With unprecedented volatility in the financial markets that’s been brought on by the international spread of coronavirus, and the economic backlash associated with it, is potential systemic risk to the global financial system lurking ‘out there’ in an obscure and often little understood investing vehicle (even for its buyers)… DERIVATIVES! Back in 2015, then reposted […]
In mid-December 2015, and for the first-time in about eight years, the Janet Yellen-led Federal Reserve raised short-term rates .25%! In a normal financial, political and economic environment one would therefore assume that the economy is in strong enough to warrant a rate hike and that inflation is at or very close to the Fed’s target rate. […]
Why you may be asking yourself is this title insurance guy incessantly writing about non-real estate related issues? The answer is of course that the economy, and the real estate sector specifically, are all impacted by what is happening to the global economy. And this includes the oil industry, bank loans to the oil industry, high yield debt from oil industry related corporations and […]
Rule: Don’t write about anything on the internet concerning a position that’s been stated for political or professional expediency! But, as most of us already know (and if you don’t know you are learning by watching both parties fight to find a presidential candidate), saying anything to earn a nomination or win an election is for most of […]
(Note: This article also appears at Global Economic Intersection here) Article Summary… For the consumer who is now paying a fraction of last years prices at the pump, we know that the reduced cost in oil has been a financial boost to our wallets! But, in the overall scheme of the US economy, do the […]
The price of crude oil is currently one of the big news stories that both financial market AND geopolitical analysts are paying close attention to! Where is the bottom in the price of crude oil, when will it arrive, what message is the sharp and steep decline telling us and what if any impact will it have […]
The article below was written in another publication back in 2012 when Ben Bernanke was still running the Fed. I searched for it while listening to Janet Yellen discuss the Fed decision-making process because in many ways it reminded me of listening to Ben Bernanke do the same. Let me know your thoughts on whether […]
Why is it that a title insurance guy is beating the drum about the potential economic impact of plunging crude oil prices? You’re probably asking yourself ‘shouldn’t he be focusing on things that he knows about or that may affect his business?’ Well the truth is that the potential economic ramifications of crashing crude oil […]
In an article this morning, ‘Is there a downside to plunging oil prices?‘, we looked at the potential impact the price drop could have on derivatives, high yield debt and geopolitics! I have since read an article that expands my list of three issues to a discussion of ten areas of the economy that have […]
If you’ve been listening to the reporting of financial or political pundits, falling oil prices have typically been touted as a ‘major tax cut’ for consumers! They speak of the fact that the drop in the price of a barrel of oil (WTI currently in the low $60/barrel range) puts money into the consumers pocket […]
