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I'm like most Freepers, I work, still have a job for now, and I save money to a 401k, IRA. My money is still right where it is when this current crash started, but a lot less of it. The US debt is out of control and with these corona virus mega spending bills there is no way that the US will ever come out of debt. One day, the US economy will in fact crash from this mounting debt, it's inevitable given we are not deviating from our path. And when it all comes down it will make the...

The bulls broke loose in financial markets this week and gored the coronavirus. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose a mild 1.2 percent on Thursday, bringing its weekly gain to around 12.7 percent. That makes it one of the best weeks ever for the blue-chip index. The S&P 500 climbed 1.45 percent for a weekly surge of 12.1 percent. That is the best week for the S&P since 1974. The Nasdaq’s 0.77 percent gain brings the week to 10.6 percent, the best week since 2009. The Russell 2000 soared 4.62 percent on Thursday for a weekly gain of 18.5 percent....

The Fed announced Tuesday morning that it would be establishing a repurchase agreement facility for foreign and international monetary authorities (FIMA) that have accounts at the central bank’s New York branch. Through the FIMA repo facility, other central banks and monetary authorities unable to make smooth trades in the open market will be able to temporarily liquidate their positions in Treasuries.

U.S. equity futures are trading higher after the S&P 500 rose for a fourth session in the last five to begin the week. The major futures indexes are indicating a rise of 0.9 percent when trading begins on Tuesday. Asian shares traded mixed Tuesday after a rally in U.S. stocks.

Support for critical market functioning. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) will purchase Treasury securities and agency mortgage-backed securities in the amounts needed to support smooth market functioning and effective transmission of monetary policy to broader financial conditions and the economy. The FOMC had previously announced it would purchase at least $500 billion of Treasury securities and at least $200 billion of mortgage-backed securities. In addition, the FOMC will include purchases of agency commercial mortgage-backed securities in its agency mortgage-backed security purchases. Supporting the flow of credit to employers, consumers, and businesses by establishing new programs that, taken together, will...

What are negative interest rates? A negative interest rate is exactly how it sounds — it’s when an interest rate (or a yield) falls below 0 percent. It seems counterintuitive. After all, how can a rate actually fall below zero, a number that’s literally meant to be a floor for traditional borrowing and lending activities? Take Germany, for example. Its government bond yields are trading in the negative territory all the way out to 20 years. Bond yields are negative in France, Denmark and the Netherlands right now, and they were once sub-zero in Belgium. The Riksbank of Sweden, the...

Was having a conversation with my Father this morning and he raised a very interesting point about the stock market and “death stocks”. With the nonstop reports of doom and gloom from the media, one would think that companies that provide caskets, vaults and other death related items would be soaring. I decided to do some quick research and found the contrary. Two major companies in the “death business” are: Hillenbrand, Inc. (HI) > Interesting Fact: Sells 45% of caskets sold in the United States > # of Employees: 3,200 > Most Recent Quarter Revenue: $212 Million > Most Recent...

The Federal Reserve said Monday it will launch a barrage of programs aimed at helping markets function more efficiently amid the coronavirus crisis. Among the initiatives is a commitment to continue its asset purchasing program “in the amounts needed to support smooth market functioning and effective transmission of monetary policy to broader financial conditions and the economy.” That represents a potentially new chapter in the Fed’s “money printing” as it commits to keep expanding its balance sheet as necessary, rather than a commitment to a set amount.

U.S. stocks soared Tuesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average notching its biggest one-day point gain ever and its best percentage gain since 1933, a day after plumbing the lowest levels since 2016, amid growing optimism that Congress will come to an agreement on a fiscal stimulus package aimed at combatting the economic impact of the coronavirus epidemic. How did benchmarks perform? The Dow US:DJIA rose 2,112.98 points, or 11.37%, to close at 20,704.91, the S&P 500 index US:SPX advanced 209.93 points, 9.38%, to close at 2,447.33, and the Nasdaq Composite index US:COMP gained 557.18 points, or 8.12%, ending trading...

