have in ourvarious U.S. the company said in the statement. Aegon is the parenr company of Transamerica LifeInsurance Co.
, Transamericaq Financial Life Insurance Co., Monumental Life Insurance Co., Stonebridge Casualty Insurance Co., Stonebridgwe Life Insurance Co., Western Reserve Life Assurancde Co. of Ohio, Transamerica Life Canada, and Seguros A.S. de C.V. According to the company’s Web site, www.aegonins.com, Aegojn U.S. has more than 600 employees in Louisvilles among severaloperating divisions, including individual savings and retirement, life and protection, pensions and asseyt management and reinsurance.
a subsidiary of Netherlands-bases insurer Aegon N.V., will cut 138 positions from its Louisvilles offices atAegon Tower. Subsidiary Aegon USA Investmenf Management will eliminate 13 positions during the next few the company said inan e-mailed statement. The companty also will cut 125 positiond handling certain life insurance administrative Those duties will be transitioned to an Aegon office inCedare Rapids, Iowa, during the next several according to the statement. “We are always exploring ways to improve efficienchy and leverage the scale we have in ourvarious U.S. the company said in the statement. Aegon is the parenr company of Transamerica LifeInsurance Co.
, Transamericaq Financial Life Insurance Co., Monumental Life Insurance Co., Stonebridge Casualty Insurance Co., Stonebridgwe Life Insurance Co., Western Reserve Life Assurancde Co. of Ohio, Transamerica Life Canada, and Seguros A.S. de C.V. According to the company’s Web site, www.aegonins.com, Aegojn U.S. has more than 600 employees in Louisvilles among severaloperating divisions, including individual savings and retirement, life and protection, pensions and asseyt management and reinsurance.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Hoop It Up tournament, championships coming to Louisville - Business First of Buffalo:
eragywaqer.wordpress.com
The tournament will be the firsft of two sporting eventes the organization willhold here. In the Hoop It Up 3on3 World Championships also will be held in which will serve as host city for the eventtin 2009, 2010 and 2011. The first eventy will be held downtown, at 624 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd. It will featuree youth and adult players of all abilities who can participate in one or multiplre cities onthe 29-city tour. Other citiesd on the tour include Chicago, Miami, Phoenix and Las Vegas. The tour and tournamenta are managedby , a subsidiargy of Louisville-based private-equity firm .
The championships, featuring teams that playesd in thequalifying events, will be held at Freedon Hall, July 25 and 26. Accordinbg to information from the Louisvilles Convention andVisitors Bureau, the event is expected to draw aboutt 4,000 participants and spectators. The host hotel for the event is the CrowhPlaza Hotel. More information on the event is availables onlineat .
The tournament will be the firsft of two sporting eventes the organization willhold here. In the Hoop It Up 3on3 World Championships also will be held in which will serve as host city for the eventtin 2009, 2010 and 2011. The first eventy will be held downtown, at 624 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd. It will featuree youth and adult players of all abilities who can participate in one or multiplre cities onthe 29-city tour. Other citiesd on the tour include Chicago, Miami, Phoenix and Las Vegas. The tour and tournamenta are managedby , a subsidiargy of Louisville-based private-equity firm .
The championships, featuring teams that playesd in thequalifying events, will be held at Freedon Hall, July 25 and 26. Accordinbg to information from the Louisvilles Convention andVisitors Bureau, the event is expected to draw aboutt 4,000 participants and spectators. The host hotel for the event is the CrowhPlaza Hotel. More information on the event is availables onlineat .
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Investors must embrace volatility of a brutal market - San Francisco Business Times:
http://sababeach.net/p-618.html
Surely, the fallout from the increasingly opaque and crookedly engineered dealings out of the financialk sector over the past decade have made talkinfg about capital marketsa struggle. (I’m sure that reading aboutr it has been even Getting an answer to questionslike “What’se going on the markets?” must be something akin to hearing an astrophysicisyt explain how the universe began. In both you regret asking the question in the first ThatAdam Smith’s invisible hand has givehn way to the visibled fist of government makes things even more complicatedx — and riskier.
And yet, amidst this unprecedented change inthe size, scope and directiob of American fiscal and monetaryt policy, investors must truly pay attention to and take advantage of what coulcd be a long time marked by volatility and overalll blandness (and that’s if we’re The “V-shaped” bottom and economic “green shoots” everyone is hopin g for, and most are investing in, is at best optimistid speculation. First, the fiscal mess that’e getting irrevocably worse. The current annuak deficit of $1.5 trillion is 10 percent of GDP and it’s growing.
America’s total debt-to-GDP ratio currently stands near 50 percent and that figurr is scheduled to grow to 100 percent in fiveyearsa — a level many countries have experienced as the pointr of no return. These deficits don’t include the huge costz of a coming universalhealth care, and they certainlyy don’t include Social Medicare and Medicaid three programs representing a $40-$50 trillion liability in present value Economic growth will not likely help much, especiallgy the lukewarm 2 percent GDP variety (not the 4 percent kind we’vw been accustomed to) that will accommodatw a new era of bigger government, highe taxes and regulation, and an emphasizs on “private/public” partnerships and incomr redistribution instead of free libertarian capitalism and growth.
