http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/money/ en-us Fri, 1 Jan 2010 18:34:55 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2419060/posts With the signing of an under-publicized amendment to Executive Order 12425, Barack Obama has fundamentally altered your constitutional rights. His actions are undermining your rights to protect personal privacy from a foreign internationalist police agency named Interpol. A one-paragraph executive order may seem inconsequential to many, but this action has far-reaching implications and threatens the sovereignty of America. Obama's secretive executive order amended an order issued by President Reagan in 1983. Reagan's order recognized Interpol as an international organization and gave it privileges and immunities commonly extended to foreign diplomats. Reagan opened the door to allow Interpol to operate in... WND http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2419060/posts#comment Fri, 1 Jan 2010 18:34:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418111/posts Somebody was asking what we can do to stop this socialist/Marxist assault on America. I say plenty! Here's one strategy employed by Iranian freedom movement, that we can use as well. I'll sure give it a try. You can get rubber stamps online for less than $10. And I'm talking about a "Velvet" revolution, where people will eventually go en-mass to the streets and demand restoration of the Republic. Any suggestions as to what we could put on our money? The Patriot Hub http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418111/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 03:11:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2417673/posts Don't trust the banks... Don't trust the economy and the value of the US Dollar... Don't trust the gold market... What the hell should I save or bury in my yard in order to protect my investments? Sheesh. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2417673/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:54:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2411808/posts I am not a historian or a statistician. Nonetheless I had been skimming Climate Audit for a couple of years and knew enough to write, in January 2009, "Michael Mann should be in prison." I continue to enthusiastically endorse this view. I also do know a bit about the past. And the past has sent me its report on Climategate. It is a short message - quite pithy - full of punch. I transcribed it this week from my favorite Ouija board. At the planchette: me and my 2-year-old daughter, Sibyl. After data corrections, the text reads: Your entire system... Unqualified Reservations http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2411808/posts#comment Sun, 20 Dec 2009 20:07:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411530/posts Rule By Outlaws, Spending Insanity, The Second Wave, Dreamliner Lessons and More! by Addison Wiggin & Ian Mathias * Treasury bends laws on maximum debt, dodges bullet with “extraordinary accounting tools” * Mind-boggling government spending rundown: $1.8 trillion approved in 24 hours * Why the second wave of the housing bust might crash ashore ahead of schedule * Byron King with lessons from the Dreamliner launch for the everyday investor * A reader asks, “Enough criticism, what would you do?” Our response, below Technically speaking, the U.S. government is now illegitimate. Not in the way most people use that word…... Agora Financial http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411530/posts#comment Sun, 20 Dec 2009 05:08:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410633/posts Friday Outlook: Scroogy Swap Prices Darken Christmas by: Philip Davis December 18, 2009 Where is our Santa Claus rally? We usually have one. Even last year the Dow went from 8,149 on Dec 1st to finish at 8,776 on Dec 31st. This year, we’re lower than we were on Thanksgiving and challenging the 10,200 line, the lowest we’ve been since Nov 9th. Why has Santa Claus forsaken us? Most likely, it’s because we already got our Christmas present in November, when the Dow ran from 9,712 on the 2nd to 10,406 on the 16th. That was when we threw in... Seeking Alpha http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410633/posts#comment Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:31:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410139/posts NEW YORK (AP) -- It's no mistake. This credit card's interest rate is 79.9 percent. The bloated APR is how First Premier Bank, a subprime credit card issuer, is skirting new regulations intended to curb abusive practices in the industry. It's a strategy other subprime card issuers could start adopting to get around the new rules. finance.yahoo.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410139/posts#comment Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:56:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409951/posts The US government already had to crack down on one Swiss bank, UBS, fining it $780 million earlier this year for illegally aiding American citizens in evading their taxes. Now, it’s Credit Suisse in the crosshairs for helping clients in Iran, Libya, Sudan, and other countries perform illegal transactions. The bank has since “accepted and acknowledged responsibility for its criminal conduct” and is now settling with New York City, New York State, and the federal government on fines totaling nearly $1 billion. According to the Wall Street Journal: “The men announced a $536 million settlement by Credit Suisse, one of... Daily Reckoning http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409951/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:14:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409940/posts Dow Selloff Goes Triple Digits, Gold Tanks, Traders Sense "Different Feel" Joe WeisenthalDec. 