Credit Writedowns

I was just re-reading my November post on quantitative easing when I got an alert about Pimco's inflation call.  While I still see downside risk for the economy, and, consequently, deflation, I have grown more worried about inflation -- one…

Jeremy Grantham, who is chief investment strategist of Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co and manages over $85 billion is telling clients to get out of cash.  His March newsletter had this to say: Every decline will enhance the beauty…

If you have been folowing the commodities market, you would have noticed that most commodities have been rallying of late.  This includes oil, silver, gold, base metals and agricultural commodities.  Oil has gone from the low 30s to…

Predictions Whitney says credit cards are the next credit crunch - Reuters (I have also predicted that this would occur) S&P to bottom at 600 points in October: Merrill (More Predictions, this time from David Rosenberg)…

According to this Bloomberg video, China will enter deflation when data is released later today. Deflation may stay with China for all of 2009 because of lower commodity prices:

From Justin Fox of Time Magazine:   FDIC chairman Sheila Bair doesn't think a full government takeover of Citigroup and other multinational financial institutions is practical or even possible. Here are her reasons, as summarized by…

This is the name of a speech made by Kansas City Fed CEO Thomas Hoenig which is creating quite a stir. He makes the following points in his speech:

Thirty years ago, it was "Anarchy in the U.K." as Britain tried to get away from its role as the sick man of Europe. That meant civil unrest, high inflation and a weak economy. Margaret Thatcher was seen by many as the solution. Today,…

Three more Obama nominees withdraw from running - Telegraph (hat tip Michael) Returned to TARP - FT Alphaville R.B.S. Seeks to Unwind a Decade of Deals - Deal Book - NY Times Geithner, With Few Aides, Faces Challenges - Deal Book -…

Let's talk a little about the data released on Friday. On the plus (contrarian) side, everybody is talking about the unemployment number and NOBODY happened to mention that consumer credit was UP on Friday, even before TALF. I think we…