When prompted for a profile...

Feel free to post anonymously if desired.  Thank you for visiting. Stu

War and money

I have been reading Deborah Price's "Money Magic" and I am struck by the long-term historical relationship between war and empire building, and the strains such action place on a nation's currency and its ultimate place in the world. How much of today's challenges in the United States can and should be attributed to our long history of involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places of conflict? 

Are you attached to a number?

Many individuals allow their savings and investment value or their net worth (assets - liabilities) to define their self worth or in extreme cases who they are. Do not allow this to happen to you or to your loved ones.  At a time of declining stock and investment values, this bad habit can be particularly troublesome.

The Market in the New Year

I was listening to El-Erian of PIMCO, a major money management firm and fixed income investor, on CNBC and he shared that the government will have a major influence on the pricing of assets in the months ahead.  He reminds us that the Treasury has committed to buy $500 billion in mortgage-backed securities in the next 6 to 9-months.  They will literally buy most of the newly produced mortgage assets.  This will keep mortgage rates low.  How the treasury finances this debt will  impact treasury rates.  If they print new money, the dollar will lose value, and treasury rates will remain low.  If they issue more treasuries to finance their purchases, treasury rates will increase.  Stocks?  Stocks will respond to anticipated earnings for companies, with treasury rates serving as an influencing factor, but not the most important factor.  I would expect stocks to continue to be troubled till May or thereabouts.  Time will tell.

Finding solutions

Together through open, compassionate, caring communication we can find comfort from our financial stresses and solutions to financial challenges.  I hope this site becomes a home for such a community of common interest and concern.