Foreign investors flee US securities

The Financial Times ^ | 10/16/07 | Michael Mackenzie

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks for the comments.

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks for the comments.

[Doe Eyes]

Obviously, if the country borrows too much money, then it has to devote a significant portion of their “take” annually from tax payers to not finance govt, but to pay its debt.

Yep, and it goes to furiners like those commies in China.

Its really gonna get ugly when they won't pay low interest to buy our debt.

[DoughtyOne]

Thank you Roy.

[editor-surveyor]

"With all due respect, you and others are so incredibly wrong about the state of US financial affairs. We are literally on the verge of a perfect scenario for American growth, not demise by any means! Granted, not all will be winners, but the aggregate will bring our market higher, much higher."

In dollars, yes, but in oz gold, or other currencies, no. If this were good, then we would be looking at Mexico and New Zealand as being in good shape right now.

[DoughtyOne]

The problem with this topic is that both sides seem to talk right past the other. (I’m not refering to your post.) One sees danger and the other dimisses that observation.

I am reminded that every nation in history that went belly up, had leaders who were absolutely sure their leadership meant no threat to the nation at all. Then they proceded to go belly up.

I am not at all comfortable with certain economic and trade policies we use today. There sure isn’t any concensus that I am right though. Nope, the unified voice of those in the industry is that everything is peachy.

I’m certainly no economics major, so I’ll just stand by and observe. We shall see.

[editor-surveyor]

" But buying dollars or dollar debt with foreign currencies to me is ridiculous when the US Treasury and the Fed seem to be devaluing them as fast as possible."

Bingo!

And you can watch this happening in real time if you watch the multinational gold price charts in the wee hours of the morning. The American gold sellers push the price down during the day, but the oil producers push it back up during the night, day after day. Its obvious in gold, but a little harder to see in other hard goods, because their prices are not tracked so meticulously; but at the end of the year it is visible in your bank balance.

[Ramcat]

This is one of the better financial threads I’ve followed here in a long while.
Thanks to you and Doughty One for carrying on an old school Free Republic discussion.

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks for comments. I’ll be following this thread.

[DoughtyOne]

I believe that I commented on this post of yours earlier, but I’d like to add a few comments.

You mention a 3% inflation rate per year. That may be an accurate figure somewhere, but I’m not exactly sure where.

Doesn’t the federal government only recognize something like a 1.5% inflation rate these days? Further, do you really think it’s only a 3% inflation rate that citizens are feeling these days?

I’m not convinced at all that it’s only 3% and certainly not 1.5% With oil rising to $88.00 a barrel and the costs of all goods being impacted by transportation costs, it’s absurd to think inflation is only 3%. At least that’s the way I see it.

The products on my super-market shelves don’t seem to adhere to 3% per year. My energy costs sure haven’t. It’s hard to put your finger on it, but I think just about everything goes up more than 3%.

Of course there is one thing that doesn’t. Anyone out there getting more than 3% sallary adjustments each year? Anyone getting more than about 1-2%?

Corporations seem to think raises are a thing that went out with past generations. How long will this mindset last?

[bruinbirdman]

"Of course there is one thing that doesn’t. Anyone out there getting more than 3% sallary adjustments each year? Anyone getting more than about 1-2%?"

Uncle Sam just announced a 2 1/2% COLA raise for SS recipients.

yitbos

[investigateworld]

please add.
THX

[DoughtyOne]

Has it been in that range over the last few years? BTW, is there an adjustment every year, or does it work out to every other year or so.

I appreciate the post.

[groanup]

Trust me, when I say that nobody trades themselves to wealth.

What do you mean by that? Just curious.

[bruinbirdman]

"I too watch the TIC reports carefully."

Foreign Net Purchases of U.S. Long-Term Securities, Millions of Dollars

. . .~~snip~~

3 months ending in June 2007

Treasury Bonds Net

UK 46,865

China,Main -1,391

For the quarter ending June, 2007 UK bought 46.9 billion and the Chicoms sold a billion four of treasuries.

A message there?
http://www.treas.gov/tic/snetusq.txt

yitbos

[bruinbirdman]

"Has it been in that range over the last few years? BTW, is there an adjustment every year, or does it work out to every other year or so."

Pretty much in that range.

"The nation's 43 million Social Security recipients will get a 2.6 percent boost in benefit checks starting in January, the second-smallest increase in the 21 years of annual cost-of-living raises."
SS Benefit Raise

yitbos

[DoughtyOne]

Thank you.

[bruinbirdman]

Ooops. Thats 1995.

[DoughtyOne]

LOL, no problem.

[DoughtyOne]

Try this link for 2008.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/social-security-sets-23-benefit/story.aspx?guid=4BD37042-AF89-40C5-BED4-975B29C8DBCE