kirkf's Comments RSS Syndication from SeekingAlpha.com http://seekingalpha.comuser/282855/comments http://seekingalpha.com/article/163501/comments?source=feed#comment-693232 693232 Next time you are in a meeting look around the table.
I did. 19 blackberries, most of them storms and 1 Iphone.

Kirk]]> Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:58:42 -0400 Next time you are in a meeting look around the table.
I did. 19 blackberries, most of them storms and 1 Iphone.

Kirk]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/160456/comments?source=feed#comment-667815 667815 The USD will lose its status as the reserve currency. It wont be overnight, but at this point it is inevitable. We no longer live in a world where the USA is the single largest economy, and it will never be again.

The dollar won't fall too far in the short term. Although the US would love to print their way out of debt, there is no way the chinese will let them devalue their currency that much. They hold alot of USD.

Kirk



]]> Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:49:16 -0400 The USD will lose its status as the reserve currency. It wont be overnight, but at this point it is inevitable. We no longer live in a world where the USA is the single largest economy, and it will never be again.

The dollar won't fall too far in the short term. Although the US would love to print their way out of debt, there is no way the chinese will let them devalue their currency that much. They hold alot of USD.

Kirk



]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/149602/comments?source=feed#comment-593750 593750 Start with a basic premise: All citizens of a civilized country must have equal access to quality health care, regardless of race, creed or economic status.

That should be written into the constitution.

Work upwards from there.]]> Sun, 19 Jul 2009 11:01:05 -0400 Start with a basic premise: All citizens of a civilized country must have equal access to quality health care, regardless of race, creed or economic status.

That should be written into the constitution.

Work upwards from there.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/145470/comments?source=feed#comment-564333 564333 1. The USA is not 'protecting' the EU. I love when americans pull up the "we are protecting -fill in the blank-" line.
2. The USA does not 'twitch' in reponse to North Korea, because China will not allow them to go anywhere near NK.

Welcome to a reality that doesn't come from Fox news.
]]> Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:20:34 -0400 1. The USA is not 'protecting' the EU. I love when americans pull up the "we are protecting -fill in the blank-" line.
2. The USA does not 'twitch' in reponse to North Korea, because China will not allow them to go anywhere near NK.

Welcome to a reality that doesn't come from Fox news.
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/145476/comments?source=feed#comment-564312 564312 Not necessarily. How often do you get a chance to invest in a business that can never fail?]]> Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:09:51 -0400 Not necessarily. How often do you get a chance to invest in a business that can never fail?]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/145531/comments?source=feed#comment-564275 564275 Just increase taxes to pay for social benefits. Welcome to the real world.]]> Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:01:43 -0400 Just increase taxes to pay for social benefits. Welcome to the real world.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/140488/comments?source=feed#comment-525304 525304 Gold & Silver bugs are a unique group of people. They are obsessed by holding the physical asset, and will pay any premium to do so.
]]> Sun, 31 May 2009 13:50:48 -0400 Gold & Silver bugs are a unique group of people. They are obsessed by holding the physical asset, and will pay any premium to do so.
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/138070/comments?source=feed#comment-507278 507278 The US government should employ a $2/gallon gas tax.
This would help your country reach its goal of greater fossil fuel self sufficiency by providing the incentive to upgrade to more fuel efficient vehicles. It would also help to bring down the fantastically high deficity you are currently running.

Kirk
]]> Sun, 17 May 2009 12:28:41 -0400 The US government should employ a $2/gallon gas tax.
This would help your country reach its goal of greater fossil fuel self sufficiency by providing the incentive to upgrade to more fuel efficient vehicles. It would also help to bring down the fantastically high deficity you are currently running.

Kirk
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/138073/comments?source=feed#comment-507163 507163 "Quantitative Easing" = Printing Money = Monetary Expansion = Inflation.
Its just a matter of time for it to work its way through the system.

