Economy

For much of the past year I have been a critic of the Fed for keeping rates in easy money territory. One major reason was that they were going to let the inflation genie out of the bottle and that was going to be a problem. Now, I feel…

Another blurb on David Rosenberg of Merrill Lynch, this time from the Globe & Mail in Canada where Rosenberg is from. This one is more about Merrill and its culture than Rosenberg. The paper points out the irony of Rosenberg being the…

This is a transcript from the Nightly Business Report interview with David Rosenberg last night. He has consistently been one of the best economic commentators on Wall Street during and after the bubble. His comments regarding…

Ben Smith has a good column on McCain's bellicose response to Russia's invasion of Georgia. Even George W. Bush has shown more statesmanship here.‘Invasion of Georgia’—a ‘3 a.m. moment’When the North Caucasus slid into war Thursday night,…

Now that Russia has finally gotten belligerent after many a provocation, one has to ask whether the U.S. NATO expansion plans have been wise. Basically, the U.S. has tried to offer every Eastern Bloc country it could safe harbor under NATO…

National City is one of the regionals under the greatest pressure and scrutiny. This Friday afternoon announcement has to make deposit- and shareholders alike very nervous.National City Corp., Ohio's largest bank, said the U.S. Securities…

I am sufficiently concerned about John McCain and his foreign policy creds to write a blurb about his anti-Russia rhetoric and its likely effect now that Russia is on a rampage in Georgia.My colleague Lisa Lerer, traveling with McCain,…

The auction rate securities lawsuit bonanza is the gift that keeps giving for litigation attorneys. Bank Of America is the latest bank to be caught up in this dance. Bank of America Corp., the largest U.S. commercial bank, said Thursday…

At the peak of the global housing bubble in 2006, I came across a post about the Japanese bubble that left a big impression on me.As we collectively attempt to call the bottom of the housing bubble, many are cautiously wading back into…

AIG has long been one of the largest and best-capitalized insurance and financial-services organization in the world. Before recent scandals, it was one of a few S&P 500 corporations in the U.S. with a AAA rating. Yet, it just reported…