By the SRSrocco Report,
The U.S. Retirement Market is in BIG TROUBLE as annual benefits paid out are now larger than total contributions. Actually, the amount of net withdrawals were the highest in history. When payouts become larger than contributions... then we have the making of the typical PONZI SCHEME.
Authored by David Stockman via Bonner & Partners,
Reagan’s top economic adviser David Stockman explains why Trump’s tax cuts... and his stimulus plan... are dead on arrival.
The mules of Wall Street were back at it again, buying the dips after the overnight whoosh downward in the futures market. Apparently, it will take an actual two-by-four between the eyes to break a habit that has been working for 96 months now since the March 2009 post-crisis bottom.
Authored by Leith van Onselen via MacroBusiness.com.au,
Transparency International has released a new report, entitled Doors Wide Open: Corruption and Real Estate in Four Key Markets, which has identified Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA as the top four spots targeted by corrupt officials or criminals for real estate crime.
Australia is the worst, failing to address 10-out-of-10 loopholes.
Below are the key extracts:
The Russian central bank opened its first overseas office in Beijing on March 14, marking a step forward in forging a Beijing-Moscow alliance to bypass the US dollar in the global monetary system, and to phase-in a gold-backed standard of trade.
According to the South China Morning Post the new office was part of agreements made between the two neighbours "to seek stronger economic ties" since the West brought in sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis and the oil-price slump hit the Russian economy.
One glance at the shocking headlines over the first quarter of 2017 and one would imagine intense volatility in the world's capital markets - from the leader of the free world being 'managed' by Putin to North Korean Nukes; and from Fed rate hikes to the rise of populism in Europe. But that would be entirely wrong - Q1 2017 was the calmest for US stocks since 2006...
Just a week ago, it looked as if the dormant CBOE Volatility Index was awakening.