17, 2009, 12:07 PM Maybe the bull argument -- that the market is barely down despite all the bad news -- won't hold up. The Dow is now down triple digits. Gold is down over $30 and may not hold $1100/oz. One trader we we talked to acknowledged a noticeably "different feel" to the market today. Between the amazing, surging dollar, and all the other fears, we'd have to agree.(What's up?) The Business Insider http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409940/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:00:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409654/posts Meet The Doomsayers Who Just Won't Give Up Joe WeisenthalDec. 17, 2009, 10:32 AM Last April we ran a profile of the leading doomsayers -- the folks who aggressively argued that the economy was going to hell in a handbasket. Of course, back in April that seemed very possible, and so many of these folks were riding huge waves of fame. Since then, things have improved markedly, but it's hard to switch gears when you're mostly known for being negative. And so we've updated our survey to introduce you to the brave holdouts. Despite the rally, they're warning us, Cassandra-like,... The Business Insider http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409654/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:49:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409552/posts Mr. Obama's attempt to extort a supporting vote out of Ben Nelson by threatening to close Offutt AFB reminded me of a skit from Monty Python. (Most things remind me of Monty Python sketches but that's beside the point.) The "Army Protection Racket" There's a brief sketch before the main sketch which starts at 1:28. YouTube.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409552/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:07:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409551/posts <p>Andrew Bolt gets to the heart of the conference with a look at one of the lesser known figures. Bolt writes: "Nothing is real in Copenhagen - not the temperature record, not the predictions, not the agenda, not the 'solution.'" Quoting (a report) from the Australian, Bolt provides a good example of "how fake it all is."</p> Power Line http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409551/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:06:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408977/posts The Federal Reserve has decided to hold interest rates at a record low and pledged to keep them there for an "extended period" to keep the recovery going and drive down double-digit unemployment. But in a more upbeat assessment, the Fed says the economy has "continued to pick up" and that "deterioration in the labor market is abating," a nod to the recent slowdown in the pace of layoffs. Despite some improvements, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues said there's still reason for caution. Spending by households, while growing at a moderate pace, remains "constrained" by the weak job... Washington comPost http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408977/posts#comment Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:18:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408241/posts Has The Stock Market Finally Woken Up To The European Crackup And The Surging Dollar? Joe WeisenthalDec. 15, 2009, 4:33 PM Stocks weren't down by that much today -- the Dow was just down 50 -- so there's no reason to get too freaked out yet. But we wonder if just possibly the market is waking up to the new world that's emerged in the last couple of weeks. Gold is at a 4-week low. Oil is below $70. The dollar is surging. Unemployment in the US is tapering. The Euro appears to be breaking up (it's not yet, but... The Business Insider http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408241/posts#comment Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:17:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408231/posts Jim Chanos: We're Shorting Autos, China, And Commodities But Not Financials John CarneyDec. 15, 2009, 2:16 PM Kynikos Associates founder Jim Chanos stopped by the Fast Money set for an interview with CNBC's Melissa Lee this afternoon. A few highlights from the video: * He's not short the financial sector right now, although he thinks there may be another shoe to drop and more losses. He is short some select financial names but not the sector. * There are opportunities for shorting individual companies in this market but he would recommend shorting the market as a whole. * He's shorting... The Business Insider http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408231/posts#comment Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:04:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408224/posts Congressman Ron Paul’s “Free Competition In Currency Act” Won’t Solve The Problem But Still Raises Vital Issues Politics / Fiat Currency Dec 15, 2009 - 11:58 AM By: Richard_C_Cook While Congressman Ron Paul’s Free Competition in Currency Act is not a workable proposal, it points to a deeply serious problem with the Federal Reserve System that must be faced if the U.S. economy is to have a future. Over the last 40 years the Federal Reserve, with the acquiescence of Congress and the executive branch, has become the primary regulator of the economy. The prevailing philosophy is called monetarism, and... The Market Oracle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408224/posts#comment Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:54:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2407154/posts I'm not sure I did the right thing, but I think I did. http://imfoxnews.com/ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2407154/posts#comment Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:01:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2406561/posts Year-end is a time for family and traditions. It is also a time for reflection and preparation: looking back at your investment decisions in 2009, but more importantly, looking forward to prepare your portfolio to realize its maximum after-tax returns in 2010 and beyond. The following ideas may be helpful for utilizing investment losses, protecting earnings and mitigating risk. TheCypressTimes.