Something weird is going on --Investor Thread March 29, 2015

Weekly investment & finance thread ^ | Mar. 29, 2015 | Freeper Investors

[TexasFreeper2009]

the added costs of Obamacare took all of the energy savings moving people got, and now that prices are going back up, we are up a creek without a paddle. Oh, and all those economic numbers are made up by Obama.

[TexasFreeper2009]

It would have been, buy Obama delayed the worst parts unilaterally.

[nascarnation]

Both my wife and I (seniors) notice business is definitely down at the various doctors we go to.

My thought is that the mega-deductibles on policies are keeping people away.

[The Duke]

It sounds to me like the “powers that be” are simply making a futile effort to resuscitate a very dead patient.

[expat_panama]

tx; thanks very much.

[PA Engineer]

Let me try again.

It's Official: Americans Spent All Their "Gas Savings" On Obamacare

[expat_panama]

tx fer the link. Many of us have issues w/ Zerohedge but I got bigger issues w/ Obamacare and what it’s doing to the marketplace.

[abb]

Danger Will Robinson!!

This name has surfaced again: Teresa Ghilarducci

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2015/03/29/cnbc-401-k-plans/70383158/

For millions, 401(k) plans have fallen short
Kelley Holland, CNBC 9:05 a.m. EDT March 29, 2015

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

That’s a real head scratcher. The main problem with a 401k is non participation so do away. with it? Force everyone into a govt plan. Don’t we already have that in Soc Sec?

[abb]

Read up on Ghilarducci. She’s been selling this stuff for years, and manages to get quoted often in the State-Run Media.

[bmwcyle]

Inflation the hidden tax.

[expat_panama]

Inflation the hidden tax.

People say that, the reasoning being that if the gov't prints too much extra money then the gov't gets to buy more stuff w/o earning it and the people find their savings buy less stuff.  Wealth goes from the people to the gov't. 

We can say that deflation is a hidden tax too.  The reasoning is that the gov't prints not enough money so prices go down --including wages-- but what doesn't go down is last year's taxes and loan payments.  The gov't gets to buy extra stuff w/ the tax revenue so wealth leaves the people and goes to the gov't.

[expat_panama]

Sounds like USA Today and CNBC are back trying to push the idea that Americans don't know how to save enough for retirement --their argument is that with 401(k)'s "the median for savers aged 55 to 64 in 2013 was $76,381".  Not very much considering that the rule of thumb is that only 4% of savings can be counted on to replace for lost annual income.

The thing is that on average for each and every dollar that Americans have in 401(k)'s they also got another $30 elsewhere socked away.   So just because the article found "millions" that can't take care of themselves, the fact remains that there are still hundreds of millions that can.  We sure don't need more gov't control of people's retirement savings.

[abb]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TTsHel-qbc

Mark Levin Replays Interview with Teresa Ghilarducci

[bert]

when did you first realize you are an American enemy?

[abb]

Listening to the interview. The woman’s a straight-up Marxist.

[RicocheT]

After the shock of the Depression and the lack of consumer goods to buy during WWII, Americans were heavy into saving for a rainy day and making regular deposits into bank accounts. I’m the son of a WWII Marine and a member of the clean your plate club and fix it or mend it.

As a baby boomer, I had the benefit of a booming economy, good & cheap education and always had work, never cashed an unemployment check.

The booming economy fooled a lot of my generation into not worrying about the economy or saving for retirement.

We boomers also read Dr.Spock and spoiled our kids with love & possessions, so our kids are even less into saving. Plus, with school cost rising like rockets, our kids are not in a position to save as I did.

The 2008—>to God knows when recession has turned we citizens into debtors and our government into a monster that eats both our money and privacy. I still believe America has a future, but we citizens have to work harder and take care of our families on our own. More government isn’t the solution, it’s still the problem as Reagan said.

As a saver and pay off your debts guy, my retirement investments are heavy into big and medium cap stocks that pay dividends & mutual funds/ETFs that are similar. With low interest rates bonds just do not attract me. I’m a gold bug and believe 5% of savings should go into physical gold or GLD/IAU. It’s also good to have cash on hand and a stash the family can live on for a month or two if all hell breaks out. I have little faith our government will be on the job, considering how it fails simpler tasks.

[expat_panama]

Listening to the interview.

Into about 10 min. I began to break out in a systemic allergic reaction itching head to toe.  Turned it off and felt better immediately...

[expat_panama]

Happy Monday morning!  Futures are seeing stocks up and metals down at 3 hours before opening +0.71% and -0.56% respectively.  Traders may be expecting good news w/ announcements at opening bell for Personal Income/Spending, PCE Prices - Core, and Pending Home Sales, or maybe it's something in the news --there's sure a lot of it:

World stocks gain after Yellen signals gradual rise in rates World stock markets were buoyant Monday as investors cheered Fed chief Janet Yellen's comments signaling that U.S. interest rates would rise only gradually. Chinese stocks soared on hopes for more economic
Oil prices drop on weak demand, potential Iran deal
Small investors blame losses on brokers they once trusted
Business forecasters boost 2-year outlook for US economy
America's Economy in 2015 – Lower Unemployment and Inflation, More Spending
European, Asian shares rise, helped by Chinese stimulus Reuters - 9 hours ago LONDON (Reuters) - Shares rose on Monday with Asian stocks buoyed by hopes for stimulus to boost China's economy, but the euro slipped on more concern about Greece's finances.
MarketsOil sags as traders reverse Yemen bid Financial Times - an hour ago US and international oil prices slid as underlying volatility soared on Monday, days after tensions in Libya sent the commodity higher.
A Controversial Theory That Has Yellen Worried - Alex Rosenberg, CNBC
Economy Is Soon To Emerge From Its Slump - Rex Nutting, MarketWatch
Google Controls What We Buy, Read, Plus O's Policies - Kyle Smith, NYP

[caww]

Could also be the public is more aware of Obamas blunders overall, not to mention the status in the M.East with Iran and other ME nations.....it’s scary for some and they are going to hold onto their money.