thelongolian

My Christmas Wish for ETFs

I couldn't agree more. Go for the gold standard in the ETF's.

The Annual Commodity Awards

Nice.....

Outlook for a Merry Christmas Eve

Health care is not a right, freedom of speech is however. Ask the Russians how that worked out for them, you now, "change you can believe in."
I do agree with help for the (truly helpless) however.
If we could get the socialists out of the pockets of the lawyers, and remove the corrupt state line barriers so "all" insurers could compete for the public dollars, only then could we get back our freedom and save the capitalist system. But with 58% of us sucking off the producers there is little hope or change to come in this corrupt government.

How Buying a Home Is Gambling

I used to rent. The reason I bought my first coop., later converted to a condo, which a lot of people said was a "bad investment" was because my rent kept going up, and I could not write off the payments. The condo payments were over double what I was paying in rent, but most of that was interest that I could write off my earnings. Association dues were $150.00 per month on top of that.
Four years later I moved to save $ on fuel. I rented the property at a loss, but after depreciation and fuel savings my next house was free. Rents continued to rise and the renters paid for that condo. The purchase price of it was $74,500.00 in 1980 in 2006 I sold it for $305,000.00 and did a 1031 exchange, paid cash for a four bdrm two bath home, and paid no cap gains tax. I'm renting that property for twice what I netted from the condo and no association fees. The one thing that a young person can count on is that their rent over their life time will double over and over. When I retire I will not be paying rent, meaning my overhead will be a lot lower then an old renter. I also bought and sold other properties, and now have two rentals paid for that produce $2500.00 per month grouse.
So if you can buy an affordable small dwelling, in the very long run, you can end up in pretty good shape.
Keep your housing investments separate from other investing and you will have the security that you are looking for in the future, i.e. sell or take out a loan on them to invest in the stock market, which can lose all your investment capital.
Its all about the slow money.

The Mother of All Bubbles

KA-BOOM!

The U.S. Bailout Circus Is Just Getting Started

Obama is a Kool-aid salesman. There will be a HUGE number of unexpected hangovers to the young and hip in the very near future.

Record Decline in Driving, Record Level of Conservation

Just about everyone I talk to is conserving petro. I believe in the high end of the estiment.

High Likelihood of a Market Crash

Glad I sold first week of May. But I think we will do fine HYHY Hydrogin Hybred Technology, (water to Hydrogin, mix w/gas or diesel, and walah!) 10% to 39% less petro used.