Investments go from Friday 13th to Ides of March-- Thread March 15, 2015

Weekly investment & finance thread ^ | MARCH 15, 2015 | Freeper Investors

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

The economy “moderated” from a moderate position already. Looks to me like their feared deflation is still on the horizon.

[expat_panama]

That ‘deflation’ question had been in my brain right before I saw you post —it’s key. Seems like Yellen’s either too scared to mention it or she refuses to believe it’s there, but the fact that their target is an inflation ceiling is a form of acknowledgment that means they want no part of deflation.

[expat_panama]

Hey and happy Thursday to ya!   Yesterday's 'festivities' included a FOMC announcement and a market upside reversal big time --a percent gain in soaring volume.  Metals settled on the bases set back a half year ago but this morning futures see 'em +1.67% (fwiw, stock index futures are @ -0.15% but that's been creeping up).  Huge "claims day" document dump:

Initial Claims
Continuing Claims
Current Account Balance
Philadelphia Fed
Leading Indicators
Natural Gas Inventories

--and--

• Europe higher after dovish Fed statement; oil stocks gain   CNBC
• Oil futures give up gains as oversupply fears resurface  MarketWatch - 6 hours ago Crude-oil futures dropped in Asian trade Thursday, reversing the previous day's gains, as oil markets went back to fretting over rising U.S.
• Live: Wall St. cools off; Apple joins the Dow; Target's wage hike
• Jobless claims rise modestly; continuing claims fall

[expat_panama]

The “free lunch” article is fantastic.

imho it was a nicely written but without a valid point; it falsely advanced a misunderstanding that the primary purpose of the Fed is a growing economy.  It isn't.  The Fed exists to stabilize the dollar's prices.  Sure, an economy grows better with stable prices but economic production comes from producers.  There is a big difference between money and wealth --and the Fed knows full well that it can create the first and not the second.

[expat_panama]

	Markets		Yesterday		Today's Futures
	metals		Solid base support with gold'n'silver hanging steady at $1,171,40 and $16.22		Looking good at +0.38%.
	stocks		Mixed bag in low volume as the dust settles.		Seeing a resuming advance @ +0.29%

Let's all sleep late this morning as yesterday went nowhere and today's shaping up like more of the same.  There's not even any econ announcements --what could possibly happen today?  News: 

Why the Fed Can't Raise Interest Rates Yet - John Crudele, New York Post
When Will Interest Rates Rise? Maybe Never - Jeremy Warner, Telegraph
For Bond Traders, Old Strategies Won't Work - Alex Rosenberg, CNBC
Ordinary Investors Now Have Edge over Pros - Peter Coy, Bloomberg BW
Why Haven't Claims from 'Flash Boys' Been Proven? - Bill Harts, CNBC
Smallest 'Errors' Produce the Most Carnage - Jeff Snider, RealClearMarkets
SEC Chair Wants Activist Fights to Be Nicer - Matt Levine, Bloomberg

Threads:

• Jay Ambrose commentary: Right-to-work movement is very much pro-worker
• Paul Tudor Jones Warns This "Disastrous Market Mania" Will End "By Revolution, Taxes, Or War"
• The Middle Class Is Struggling in All 50 States
• Iran endorses nuclear EMP attack on United States
• Debt-Default Crisis 2015: Raise, and Then Raze, the Debt Ceiling

[abb]

You’re up awful early today. I guess you’ll be wanting to get off early, too - being that it’s Friday and all.

We may have to inspect your timesheets to make sure everything’s in order...

LOL!! just kidding!

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

Here’s one to add to your list

Banks Struggle to Unload Oil Loans
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3270011/posts

[expat_panama]

;) busy day already, wife invited 60 people over for a party tomorrow so I had to hit the day running. I’m a morning person anyway...

[expat_panama]

Interesting —always a shake-up when things change, even when things change for the better.

[abb]

Here’s when the majors add to their reserves via buyouts, after someone else found it.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

I’ve been expecting to see some consolidation at some point.

[Abigail Adams]

How did the meeting go? Did it help with understanding the annuity?

[SomeCallMeTim]

It was a NOTHING meeting... All I got was, a way to log in to see my account, and the underlying options for investments. We will meet again next week to talk about it some more.

A Freeper emailed me this link...

https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Variable_annuity

Which, helped me understand a BIT more about what I’ve purchased.

I have to say, my oldest son works with this bank, in this investment arm. He has been helping me, and I trust him completely.

I’m not an investment novice.. I have a good handle, IMO, on things like Time Value of money. The terms of this kind of investment seem to me to be “Too Good to be True”... but, I keep reading, looking for loop-holes, and, I don’t see any.

I HOPE it’s as good as it seems. It seems very flexible... Gets better, the longer I can wait... but, is reasonably good if I have to access sooner.

I’m SO uncertain about how long I will work, and what my total retirenmemt funds might be... This seems like a really good, fairly conservative BASE for my retirement plans... Not the whole, for sure... but, a soldid base tio build on.