Category Archives: Publications

#FederalReserve aka #Fed Discovers Gold – Fools Gold

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No.  I am NOT talking about the movie, Fool’s Gold.

foolsgold

I am talking about the Fed finding wealth and a strong economy where there is none.

Like the little boy who cried “Wolf!”,  the Fed keeps saying “The Economy is good!”

Here is the fool’s gold the Fed uses to keep saying :The Economy is good!”

1. Auto sales are up.  Well they were up until the recently released May report showed a drop of 6%.  The recent auto sales were propped up by easy credit but now they have run out of buyers.  Here are details.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-autos-idUSKCN0YN4K0

2. Home sales are up.  Well they were up until the June 1, 2016 report.  Again home sales have been boosted by easy credit and low interest rates until now. Here are details.

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/01/mortgage-applications-drop-because-of-rate-uncertainty.html

3. Unemployment is down.  Well unemployment has dropped to 4.7% but the recent jobs report announced June 3, 2016 showed a shocking one fifth the average number of jobs created.  Unemployment went down because more people have given up or are retired. Here are details.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/06/03/news/economy/us-economy-may-jobs-report/

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Here are the real concerns the Fed should be looking at.

1. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.  These firms have been using derivatives to hedge against interest rate changes and lost $475 million last year. Here are details.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/freddie-mac-may-need-another-taxpayer-bailout-next-week-2016-04-29

2. US Productivity.  The statistics show it went down 1% in the first quarter and now one of the Fed members says it may go down again this month. Here are details.

http://www.reuters.com/article/usa-fed-evans-productivity-idUSU8N16O051

3. Corporate Bond Sales.  These are still high and may match last year’s record in order to finance other mergers. Here are details.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-28/get-ready-for-a-big-wave-of-u-s-corporate-bond-sales-in-may

In summary, the 2008 bailout involved lower interest rates.  But the Fed should have raised interest rates in 2011 instead of maintaining the ridiculous 2% inflation target.  Here is how:

The Kelley Monetary Policy Rule

Or if you want more information on whether a recession is coming or not, read this.

Why Another Recession Is Coming – In English

==================

The Fed is chartered with controlling inflation and encouraging job growth.  One Fed member recently said they are too busy to add a third task aka improving the economy.  Well they have dropped the ball on job growth which would have improved the economy.  Here is what the Fed could have and still can do for job growth.

Federal Reserve Can Create Jobs

Good luck out there.

#Revenge Knows No #Religion Even In #Syria

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People that are so angry that they seek revenge are in a hate zone.

vader

REVENGE

Examples of haters that sought revenge include Adolf Hitler and Star Wars’ Darth Vader both of whom sought to eliminate an entire race and were not religious.

But why do so many terrorists seek revenge and appear to have religion?

RELIGION

First the religion part of the question.  Muslims will admit that the terrorists say they have a religion but in fact the beliefs of terrorists do not resemble Islam.

Secondly many terrorists are from Syria or are Syrian supporters.  Why?

SYRIA AND WISCONSIN

Syria is about the size of Wisconsin.  Imagine the Governor of Wisconsin decided he did NOT want to step down and really wanted to keep his power.  First he started bombing his adversaries and then started bombing everyone.  Next he started using chemical weapons against his citizens.  Finally outside parties started bombing its citizens.  What do you think the people in Wisconsin would do?

Wisconsinites would migrate to another state.  That is exactly what is happening with Syrians in Europe.

Meanwhile a small percentage of Syrians decided to take revenge for the people that bombed their cities for several years and destroyed their lifestyle.  This could be people that supported President Bashar al-Assad or people that did not support him.

Thus you have terrorists trying to get revenge against several countries.

SOLUTION

So how do we solve this crisis?  We stop bombing Syria and start rebuilding it.  Shouldn’t there be money in the Defense budgets to fix returning soldiers as well as rebuild the cities we destroyed?  Some will say that is going too far.  But can we agree to at least stop the bombing?

Can I have an Amen, Ameen or Shalom?

 

#Daughters Deemed Disorganized Deserve Discussion

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Do you have a daughter whose bedroom floor is a mine field?

daughters_bedrom

Well, you are not alone.

My wife and I were fed up with stepping on toys and papers in our daughter’s bedroom.  We stood over her while she cleaned it up.