You can already see the first signs in the rise of commodity prices. (US currency = reserve currency)

I think deflationists are going to be licking their wounds for the next half a decade or more.

Kirk
]]> Sun, 17 May 2009 11:06:43 -0400 "Quantitative Easing" = Printing Money = Monetary Expansion = Inflation.
Its just a matter of time for it to work its way through the system.

You can already see the first signs in the rise of commodity prices. (US currency = reserve currency)

I think deflationists are going to be licking their wounds for the next half a decade or more.

Kirk
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/138086/comments?source=feed#comment-507151 507151 If you read all the above comments, they all come down to one thing.

You need your government to provide regulation of the financial markets. Similar to what the other resonsible governments of the world already employ:

-Banks should not be insurance companies (Rule from 30s depression)
-Insurance companies should not be banks. (Rule from 30s depression)
-10% down for a mortgage - maximum 25 year term. No exceptions.
-Personal debt liabilities cannot exceed 40% of gross earnings.

These simple regulations ensure that everyone stays on the right side of the line to ensure a healthy and prosperous country.

Yet even after this disaster in the USA, all I hear on the US news is that any type of government regulation is anti-capitalism... Capitalism was born from this type of structure. It ensures the welfare of everyone involved.

Kirk
]]> Sun, 17 May 2009 11:00:50 -0400 If you read all the above comments, they all come down to one thing.

You need your government to provide regulation of the financial markets. Similar to what the other resonsible governments of the world already employ:

-Banks should not be insurance companies (Rule from 30s depression)
-Insurance companies should not be banks. (Rule from 30s depression)
-10% down for a mortgage - maximum 25 year term. No exceptions.
-Personal debt liabilities cannot exceed 40% of gross earnings.

These simple regulations ensure that everyone stays on the right side of the line to ensure a healthy and prosperous country.

Yet even after this disaster in the USA, all I hear on the US news is that any type of government regulation is anti-capitalism... Capitalism was born from this type of structure. It ensures the welfare of everyone involved.

Kirk
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/133631/comments?source=feed#comment-480977 480977
Both Visa and Mastercard are transaction processing companies. They do not lend money, and are not directly affected by delinquency rates.

By including them in this article as related stocks you have ensured that a story with a negative headline will be included in the news feeds for both Mastercard and Visa, during the week they report earnings.


Kirk


]]> Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:46:21 -0400
Both Visa and Mastercard are transaction processing companies. They do not lend money, and are not directly affected by delinquency rates.

By including them in this article as related stocks you have ensured that a story with a negative headline will be included in the news feeds for both Mastercard and Visa, during the week they report earnings.


Kirk


]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/132900/comments?source=feed#comment-476447 476447 Arguments that monetary expansion won't lead to inflation sound similar to those that said the increase in housing prices was justified and wouldn't lead to a bubble.

Kirk
]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:18:55 -0400 Arguments that monetary expansion won't lead to inflation sound similar to those that said the increase in housing prices was justified and wouldn't lead to a bubble.

Kirk
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/131587/comments?source=feed#comment-468835 468835 The thing to remember is a dead cat bounce can take months. Its not a 1 week event. This rally could last until december and then trend lower and retest the low.

If a rally wasnt 'convincing' people wouldnt buy into it.

Kirk
]]> Sun, 19 Apr 2009 16:24:13 -0400 The thing to remember is a dead cat bounce can take months. Its not a 1 week event. This rally could last until december and then trend lower and retest the low.

If a rally wasnt 'convincing' people wouldnt buy into it.

Kirk
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/129344/comments?source=feed#comment-451904 451904
Lets call "quantitative easing" exactly what it is. Printing money.

The only difference between this time and the previous ones is we dont even bother to run the printing press any more, we just do an electronic transfer.

At least running the printing presses would have created a few jobs..



Kirk
]]> Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:10:00 -0400
Lets call "quantitative easing" exactly what it is. Printing money.

The only difference between this time and the previous ones is we dont even bother to run the printing press any more, we just do an electronic transfer.

