Category: Economics & Investing

Just in case you’re curious about what a Republic that hasn’t been bought by Central Bankers looks and smells like…Iceland! Iceland! Iceland! Sent in by GJM o o o Sent in by SurvivalBlog reader RBS: “Tax Expenditures” Are Not “Free Stuff” o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: Citizens Against Government Waste Goes Trick-or-Treating: Reveals a Fiscal House of Horrors (CAGW) Economists Sounding the Alarm about the Risk of a New U.S. Recession (Washington Post) Today’s War Against Deflation to Make Us Poorer (Mises Institute) Rand Paul’s Vow: He’ll Do Everything Within My Power to Stop the Disasterous Budget Deal …

SurvivalBlog reader H.L. sent in this link showing issues with Deutsche Bank: Deutsche Bank Reports Massive Loss, Will Cut 35,000 Jobs, Exit 10 Countries In Sweeping Overhaul o o o Gold Analogue: Then and Now o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: The US Spends $35 Billion In Global Economic Aid (But Where Does All This Money Really Go?) Fed’s Lacker: Here’s Why I Dissented at Last FOMC Vote – So what we really need is to eliminate central planning including the price of money (interest rates); it is laughable that Lacker believes that the U.S. economy is a bed …

Wow! What the Rite Aid deal means for Walgreens and the future of retail healthcare Walgreens acquiring Rite-Aid means that they will now control 41% of the pharmacy market. CVS already controls 58% of the market. How is that good for health care? Sent in by RBS o o o Items from The Economics Team: Our Debt Continues to Increase: The Boehner-Obama Deal (CNS News) Time to Use Threats of Default and Shut-Down to Reduce Spending (My Way) Weak U.S. Business Spending Plans Signal Slower Economic Times Coming (Reuters) The Bull Run in Stocks is Perilous (Market Watch) Orders for …

Big Business Has No Community Or Country Loyalty – So Buy Local – RBS o o o The Worse Things Get For You, The Better They Get For Wall Street, Sent in by J.Q. o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Empty Malls in China? A Lesson in Excess Capacity (Zero Hedge) House Conservative Leaders Say It’s Too Late to Prevent a Debt Ceiling Hike (Reuters) Economic Outlook Strongest Predictor of Immigration Views (Gallup) Record Number of Americans Sell Blood Plasma to Make Ends Meet (Zero Hedge) Debt in China: Deleveraging Delayed (The Economist)

SurvivalBlog reader G.P. sent in this link to Town Hall explaining why central banks are accepting the risks of super-low rates. o o o Items from the Economics Team: 5 Minimalist Secrets to Saving Money (Simplicity Relished) China’s Fix for Falling Profits is Only Making Things Worse (Business Insider) The Data Isn’t Good: U.S. Companies Warn Recession is Coming (Zero Hedge) The Fed Can’t Raise Rates…But Must Pretend It Will (Mises Institute) 3M Plans to Cut 1,500 Jobs (Bloomberg Business) Weatherford International Plans 3,000 More Job Cuts by End of 2015 (Fuel Fix) o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: …

SurvivalBlog reader P.S. sent in a link to the US 2014 wage statistics. Basically: If you’re making $30K, you are in the 51st percentile. In other words, 51% of the U.S. population is making the same or less than you. If you’re making $60K, you are in the 81st percentile. If you’re making $90K, you are in the 90th percentile. If you’re making $125K, you are in the 95th percentile. A 1 percenter would be making $250K or more, putting them in the 99th percentile. There are approximately 1.1M people who made between $250K and $500K in 2014. A 0.1 …

Here is a sobering fact about Millennials, the largest cohort behind baby boomers: half of Millennials are living at home with their parents. Another 28 million Millennials are not in school and are working in jobs that pay $10,000 a year or less: Half of Millennials live at home with parents: The economy still feels like it is in a deep recession for millions of Millennials. And this group is supposedly the group that is going to relaunch the American economy. o o o Items from the Economics Team: Rick Rule, Doug Casey: “Severe But Survivable” Reckoning Ahead For The …