But a week or so later, we found her room in the same condition.  This time we warned our daughter that we were serious and the next time we would confiscate everything that we found on the floor.

Her behavior did not change.

So the third time came and my wife and I scooped up everything into a big box and put it in the master bedroom.

Our daughter let out the loudest and longest cry.  It was the biggest fake cry I have ever heard, even to this day.

For fear of losing all her stuff, she begged us to give it back.  She made a long list of promises.

A day later I walked her to her room and whispered that if she just pushed her things under the bed or into the closet, so they were out of sight, we would not have a problem.

When our daughter once again promised to keep her room clean, we gave her back the box of her belongings.  From that day forward, her room looked a lot better.  There was stuff under the bed and in the closet, but we could walk around the room without stepping on anything.

Everyone lived happily ever after.

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#FederalReserve Is In A Pickle

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Here is the status of the Federal Reserve Board (Fed).

bbpickle

Background

Over a year ago the Federal Reserve Board (Fed) stopped Quantitative Easing, aka the buying of securities in order to pump money into the economy to stimulate it.

Feeling the economy was stable, the Fed just raised the Fed Funds Rate.  That is the interest rate the Fed charges banks.

Today

However, several other nations continued to lower their interest rates  and some have a negative interest rate policy, NIRP.  Here is more info on NIRP.

Japan – Why Negative Interest Rates?

Now the Fed is in a pickle because the Fed will look foolish if they reverse course and lower the Fed Funds Rate.

What Is Normal?

https://michaelekelley.com/2015/02/11/fed-inflation-target-is-abnormal/

According to the above website, if the Fed wanted the Inflation Target to be 2%, then the Fed Fund Rate should be 2% plus 1.44% or 3.44%.  Then 3.44% should be the normal Fed Funds Rate.

What Are The Fed’s Options?

How does the Fed get back up to the normal 3.44% Fed Funds Rate?  It can do one or both of these:

1.  Set the long-term interest rate to set a goal OR

2.  Keep unchanged or raise the Fed Funds Rate OR

3.  Offer another round of QE.

The best option is to have another round of QE which has the most influence and least fear while leaving the Fed Funds Rate alone.

Kelley Monetary Policy Rule

The Taylor Rule involves raising the Fed Funds Rate 1 percent for each 1 percent in inflation.  We have no inflation so the Taylor Rule is of no help.

The Kelley Monetary Policy Rule states the Fed Funds Rate will be increased gradually (such as .25% each quarter) and QE will be reduced gradually to zero at a rate inversely proportional to the Fed Funds Rate.

When the Great Recession hit, the Fed lowered the Fed Funds Rate AND offered QE at the same time.  Why can’t the Fed raise the Fed Funds Rate AND offer QE at the same time?

This should eliminate any fear by the Fed or the financial market and get us back to normal.

Good luck.

#Valentine Viewpoint

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I sometimes see myself in a totally different light than others.

valentines_viewpoint

My wife puts up with me despite the following:

o  Losing money in the stock market.

o  Misplacing my checkbook.

o  Trying to be funny.

o  Taking on too much.

Who would have known.

Hope you all have/had a great Valentines Day!

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Why GLD Is Bad and GOLD Is Good

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Friends, here is why the GLD fund aka ETF is the worst investment if you like GOLD.

gold2confetti

1.  GLD Is Paper Gold

GLD is actually the SPDR Gold Trust Electronic Traded Fund.  It is a promissory note for GOLD.  It is backed by physical gold but the real ratio is controversial.  See

http://www.forbes.com/sites/afontevecchia/2011/11/15/is-gld-really-as-good-as-gold/#7b10e4f93ca1

2.  GLD Is Supported By The Fed Which Wants the US Dollar High and Gold Low

In a previous post, I discussed how the US Dollar and GOLD move in opposite directions.

In that post, I explained that the Federal Reserve wants to keep the dollar high so to do that, it depresses GOLD prices by encouraging the sales of paper GOLD.  See

https://michaelekelley.com/2015/07/20/dear-fed-plz-raise-gold-price/

3.  GLD is a CDO aka Tranche

Remember the Great Recession of 2008?  It was brought on by CDOs and tranches based on bundled mortgages.  GLD is a tranche aka a bundle of paper gold.