At least running the printing presses would have created a few jobs..



Kirk
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/129346/comments?source=feed#comment-451901 451901 In my opinion the market cannot have bottomed for the simple reason that none of the issues that caused the market to drop have been resolved.

-US consumers are still too highly leveraged and mired in debt.
-US & UK banks have not been regulated
-US housing prices have not fallen enough (it was a big bubble)


Kirk
]]> Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:00:38 -0400 In my opinion the market cannot have bottomed for the simple reason that none of the issues that caused the market to drop have been resolved.

-US consumers are still too highly leveraged and mired in debt.
-US & UK banks have not been regulated
-US housing prices have not fallen enough (it was a big bubble)


Kirk
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/127972/comments?source=feed#comment-441120 441120 Unfortuneatly we don't have a system of reporting foreclosure rates in Canada like they do in the USA, so its hard for us to track whats happening in that sector.

As for our own sub prime issues, its important to remember that we also had 40 year mortgages, zero down, and floating rate mortgages tied to prime.

AIG and GE operated in this country for over 2 years with their sub prime business.

It is typical for Canada to lag the US 12-24 months, so the truth of how much damage our own sub prime market will inflict on canadian real estate prices is likely still to come.

Kirk

]]> Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:05:21 -0400 Unfortuneatly we don't have a system of reporting foreclosure rates in Canada like they do in the USA, so its hard for us to track whats happening in that sector.

As for our own sub prime issues, its important to remember that we also had 40 year mortgages, zero down, and floating rate mortgages tied to prime.

AIG and GE operated in this country for over 2 years with their sub prime business.

It is typical for Canada to lag the US 12-24 months, so the truth of how much damage our own sub prime market will inflict on canadian real estate prices is likely still to come.

Kirk

]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/127977/comments?source=feed#comment-441106 441106 It is an extremely dangerous precedent when we see a government selectively tax individuals at arbitrary rates.

Whereas I do not condone the actions of AIG employees who took on massive risk, with no regard for the general good of the company or their country, it is important to understand that contract law is the basis for our modern society.

If the government can effectively void contracts in this manner, everyone should consider "who will be next"

Today its investment professionals at companies receiving TARP funds, but in the future it could be anyone, who's profession falls out of public favour.

Kirk
]]> Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:56:38 -0400 It is an extremely dangerous precedent when we see a government selectively tax individuals at arbitrary rates.

Whereas I do not condone the actions of AIG employees who took on massive risk, with no regard for the general good of the company or their country, it is important to understand that contract law is the basis for our modern society.

If the government can effectively void contracts in this manner, everyone should consider "who will be next"

Today its investment professionals at companies receiving TARP funds, but in the future it could be anyone, who's profession falls out of public favour.

Kirk
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/125325/comments?source=feed#comment-422413 422413 I think the rest of 2009 will be a traders market, and not an investors market, and that's how I intend to approach it.

What do I know? Nothing.

Which in my opinion puts me on par with all the worthless analysts spouting off their prognostications to the media everyday.

Kirk
]]> Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:51:21 -0400 I think the rest of 2009 will be a traders market, and not an investors market, and that's how I intend to approach it.

What do I know? Nothing.

Which in my opinion puts me on par with all the worthless analysts spouting off their prognostications to the media everyday.

Kirk
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/125330/comments?source=feed#comment-422400 422400 Import Certificates?

Isn't this just the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of June 1930, repeated by another name?

What would you do in the case of Canada? With over a Billion dollars per day of cross border trade, how would you balance that? Do you really want to put a tariff on the massive energy imports flowing across that border?


Kirk]]> Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:35:29 -0400 Import Certificates?

Isn't this just the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of June 1930, repeated by another name?

What would you do in the case of Canada? With over a Billion dollars per day of cross border trade, how would you balance that? Do you really want to put a tariff on the massive energy imports flowing across that border?


