donzelion

A Complete Guide to Emerging Market ETFs

My picks vary between DEM and VWO (I want dividends in my emerging markets funds, but DEM is thinly traded, has higher spreads, and higher expenses than VWO).

Both EMB and PCY have dollar denominated holdings, don't they? Why a disclaimer for one but not the other? (Well, maybe you're assuming readers have common sense...)

In any event, I'd love to find a non-dollar denominated emerging markets bond ETF: is there such a beast (I've seen a couple CEFs, but their high expense ratios make them unappealing).

G20 Must Address the 'White Blue Eyed Bankers' Issue

Blame. Is. Lame. Literally, it's a self-crippling practice, unless the purpose is to properly reallocate costs that cannot otherwise be allocated (blame, then make the guilty pay the full price).

Whether blaming "blue eyed bankers" or "subprime minority loan applicants" - or blaming the Arabs (as was common last year when oil leaped past $100), or blaming the Mexicans (as was common five years ago), or whoever else - it's almost always a stupid, pointless waste of energy: the purpose of blame is to solidify leadership that is otherwise bankrupt and needs to build up authority by attacking a victim.

Which ethno-religious group bore the brunt of the blame for the '29 crash? What was the outcome? Let us hesitate before repeating similar affronts...

There Are Many More Satyams Out There

"...Mr. Raju’s deliberate balance-sheet structuring is not fancy-footwork restricted to India. Any number of public companies in Brazil, China, Russia, Turkey, Argentina and Indonesia...are currently facing a similar “fictitious-against-re... cash” dilemma."

I would expect India to be relatively better than the other emerging markets. AIG, Enron, et. al., are small potatoes compared to China's lead/melanine and other corruption stories. Structurally, India has hundreds of thousands of skilled accountants who can speak English - a free press, and a legal system that actually reflects laws. That's more than one might say about several other emerging markets, which have nothing but momentum and hope'n'dreams driving their story.

Free Trade Agreements = Evaporated Jobs Worldwide

One major factor in U.S. job loss that has nothing to do with "free trade" is our unique American tax on global income. An American working abroad pays both foreign taxes AND U.S. taxes. Everyone else pays only the foreign taxes.

This means that businesses will go to great lengths to hire non-U.S. citizens and put them in foreign posts - every single U.S. citizen costs from 15-35% more than a comparably skilled non-U.S. citizen.

It also means that every small business in America will be at a disadvantage to non-US small businesses IF the work involves income earned while physically present in another country for long-term posts.

2009 Economic Forecasts Ignore Demographic Shift

You write: In no past recession, has wealth evaporation been as severe. The wealth evaporation ratios now equal that of the Great Depression.

If leverage is a major factor in wealth destruction, wouldn't that suggest that real wealth destruction occurred before the current recession, but was simply hidden away by financial products?