credit

Dollar bears are getting their way in the currency markets right now.  While most eyes are peeled on Sterling (up 3 big figures since Friday) and the Euro, all currencies are rising against the Dollar (including the Commodity Dollar Complex…

Asset bubbles are strange animals. Ideally, you would like to punch the air out of them relatively early before they become a real danger but, in practice, it is not quite so simple. Ben Bernanke and Alan Greenspan have actually both argued…

Back on the 16th, I posted a link to a Wall Street Journal article by James Hagerty which detailed how the Federal Home Loan Banks were able to prevent asset writedowns because of guideline changes to mark-to-market accounting.  I…

This is a very good explanatory piece from CNBC on how counterparty credit risk makes the credit default swap market a financial weapon of mass destruction.  Note they are not talking about eliminating the CDS market, but merely…

It is not just the Chinese making noises about the reliability of the United States as a debtor.  Now, Japanese politicians are doing it too.  In fact, the Democratic Party of Japan (which is not in power) have said they would not buy U.S.…

Reuters is reporting that the dissident Chrysler lender group has disbanded. Apparently, the lenders have finally figured out that they have zero chance of getting what they want as I have been saying all along (see posts here and…

The German car maker Daimler wants to put the Chrysler chapter behind it, so it will give up its remaining 19.9% stake and forgive all remaining loans. See BBC story.

As the possibility of bankruptcy draws nearer, General Motors is moving to sell non-core assets and to broker arrangements with bondholders and unions alike which will keep it out of bankruptcy. In a 9AM press conference today, new General…

This contribution comes from Marc Chandler of Brown Brothers Harriman, one of my favourite currency strategists. His latest missive highlights the huge amount of debt being issued by sovereigns. It is not just the United States.: Much of…

Of course you know I think credit cards are going to produce a tsunami of writedowns, right? Things are looking more and more like that tsunami is right around the corner: Credit card writedowns soared to record levels in February,…