Kirk]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/122261/comments?source=feed#comment-401212 401212 Until I see the USA begin targeting their debt as their most pressing economic problem, I simply dont see a turnaround.

Luckily I am starting to see the signs with your new president at least talking about halving the deficit. However until he starts raising taxes and cutting government spending thats all just rhetoric.

Until your own government starts putting policies of fiscal responsibility in place why would you expect your major corporations to act differently?

We have been through this in Canada after 1992. It was a long and painful process. If you spend beyond your means, one way or another you have to pay the piper.

Kirk
]]> Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:13:10 -0500 Until I see the USA begin targeting their debt as their most pressing economic problem, I simply dont see a turnaround.

Luckily I am starting to see the signs with your new president at least talking about halving the deficit. However until he starts raising taxes and cutting government spending thats all just rhetoric.

Until your own government starts putting policies of fiscal responsibility in place why would you expect your major corporations to act differently?

We have been through this in Canada after 1992. It was a long and painful process. If you spend beyond your means, one way or another you have to pay the piper.

Kirk
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/121903/comments?source=feed#comment-398549 398549 Stop spending. Pay down your national debt. Increase taxes.

In Canada thats what we did for the last 20 years. It was painful. Everybody hated it. It means cutting government jobs. Cutting social programs. Cutting spending, and increasing taxes.

In the USA you still seem to think that decreasing taxes will spur your economy, but you seem to forget that you already pulled that lever a few years ago, and then you spent all the money it did create. Its not going to work twice.

Until I start reading articles from the USA that discuss how they are going to pay down their massive debt, I expect there will be no recovery.


Kirk
]]> Sun, 22 Feb 2009 11:16:47 -0500 Stop spending. Pay down your national debt. Increase taxes.

In Canada thats what we did for the last 20 years. It was painful. Everybody hated it. It means cutting government jobs. Cutting social programs. Cutting spending, and increasing taxes.

In the USA you still seem to think that decreasing taxes will spur your economy, but you seem to forget that you already pulled that lever a few years ago, and then you spent all the money it did create. Its not going to work twice.

Until I start reading articles from the USA that discuss how they are going to pay down their massive debt, I expect there will be no recovery.


Kirk
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/120633/comments?source=feed#comment-389550 389550 Tax the workers for their health benefits. Remove insurance companies from the health care system. Then you will never run into a problem like this again. You will never face an individual coporation's bankruptcy threatening the health and wealthfare of retired workers.

Surely all you americans must see its completely ludicrous to involve individual corporations with health care benefits? Why are you trying to make GM into a health insurance company?!?!?!?! Just let them make cars.
]]> Sun, 15 Feb 2009 14:36:04 -0500 Tax the workers for their health benefits. Remove insurance companies from the health care system. Then you will never run into a problem like this again. You will never face an individual coporation's bankruptcy threatening the health and wealthfare of retired workers.

Surely all you americans must see its completely ludicrous to involve individual corporations with health care benefits? Why are you trying to make GM into a health insurance company?!?!?!?! Just let them make cars.
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/111505/comments?source=feed#comment-334015 334015 It is interesting that in the related stocks, mastercard and visa were listed.
Mastercard and Visa are transaction companies. They do not in any way set the interest rates, or any other part of the agreements between banks and consumers. They charge a set rate to handle the transaction between the consumer and the issuing bank.

The related stocks are actually the banks that issue these cards, or the credit cards that hold their own debt such as american express and discovery card.

Kirk
]]> Fri, 19 Dec 2008 12:02:37 -0500 It is interesting that in the related stocks, mastercard and visa were listed.
Mastercard and Visa are transaction companies. They do not in any way set the interest rates, or any other part of the agreements between banks and consumers. They charge a set rate to handle the transaction between the consumer and the issuing bank.

The related stocks are actually the banks that issue these cards, or the credit cards that hold their own debt such as american express and discovery card.

