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 […]
Summary: Whether we work in real estate, on Wall Street or maybe in the manufacture of widgets… What is the potential impact on global financial stability from a yes vote next week for Brexit? On June 23, 2016 Britain will be holding a referendum that will decide whether or not the country will remain in […]
Summary: With the VIX near its lows why are there two so very different sides to the same coin? For those unfamiliar with the Credit Suisse Fear Barometer it is another metric for gauging investor angst and expectation! Knowledge Is Power – Francis Bacon To the everyday stock market watcher the most commonly used metric for […]
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 […]
Derivatives…Derivatives? D-E-R-I-V-A-T-I-V-E-S! Most if not everyone who reads this article has heard the term derivatives at some point in time. And when they have, it’s likely been in the context of how these financial instruments that are not typically seen and not really understood by the masses are actually fiscal time bombs that, if ever detonated, could bring […]
Will the Fed announce that it is raising rates a quarter point at the FOMC meeting that ends on September 17th, or will it stand pat? Inquiring minds want to know, particularly in some of the interest rate and economically sensitive sectors such as investments, banking, real estate and mortgages. But, as I conjectured in an […]
Is an economic red alert called for? As the owner of a title insurance provider reliant on a healthy and vibrant U.S. economy leading to the same in the real estate market, I am always searching for clues to provide me with indicators both for today and moving forward into the future! I suppose that some […]
(Note: This article was also Featured at LinkedIn’s Pulse: Money and Banking) For many an article about central banks, bond yields and sovereign debt is merely an opportunity for the eyes to glaze over and a sound sleep to ensue! But consider, ‘…the yield on the benchmark 10-year German bund: it soared to as high as 0.95 […]
(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 […]
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 […]
