Obama’s economic team probably needs to go. Politics aside, jobs and housing numbers tell the truth.

Some morning links on markets, the mafia and murder. Happy Wednesday.

M&A picking up may not be as bullish as you think.

Maybe this chart will help. Or maybe it will only confuse things more.

Existing home sales dive 27.2%. Rock on.

Some links for boys and girls the world over to enjoy.

Am I completely off base in my hunch that investors are starting to live off their brokerage capital? Reuters thinks so.

“The average age of financial advisors is a shade under 49 years, and about 14% of its workforce are north of 60 years. More important, less than 25% of all advisors are ages 40 and younger. And one final number to consider: Just 5.6% of advisors are ages 30 or younger.”

Restaurants have held up fairly well in the aggregate, until now.

What the remnant is thinking as the herd wanders past.