Allow me to introduce you to an investment product so disgracefully ridiculous that one could only assume it was launched on a dare. Very quietly, on June 30th 2009, some firm called MacroMarkets LLC (co-founded by the otherwise well-regarded Robert Shiller) launched two ETFs that purport to be able to give investors 300% of the return or it’s inverse of the…
Melt It Like Beckham: Major Changes for the Indian Gold Market
Very quietly, two developments occurred in India over the last week that could have major implications for the gold market. Both of these developments could portend drastic changes in gold demand from a key market, just as the inflationistas believe they are at the threshold of a paradigm shift in the precious metal’s pricing. First…
Quants Get Lonely, Too…
Quants Get Lonely, Too… from the Craigslist Sydney Personals: In the Sydney area? Single? Geeky? Visit this personal ad and maybe make a connection: http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/syd/1187388648.html
We Are All Michael Jackson?
Whoa Nelly! Bob Herbert just wrote quite a stretch of an op-ed during the course of which he connects enough dots to make the point that we as a nation are essentially the irresponsible, immature Michael Jackson writ large. This one’s a massive stretch and, as it appears in the New York Times, unsurprisingly uses…
When the Banks Bailed Out America
As a result of the 2008-2009 credit crisis, the United States government has committed over $700 billion to bail out the banks in order to stem the tide of systemic meltdown. As the populace rages about these rescues and how the banks themselves have chosen to use these funds, it is important to remember that…
Pssst…Wanna Buy GM's Jersey Golf Course?
The General Motors Garage Sale is in full effect, with the bankrupt behemoth selling off all random and peripheral properties and businesses it’s acquired over the last 100 years. For sale currently are such thrilling items as a parking lot in Flint, Michigan and a self-polluted stretch of land bordering the St Lawrence River that…
Droppin' Knowledge: Bill Gross on the Aftermath of Engorgement
PIMCO’s Bill Gross has his July commentary up on the web and his perspective is, as always, no-nonsense and interesting. He begins by graphically describing the circumstances that led to the obesity-related death of a baseball umpire as his set up: “Kill the umpire,” the fan cried to open the 1996 baseball season in Cincinnati, and…
Skimping On Our Patriotism This July 4th
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWzUumHhcGg] (The NYC Fireworks Display of 2007…in better times) July 4th has always been and will always be my favorite holiday. It combines my favorite things in the world: American pride, BBQ, warm and sunny weather, a day off from work and loud noises/ flashing lights. Unfortunately, this year there will be considerably less oohing…
Wade Slome, Welcome to the Blogosphere (i hate that word too, sorry)
I have a new blog for all of you financial blog groupies, it’s called Investing Caffeine and it’s written by Wade Slome. You may have heard of Slome before, as he’s written a book called “How I Managed $20,000,000,000.00 by Age 32“. The book centers around Slome’s road to professional money management, which included a…
We're All Correlated Now
Lockstep Main Entry: lock·step Pronunciation: ˈläk-ˌstep Function: noun 1 : a mode of marching in step by a body of persons going one after another as closely as possible 2 : a standard method or procedure that is mindlessly adhered to or that minimizes individuality — in lockstep : in perfect or rigid often mindless…
