danwalk

Commodities ETFs vs. ETNs: Which are Better?

I find it interesting that an author who poses a question in the title of his article does not seem to answer it in his analysis. While I appreciate links to the author's website, it would be much more helpful to see actual discussion in the Seeking Alpha article. Two charts and a sea of links do not constitute analysis for this reader. Furthermore, this entry ignores completely the substantial differences in the various indices that track commodities. The differences between each index are far from trivial.

So Just When Does Spain's Twin Deficit Problem Become Unsustainable?

Lovely analysis—if not a bit frightening. For so long it seemed as though the average Spaniard—as well as the average Spanish government official—was content to place all the blame for the economic crisis on the Wild West mentality of the American market. Now, I think many (but not all, unfortunately) are finally realizing that the Spanish economy has its own special kinds of gremlins.

The Fall of Index Funds

What an incredibly shallow and ignorant article. I find it hard to believe that an author who manages other people's money would compare a balanced fund with an equity index. I am truly shocked that SeekingAlpha published this.

What If...? Market Contingency Plans

Although the author's question "Why are socialist Spain and the capitalist United States facing the same economic problems?" is a nice turn of phrase, it does not represent reality. By any reasonable account, Spain is just as capitalistic as any other developed market. While the party currently in power is called the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE in Spanish), that does not mean the country in and of itself is socialist. In fact, the PSOE is much like all other modern European social democratic parties. Remember that the previous government in Spain (with the Popular Party [PP] in control) was--along with Great Britain--one of the very few that supported the U.S. wholeheartedly in the war in Iraq, much to the chagrin of true socialists.