Kirk
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/104822/comments?source=feed#comment-300894 300894
In the early 1990s Canada was in a similar position to the USA today. We had a crippling national debt, and a huge deficit. (Well huge for our country anyways)

Our government at the time realised that they had spent beyond their means, and we as a country tightened our belts to fix the problem.

That meant higher taxes for all and vastly reduced government spending.

We did that for over a decade to reduce our debt and bring our country back into a position of financial stability. Now our country is rated #1 amongst the G7, and our banks are #1 in the world.

We have posted budget surpluses for many years now.

In watching the crisis in the USA, I keep waiting for the day when the general public realizes they too will have to pay the piper, reduce their debt, and reign in government spending. Until then I fear your slide will continue.

How can you ask for reduced taxes when your spending is out of control?!?!

When will you pay for what you have bought?

Kirk




]]> Sat, 08 Nov 2008 19:01:33 -0500
In the early 1990s Canada was in a similar position to the USA today. We had a crippling national debt, and a huge deficit. (Well huge for our country anyways)

Our government at the time realised that they had spent beyond their means, and we as a country tightened our belts to fix the problem.

That meant higher taxes for all and vastly reduced government spending.

We did that for over a decade to reduce our debt and bring our country back into a position of financial stability. Now our country is rated #1 amongst the G7, and our banks are #1 in the world.

We have posted budget surpluses for many years now.

In watching the crisis in the USA, I keep waiting for the day when the general public realizes they too will have to pay the piper, reduce their debt, and reign in government spending. Until then I fear your slide will continue.

How can you ask for reduced taxes when your spending is out of control?!?!

When will you pay for what you have bought?

Kirk




]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/104719/comments?source=feed#comment-300284 300284
By your own definition you were the generation that never wanted to grow up. We still see that message as the basis of advertising aimed at your generation.
Now you act startled and shocked when someone Gen X like myself points out that you are the generation that never grew up. Never learned to take responsibility.
I have often compared the boomer generation to a swarm of locusts. You enter an area, consume everything of value, leave the dregs for the rest of us and then move on to the next target.

If one looks it is easy to see the patterns in society, as the boomer generation has shaped every aspect of the environment we live in, to suit their own short term needs, with complete disregard for the past or the future.

You can even see it in the vehicles they drive.

Look at the average age of boomers, and the size of the vehicles marketed to the public. Ever notice that the grand SUV craze, and cheap oil just happened to coincide with boomers having teenage kids?

Oh but wait! Most boomers just got their kids out of the house. Voila. Now its bye bye to the SUV craze, in comes economical small vehicles again....



]]> Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:05:04 -0500
By your own definition you were the generation that never wanted to grow up. We still see that message as the basis of advertising aimed at your generation.
Now you act startled and shocked when someone Gen X like myself points out that you are the generation that never grew up. Never learned to take responsibility.
I have often compared the boomer generation to a swarm of locusts. You enter an area, consume everything of value, leave the dregs for the rest of us and then move on to the next target.

If one looks it is easy to see the patterns in society, as the boomer generation has shaped every aspect of the environment we live in, to suit their own short term needs, with complete disregard for the past or the future.

You can even see it in the vehicles they drive.

Look at the average age of boomers, and the size of the vehicles marketed to the public. Ever notice that the grand SUV craze, and cheap oil just happened to coincide with boomers having teenage kids?

Oh but wait! Most boomers just got their kids out of the house. Voila. Now its bye bye to the SUV craze, in comes economical small vehicles again....



]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/100589/comments?source=feed#comment-286740 286740 I think the 6 billion is being held for an acquisition of Visa Europe and a share buyback in the 1st quarter of 2009.

I'm surprised that neither of these was mentioned at the meeting. Perhaps further details will be released during the conference call on October 29th.
]]> Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:34:29 -0400 I think the 6 billion is being held for an acquisition of Visa Europe and a share buyback in the 1st quarter of 2009.

I'm surprised that neither of these was mentioned at the meeting. Perhaps further details will be released during the conference call on October 29th.
]]>