All eyes are on Congress closing in on a much-needed stimulus bill to rescue the economy from the coronavirus damage. The stock market staged a huge turnaround with the Dow posting its best day since 1933. Here’s what happened: 4:40 pm: Investors says one key piece is missing for a bottom Many on Wall Street believe absent a clear sign that the coronavirus is contained, rallies like the 10% violent upswing in the Dow Tuesday will come and go. “We’re going to need to have to see the infections pass an inflection point,” said Vincent Reinhart, chief economist at BNY...

U.S. stocks soared higher Thursday as the government came closer to approving a $2 trillion stimulus package to combat the coronavirus pandemic, capping a three-day rally that has pushed the Dow Jones Industrial Average into a bull market. The Dow industrials finished the day up 1351.62 points, or 6.4%, to close at 22,552.17, launching the blue-chip index back into bull market territory. The jump ends an 11-day bear market for the index—the shortest in history for the index—which reached its bear-market low just three days ago. The rapid plunge out of, and then back into, a bull market underscores just...

In a sweeping three-day surge unequaled in nearly 90 years, stock markets recovered almost a fifth of their lost value. On Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average soared 1,351 points, or 6.4 percent, while the S&P 500 spiked 155 points, or 6.2 percent. The Dow's three-day gains were the largest since 1931, and the S&P's were the largest since 1933, raising markets from three-year lows. The upswing came despite data showing a record-shattering spike in initial unemployment claims, which reached nearly 3.3 million in the third week of March, roughly five times the previous record. Instead, markets focused on the...

U.S. stock futures opened sharply lower on Sunday night as Wall Street waits on Washington to agree to an economic stimulus and rescue plan to combat the giant economic blow from the coronavirus outbreak. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell more than 900 points, or 5%, to hit their “limit down” level. S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures were also down around 5%. Downside limits to futures contracts are implemented to ensure orderly market behavior. U.S. crude futures also slid by more than 4%, adding to last week’s massive losses. Futures could be highly volatile as headlines come out of...

Market Futures DOW JONES FUTURES (I:DJI) 18,086.00 -954.00 (-5.27%) NASDAQ FUTURES(I:COMPX) 6,628.75 -340.25 (-5.13%) S&P 500 FUTURES(INX) 2,174.00 -114.50 (-5.27%)

The pot of invested money used to pay for hundreds of thousands of California public employee pensions has shrunk by $69 billion as coronavirus has squeezed global markets. The California Public Employees’ Retirement System’s fund balance stood about $335 billion Thursday, down from a record high of $404 billion one month ago, according to CalPERS officials. The California State Teachers’ Retirement System likely experienced similar losses, but the system doesn’t publicly report its value as often as CalPERS does. Its value stood about $243 billion at the end of February. Read more here: https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article241391841.html?#storylink=cpy

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(Kitco News) - The physical gold and silver market just became a little tighter in the near-term as one major mint is shutting down operations for the next two weeks. -snipLast week, the U.S. Mint announced that it sold out of American Eagle Silver Eagle bullion coins. It said that demand for silver coins has jumped 300% compared to sales in February.

People are selling gold and silver to meet margin calls. Also, nearly impossible to get physical delivery of silver under $20 an ounce.

March 21 (Reuters) - Investors betting on declines in U.S. stocks saw big profits in the last month as equities crashed while the global spread of coronavirus darkened economic prospects and net increases in short selling implying no turnaround in bearish sentiment. Short sellers borrow shares in the hope of buying them back at a cheaper price and pocketing the difference. U.S. shorts saw a one-month paper profit of $343.67 billion from the S&P 500 and Nasdaq's Feb. 19 peaks through to March 19, according to the latest data from financial technology and analytics firm S3 Partners, which measures bets...

DOW JONES FUTURES (I:DJI) 19,076.00 -905.00 (-4.74%) NASDAQ FUTURES(I:COMPX) 6,979.00 -246.25 (-3.53%) S&P 500 FUTURES (INX) 2,317.25 -96.75 (-4.18%)