When a credit downgrade is good

<CNN reporter Colleen McEdwards recently posted a phenomenal article about her experience with downgrades of soverign debt.  I have provided an excerpt from her article below but I encourage you to read the full article by clicking the photo to the right. From CNN Business blog, by Colleen McEdwards Without doubt, Standard & Poor’s downgrade of  Read more ➝

Unprecedented Fed to the Rescue

Mohamed A. El-Erian, PIMCO’s CEO published an interesting article on the US Federal Reserve’s recent announcement to hold rates at current levels for the next two years–an unprecedented move.  To view the entire article, please click the PIMCO logo above.

Worldly, Wise and Worried

PIMCO CEO and Orange County resident Mohamed El-Erian was recently interviewed by Leslie P. Norton for an article that appeared in the July 25, 2011 edition of Barron’s.  El-Erian answered questions on many important issues that investors are facing including the US debt crisis, the European debt crisis and his views on emerging markets.  For  Read more ➝

David Walker: 60 Minutes Interview

David Walker served as Comptroller General of the United States and head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) from 1998 to 2008 during both Democratic and Republican administrations.  Since 2005 he has been a no-nonsense, non-partisan voice in the critically important discussion about our Nations soaring debt crisis.  In 2007 he was featured on the CBS  Read more ➝

Market Commentary: 2011 Q2

As we look back at the markets in the second quarter of 2011 we see conditions that support our tactical approach to portfolio management.  After advancing approximately 5% in the first quarter of 2011 the Standard and Poor’s 500 Index retreated by 5% early in the second quarter, only to close the quarter back where it  Read more ➝

A Look at Our National Debt

As a very heated debate rages in Washington D. C. over how best to address our nations’ national debt I thought it might be helpful to look at this subject from an objective, apolitical point of view.  Dr. David Kelly, CFA, Chief Market Strategist for J.P. Morgan Funds drafted a great white paper on this subject  Read more ➝

Grand budget deal eludes parties

For anyone who has studied our country’s debt crisis, it quickly becomes apparent that any real long term solution will require a combination of all of the following; 1. Increased revenues through tax increases or fundamental changes to our tax structure, 2. Fundamental changes to Medicare and 3. Significant defense spending cuts.  Unfortunately, these are  Read more ➝