Author

John Lounsbury 74 posts 0 comments

John Lounsbury provides comprehensive financial planning and investment advisory services to a small number of families on a fee only basis. He has a background which includes 34 years with a major international corporation, 25 years in R&D management and corporate staff positions. John is also one of the ten most followed writers at Seeking Alpha and a Senior Contributor at TheStreet.com and Real Money. He is a founding partner and managing editor of Global Economic Intersection. Follow him on twitter @jlounsbury59.

Economy

The Alchemy of Securitization

John Lounsbury Oct 21, 2010

This is a cross-post from the new economic blog Global Economic Intersection. Ratings agencies have been criticized for inadequately determining risk in the massive collection of debt securities created in the credit bubble. A second…

Economy

Trucking Data and Rail Data are Diverging

John Lounsbury Oct 14, 2010

by John Lounsbury Rail traffic continues to show 2010 activity intermediate between 2008 and 2009 for carload traffic while intermodal traffic showed continued improvement to less than 10% below the pre-recession years of 2006 and…

Blogs

Bond Bubble?

John Lounsbury Oct 11, 2010

John Lounsbury and Ted Kavadas debate whether a bond market bubble is about to deflate.

Markets

Foreclosure Moratorium – What Does it Mean for the Housing Market?

John Lounsbury Oct 10, 2010

About 30% of home sales are distressed properties. Closings and future purchase contracts on distressed properties may not take place while a foreclosure moratorium is in effect to sort out title and foreclosure issues with recent vintage…

Markets

Increase in Purchase Mortgage Applications May Be Temporary

John Lounsbury Oct 6, 2010

Mortgage applications increased last week for both refinancing and for purchase. The MBA (Mortgage Bankers Association) reported today that the application activity amounted to a "flurry" that might have been prompted by a tightening of…

Markets

Demand for New Homes in U.S. is Far Below Prior Records

John Lounsbury Oct 5, 2010

While demand for housing is near an all-time low for the post World War II era, the demand for new houses is at an all-time low approximately half of the previous lows, when adjusted for population growth.

Markets

Where is the Bottom for Housing? We May Not Know for Years

John Lounsbury Sep 26, 2010

How far are we from a bottom in U.S. home prices? There are many estimates that there could be another 10% or more for the national average and median prices to decline. This author estimated that 2010 had a most probable…

Markets

How Much Higher Can Bonds Go?

John Lounsbury Sep 23, 2010

by John Lounsbury David Rosenberg, chief economist at Toronto's Gluskin Sheff, says at least two more years to a top with rates significantly lower than today. Here is Rosenberg's graph: From today's "Breakfast With…

Markets

Outlook for Home Prices May Be Degrading

John Lounsbury Sep 17, 2010

by John Lounsbury Average home prices are virtually unchanged from July 2009 to July 2010 according to the latest report form First American CoreLogic, which provided the data for the following graph from Calculated Risk. The graph has…

Economy

GDP and Recessions — A Valuable Metric (but Overused)

John Lounsbury Sep 17, 2010

In this piece on GDP and recessions, John Lounsbury expands on an earlier article about how this particular recession is different. Catch more of John and other top-notch econ writers at Global Economic Intersection, John's new website on…