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2406561/posts#comment Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:30:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406126/posts Roach: The Fed Is Going To Blow The Exit, Get Ready For Another Massive Bubble Henry BlodgetDec. 12, 2009, 9:09 AM The Fed is stuck in a bind: With 10% unemployment, it can't raise interest rates. With zero interest rates, however, it can't prevent another asset bubble. The problem, Stephen Roach, says is the Fed's impossible dual mandate: protect the value of our money AND keep the economy humming. That combination will cause the Fed to keep rates too low for too long. Simon Kennedy, Bloomberg: The Federal Reserve may cause another crisis by botching the withdrawal of liquidity from... The Business Insider http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406126/posts#comment Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:48:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404568/posts WASHINGTON – Black lawmakers who have held their tongues during most of President Barack Obama's first year in office are stepping up their demands that the nation's first black president do more for minority communities hit hardest by the recession. While still careful about criticizing Obama publicly, they appear to be losing their patience after a year of watching him dedicate trillions of dollars to prop up banks and corporations and fight wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, while double-digit unemployment among blacks crept even higher. "Obama has tried desperately to stay away from race, and all of us understand what... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404568/posts#comment Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:57:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404253/posts No Credit. No Economy. By Eric Fry 12/09/09 Laguna Beach, California – “The great American consumer deleveraging continues,” our colleagues at The 5-Minute Forecast observed yesterday. “The Fed announced that consumer credit shrank for a record ninth month in a row in October.” Consumer credit, as we all know, drives a big chunk of consumer spending, which drives a big chunk of the American economy. Ergo, no credit; no economy. But consumers are not the only borrowers between the Atlantic and the Pacific who contribute to economic activity. Commercial and industrial (C&I) borrowers also play a large role. The dots... The Daily Reckoning http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404253/posts#comment Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:17:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403670/posts The Coming Cyclical Collapse Of The U.S. Dollar Currencies / US Dollar Dec 08, 2009 - 10:30 AM By: Bob_Clark Ask not for whom the bell tolls We are having our first winter blizzard, the windows were rattling all night. There are knee deep snow drifts in places. When I went out to feed the horse this morning, I found a coyote asleep in the hay. I guess he is a little bit deaf because he didn't jump up until I was on top of him. I don't know who was more scared. It was a most pitiful thing to... The Market Ticker http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403670/posts#comment Wed, 9 Dec 2009 14:27:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403610/posts The underground or "black" economy is rapidly rising, and the fault is mainly due to government policies. Here is the evidence. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) released a report last week concluding that 7.7 percent of U.S. households, containing at least 17 million adults, are unbanked (i.e. those who do not have bank accounts), and an "estimated 17.9 percent of U.S. households, roughly 21 million, are underbanked" (i.e., those who rely heavily on nonbank institutions, such as check cashing and money transmitting services). As an economy becomes richer and incomes rise, the normal expectation is that the proportion of... The Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403610/posts#comment Wed, 9 Dec 2009 12:56:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2402775/posts Opening speech: Let's get it done07-12-2009 Connie Hedegaard's speech At the COP15 opening session: “Let´s get it done! This is the time to deliver! THIS is the place to commit. And yes there are still many obstacles. But it is up to us to overcome them. And it is do-able." Thank you for the election. I promise you, as president I will do my very best to listen and ensure transparency. Thank you also very much minister Nowicki for your personal strong commitment. It has been a pleasure to work with you. For a long time, Copenhagen was the name... Kemin.dk http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2402775/posts#comment Tue, 8 Dec 2009 13:45:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401998/posts The Destruction Of The Dollar: It's Nearly Inevitable by: Paco Ahlgren December 07, 2009 "We have experienced asset bubbles, and we now have an economy that is more highly leveraged than it ever has been in the post-World-War II period. Greenspan has been instrumental in bringing about this high leverage." -- Paul Kasriel “A dollar saved is a quarter earned.” -- John Ciardi I have been an analyst, a portfolio manager, and a financial writer for more than 18 years, and until early last year my focus was almost exclusively on individual stocks and value investing. In my book Discipline,... Seeking Alpha http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401998/posts#comment Mon, 7 Dec 2009 14:28:40 GMT