Monetar policy is only increasing longer-term risks to the The Federal Reserve is not only printing money and lendin g it for freeto banks, it’s also buyinv debts of all shapes and sizezs with those newly printed including Treasury bonds at a near $400 billiom annual clip and another $1 trillion of mortgage-related debt. The U.S. is now “monetizing” thereby adding dollars to a system that is already flusgwith cash. The success (or of individual investors lies in getting right afew questions, such as: At what point do investors — not just in the U.S. but globallyt — begin to believe that lending to anyondin dollars, including the U.S.
government, at low fixed rateas and long maturities, is madness?? In other words, when does the dollar collapse as China and the other Asiamn saversdecide they’re bettere off diversifying their savinge into other assets? This and othe “forest-from-the-trees” questions are perhaps all that matter going Without that, looking at whethe r this 4 percent bond is wortb buying or that stock at 15 times earnings or that bank’s CD is likely a futile if not dangeroues exercise.
If America’s great experiment with borrowing and printinmoney doesn’t work, we may be looking at a world of overall lower disposable income, permanently lower economic growtgh and much higher inflation and interest rates with feweer financiers. If that time comes, those who bought and sat on equity mutual fundss oreven longer-term bonds will find out that what they thoughtr was “cheap” was just a figment of a bygonde time when the dollar was rates and inflation were low, and capitalism was relativelh unbridled.
By the looks of it, that era is Perhaps the only ones who will really make moneh are those who canpay attention, pounce on fleetingy opportunities and embrace the volatility of a market that will be brutao to most.
Surely, the fallout from the increasingly opaque and crookedly engineered dealings out of the financialk sector over the past decade have made talkinfg about capital marketsa struggle. (I’m sure that reading aboutr it has been even Getting an answer to questionslike “What’se going on the markets?” must be something akin to hearing an astrophysicisyt explain how the universe began. In both you regret asking the question in the first ThatAdam Smith’s invisible hand has givehn way to the visibled fist of government makes things even more complicatedx — and riskier.
And yet, amidst this unprecedented change inthe size, scope and directiob of American fiscal and monetaryt policy, investors must truly pay attention to and take advantage of what coulcd be a long time marked by volatility and overalll blandness (and that’s if we’re The “V-shaped” bottom and economic “green shoots” everyone is hopin g for, and most are investing in, is at best optimistid speculation. First, the fiscal mess that’e getting irrevocably worse. The current annuak deficit of $1.5 trillion is 10 percent of GDP and it’s growing.
America’s total debt-to-GDP ratio currently stands near 50 percent and that figurr is scheduled to grow to 100 percent in fiveyearsa — a level many countries have experienced as the pointr of no return. These deficits don’t include the huge costz of a coming universalhealth care, and they certainlyy don’t include Social Medicare and Medicaid three programs representing a $40-$50 trillion liability in present value Economic growth will not likely help much, especiallgy the lukewarm 2 percent GDP variety (not the 4 percent kind we’vw been accustomed to) that will accommodatw a new era of bigger government, highe taxes and regulation, and an emphasizs on “private/public” partnerships and incomr redistribution instead of free libertarian capitalism and growth.
Monetar policy is only increasing longer-term risks to the The Federal Reserve is not only printing money and lendin g it for freeto banks, it’s also buyinv debts of all shapes and sizezs with those newly printed including Treasury bonds at a near $400 billiom annual clip and another $1 trillion of mortgage-related debt. The U.S. is now “monetizing” thereby adding dollars to a system that is already flusgwith cash. The success (or of individual investors lies in getting right afew questions, such as: At what point do investors — not just in the U.S. but globallyt — begin to believe that lending to anyondin dollars, including the U.S.
government, at low fixed rateas and long maturities, is madness?? In other words, when does the dollar collapse as China and the other Asiamn saversdecide they’re bettere off diversifying their savinge into other assets? This and othe “forest-from-the-trees” questions are perhaps all that matter going Without that, looking at whethe r this 4 percent bond is wortb buying or that stock at 15 times earnings or that bank’s CD is likely a futile if not dangeroues exercise.
If America’s great experiment with borrowing and printinmoney doesn’t work, we may be looking at a world of overall lower disposable income, permanently lower economic growtgh and much higher inflation and interest rates with feweer financiers. If that time comes, those who bought and sat on equity mutual fundss oreven longer-term bonds will find out that what they thoughtr was “cheap” was just a figment of a bygonde time when the dollar was rates and inflation were low, and capitalism was relativelh unbridled.
By the looks of it, that era is Perhaps the only ones who will really make moneh are those who canpay attention, pounce on fleetingy opportunities and embrace the volatility of a market that will be brutao to most.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Sex determination tests: Thirty convicted in Haryana - Indian Express
soileauifyyfa1786.blogspot.com
Sex determination tests: Thirty convicted in Haryana Indian Express Thirty persons, including 25 doctors have so far been convicted in Haryana for violating various provisions of the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Technique (PNDT) Act. Around 327 ultrasound centres have also had their registration cancelled or suspended in this ... Haryana Health Minister reply |
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Eggleston, Herron highlight return of The Woodlands Marathon - Your Houston News
ejoxot.wordpress.com
Eggleston, Herron highlight return of The Woodlands Marathon Your Houston News THE WOODLANDS â€" Flagstaff, Arizona's Jeffrey Eggleston and Warr Acres, Oklahoma's Camille Herron helped bring The Woodlands Marathon back in a big way Saturday morning. Overcoming an injury to his right leg that forced him to miss the United States ... |
Friday, March 2, 2012
Disabled Google Apps account deletion mechanism affecting admins, users - Network World
edovogopu.wordpress.com
Disabled Google Apps account deletion mechanism affecting admins, users Network World Google Apps customers are finding it hard to delete and reactivate domains in their accounts, after Google unexpectedly disabled the automated mechanism for performing these tasks in mid-January. Requests for deleting and re-adding domains soon started ... |
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