Statistics prove that 13% of CDOs before the Great Recession were sold to multiple buyers.  It is like selling an acre of land in Florida multiple times.

https://michaelekelley.com/2015/01/28/remember-cdos-theyre-baaaack/

4.  Paper Gold is rumored to be oversold by 200 times

You need to read this.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-11-30/paper-gold-dilution-hits-294x-comex-registered-gold-drops-new-all-time-low

5.  GLD Has Lagged Gold Mining Stocks Year To Date

NEM, a gold mining stock, is up 34% from 01/01/2016 to 2/5/2016.

Meanwhile GLD is up only 10% from 01/01/2016 to 2/5/2016.

That is probably because investment companies are avoiding GLD.  So NEM is a GOOD investment right now not GLD.

 

Here are Solutions when a Recession Comes

https://michaelekelley.com/2014/10/16/8-things-to-do-when-recession-happens/

 

Here is Some More Information

Lessons From How The Great Recession Happened and What A CDO Is

http://www.ase.tufts.edu/gdae/Pubs/te/MAC/2e/MAC_2e_Chapter_15.pdf

Good luck!

PS  I own NEM and care about you but I cannot be held responsible for your decisions.

Japan – Why Negative Interest Rates?

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A number of countries have implemented a negative interest rate policy (NIRP).  Why?

neg_int_rates

Generally Central Banks try to stimulate their country’s economy by lowering interest rates.  This encourages banks and businesses to issue loans or take out loans.

Japan had a +0.1 interest rate and had nowhere to go but negative to lower interest rates in order to stimulate their economy.

Here is how it works.  Banks usually pay interest to use your money.  Instead a negative interest rate works like a safe deposit box. You pay to have the bank hold your money.

Unfortunately, people would rather have cash which results in hoarding and does the opposite of stimulating the economy.

For more information, see this website:

http://www.bloombergview.com/quicktake/negative-interest-rates

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Climate Change Contest – Pick Door #1 or Door #2

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Arnold Schwarzenegger posted a note on Facebook on Monday.

makeadeal

He made a very good point about climate change and renewable energy: It really doesn’t matter what you believe.  Here is what he said.

There are two doors. Behind Door Number One is a completely sealed room, with a regular, gasoline-fueled car. Behind Door Number Two is an identical, completely sealed room, with an electric car. Both engines are running full blast.

I want you to pick a door to open, and enter the room and shut the door behind you. You have to stay in the room you choose for one hour. You cannot turn off the engine. You do not get a gas mask.

I’m guessing you chose the Door Number Two, with the electric car, right? Door number one is a fatal choice – who would ever want to breathe those fumes?

It’s a strong point, but even more importantly, it’s a bipartisan point.

Here is the real deal.  You pick a door and we agree to never argue about climate change again. Agreed?

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[Thanks to ThinkProgress.org and to Arnold.]

Refugees Refuse to Relinquish Resourcefulness

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You have to see this Lucify graph that illustrates the extent of the refugee situation.

refugees_graph

We are talking about half a million migrants in 2015 alone.

Go to the middle of this MarketWatch.com website. Click on the speed bar and the time bar, then click on the gray rectangle above the graph between these two bars.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-refugee-crisis-captured-in-one-staggering-animated-graphic-2015-10-28?dist=tbeforebell

You will be amazed at the number of people fleeing the Middle East for Europe.

Here is a ground photo of a different kind of hope. A hope for a better life for kids and family somewhere, anywhere.

refugees_collage

Amazing.

Do Not Take Any Wooden Nickels

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I was a curious 6 year-old when my Grandfather said those words to me.

grandpa_and_me

At the time, I asked my Grandfather what it meant, but he just smiled.

But his words stuck with me and a few years later when I heard him say those exact same words to another 6 year-old, I had a better idea of what he meant.

He probably meant “do not take anything at face value.”

Today when I look it up, it means “be cautious in one’s dealings.”

That sums up my view of life and of finances.

When I see a curious 6 year-old in the future.  I know not to say, “Be cautious”.  That would be boring.  But saying “Don’t take any wooden nickels.” makes one think.

I owe a lot to my Grandfather for making me think about nickels and finances.

For more information on the history of wooden nickels, see

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wooden_nickel