SurvivalBlog reader CPL sent in the link showing IRS inflation adjustments for 2016 taxes. o o o Items from the Economics Team: China Cuts Rates for 6th Time Since November (Fox Business) Reflections on Venezuela’s Economic Miracle (Mises Institute) Hint: Don’t expect a follow up from Salon Wall Street Investment Banks may be about to Lose one of their Best Customers (Business Insider) Hint: Banks have been cashing in on the price of your prescriptions in a big way for a long time! Why China’s Rate Cut Won’t Slow Its Economic Decline (Zero Hedge) Hint: The cake has already been …

SurvivalBlog reader sent in this article about Russia’s response to the oil crises and sanctions: Russia retreats to autarky as poverty looms Items from the Economics Team: China: Red Capitalism is the New Black Swan (Zero Hedge) U.S. Pensions Slowing Waking Up to Risk (Reuters) The Two Income Trap and the Myth of High Wages (My Budget 360) Puerto Rico: Another Bailout Coming (Zero Hedge) o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Peak Prosperity – Has The Market Trend Shifted From Bull To Bear? Debt Prioritization Bill Comes to a Vote as Borrowing Limit Looms – Every time the “debt …

More Evidence That The Middle Class In America Is Dying o o o JWR has been warning about this for years: $1.5 Quadrillion Derivatives Bomb And The Great Financial Disaster Sent in by RBS o o o Items from the Economics Team: 10 Signs You’re Not as Rich as You Could Be (Huffington Post) Dear Dave & Teaching Teens to Budget (Dave Ramsey) 18 Tips for Extreme Penny Pinching (Life Hack) Saudi Arabia Broke In 5 Years? (Zero Hedge) \

Sent in by T.P. Bank’s severance deal requires IT workers to be “on call” for two years Then, of course, the question becomes “how do you enforce the terms of the deal?” o o o SurvivalBlog reader B.B. sent in this article showing a comparison of age/savings/expectations: Confusion, Delusions & Illusions o o o Items from the Economics Team: 52 Ways to Save $100 Per Year (Money Saving Mom) Hint: Scroll Down and You’ll Discover Links for the Weekly Installment Articles Governor of the Bank of Italy Investigated for Fraud and Corruption (Business Insider) Writing is on the Wall for …

Items from The Economics Team: In Latest Humiliation For Illinois, Fitch Downgrades State’s Credit Rating To BBB+ (Zerohedge) Tennessee County Closes Schools, a Casualty of the Cost of Obamacare (The Tennessean) People want to spend money, even money they don’t have… (My budget 360) Robert Shiller is Shilling for Socialism (Mises Institute) Saudi Arabia Delays Contractor Payments to Preserve Cash (Zero Hedge) Can Charter Schools and Suburbanites Reverse Chicago’s Economic Woes? (George Will via LenConnect) o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Death of a Patriot at the Hands of Corrupt Government – Irwin Schiff WalMart Suppliers Brace For The …

SurvivalBlog reader sent in this link: L. TODD WOOD: The day China says its currency is backed by gold (Washingtion Times) o o o Meanwhile, China’s Selling Tons of U.S. Debt. Americans Couldn’t Care Less. (Bloomberg) Sent in by G.P.) o o o Items from the Economics Team: US banks build defenses against downturn (Financial Times – Requires login) Obamacare’s Latest Casualty: Largest Colorado Exchange Abruptly Collapses (Zero Hedge) Public Remains Wary of Federal Government’s Power (Gallup)

This Is How Bad It Is: “The World Must Create 5 Million Jobs a Month Just to Prevent the Situation from Getting Worse” (SHTF Plan) Sent in by B.B. o o o Items from The Economics Team: Signal of Global Trade Collapse Coming From India (Zero Hedge) The Scoop on When You Can Expect Your Stuff to Break (Frugal Living) Glencore Watch: Glencore Plans More Debt Cuts (Wall Street Journal) Bank Securities Analysts Cheating on Tests? It can’t be! (Bloomberg) Rich Nations Lose Emerging Markets Motor (Wall Street Journal) This is an interesting article (and short read) which should give …