Old Bull

Is This Financial Armageddon or the Greatest Buying Opportunity Since 2002?

Excellent clear-eyed analysis that we have linked to. Thank you.

Investors Beware: Reporters Trying to Help

Try and pack everything that you've written here into the space she had! Sure she could explain at length about asset classes and sectors, but, unlike us, she must write to a specified length. Given the constraints, she did a good job.

E*Trade's 'First In, First Out' Position: Yes, 111M Shorts Can Be Wrong

Cindy's capitalization of the word FREE is highly suspect (all that's missing is: "but wait..there's more!"). This kind of hype scares off a lot of potential investors. I happen to think your argument is sound, Cindy, but if you want a real bounce, don't scare off the sceptics with sales talk...let your facts speak for themselves.
I too love eTrade's platform. But the terror of getting my IRA out, as BK loomed, has left deep scars. With that lesson learned, my IRA is now split between several brokers. BUT, having said that, ETrade has done everything right since their screw-up: saturation advertising strategy and "1000 new accounts a day" slogan is brilliant. Their quality platform is still way, way ahead of the competition and helped them pull off the almost-impossible feat of stopping the exodus. They won't be getting my IRA back, but
I salute them for their recent strategy. If pumper's hype doesn't scare me away, I will make a modest bet on their great potential future.

Time To Abandon Stocks?

Very well said! Headlines today say Buffett is now predicting a "colossal" recession. In fact he's just been saying -- as he has for weeks-- that it simply will be longer than many think. That hasn't stopped him flying to Germany to shop for bargains.

Stay Clear of Traditional Asset Classes

Wow, this guy really is way ahead of the curve! Short SKF...after the financial crisis has been discounted, buy gold three years into a bull market? Buy oil when it's close to its all-time high? How can we possibly lose?

Dividends Ripe for the Picking

What you say is largely true. But high dividend stocks are not the only way for retirees to preserve capital. If they are wise they also keep some diversification in pure growth stocks. So don't automatically expect spectacular rises in high dividend/low growth stocks. As a retiree I favor stocks like GE and strong banks like WFC (now very cheap) that provide me with growth AND a good dividend. Win...win!

Is Starbucks Getting a Caffeine Boost?

They stupidly filled in their moat of consistent high quality and upscale ambience which justified premium prices. It will take years to re-dig it, by which time McDonalds, and recession, will have removed much of their market. Turnaround? I don't think so.

M3 Money Supply and Inflation: Got Gold?

Retirees aren't crazy. They don't finance their day-today income by eating their seed corn. For income they use fixed interest income, stock dividends and social security. They keep stocks for growth and diversity. Boomers won't dent the stock market by wholesale selling of stocks. Most who are in, or close to retirement, follow conventional advice and have ALREADY moved a substantial part of their stock holdings into fixed interest investments.

British Ounce, U.S Dollar Toppled by Tumbling Home Prices

Hard to take seriously the opinion of someone who calls the Pound Sterling an "Ounce"

Stocks Are the Place to Be - Google and Apple in Particular

The whole value of Seeking Alpha is exposing yourself to contrary viewpoints. Who's to say Mark Hines is not accurate in his prediction ? Not agreeing is no reason to trash him. I don't think we're out of the woods yet, but so what? That's just me. He may well be right.

Healthcare as a Recession Indicator: Right Symptoms, Wrong Diagnosis?

Surely a more obvious reason for current poor health-care sector performance is the strong probability of a Democratic victory and subsequent squeeze on the sector's margins?