By Bob Stokes
11/25/2011 12:30:00 PM
The trip from prosperity to hard times can be shockingly brief. Only a few city blocks separate Fifth Avenue and the South Bronx...
Filed Under: consumer price index, consumer spending, investor psychology, sentiment
Category: U.S. Economy
Luxury May Be Lethal
"...luxury is a classic late-bloomer." -- Financial Forecast, March 2011
By Bob Stokes
10/7/2011 5:45:00 PM
Naturally, anyone has a right to spend their money on whatever they choose. The point to ponder is what the demand for luxury today may be telling us about our economy tomorrow. Find out where in the economic cycle that an increasing demand for luxury usually occurs...
Filed Under: consumer confidence, consumer spending, cultural trends, Elliott wave
Category: U.S. Economy
By Bob Stokes
9/9/2011 2:45:00 PM
There's yet another indicator that our economic deterioration might very well accelerate more rapidly than what happened in 2008. You can see this indicator for yourself...
Filed Under: consumer confidence, consumer spending, economic depression, gross domestic product (GDP), stimulus package
Category: U.S. Economy
By Bob Stokes
8/12/2011 3:45:00 PM
If businesses are already rewarding customers for using cash, imagine having cash if the economy crashes. You'll be in a great position. Alas, the opportunities for safely storing cash are vanishing. However, some opportunities remain...
Filed Under: conquer the crash, consumer spending, economic depression, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), market crash, risk management, supply and demand, U.S. dollar
Category: U.S. Economy
By Bob Stokes
5/3/2011 5:30:00 PM
Gas and food costs appear to be such a persuasive argument for inflation that it's easy to overlook other economic data -- such as...
Filed Under: consumer price index, consumer spending, deflation, foreclosures, inflation
Category: U.S. Economy
By Nico Isaac
2/3/2011 4:45:00 PM
It's been another hard winter here in the U.S., and since the beginning of last year's Christmas season, we've heard a lot of warnings that cold weather would "cool" the North American public's urge to spend. When the nation's leading retail stores reported dour sales on their biggest shopping day of the year -- "Black Friday" December 26, 2010 -- the mainstream financial experts pinned the carrot on Frosty's face. Here, the following news items from the time recall the tale.
Filed Under: Campaign for Independent Thinking, consumer spending, social mood, socionomics, Wall Street
Category: U.S. Economy
By Bob Stokes
1/27/2011 4:15:00 PM
Much of what makes a "home and hearth" cannot be measured in dollars and cents. Even so, it's not wise to ignore the financial facts of residential real estate...
Filed Under: consumer spending, credit crisis, economic depression, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, housing prices, subprime lending
Category: Real Estate
Understanding the Federal Reserve Bank
To understand what's a greater threat to the U.S. economy -- inflation or deflation -- it helps to understand what role the U.S. Federal Reserve plays
By Vadim Pokhlebkin
1/12/2011 10:30:00 PM
Despite so much focus on the policies of the Fed, its operations remain somewhat of a mystery to most investors -- in no smaller measure, due to their complexity. So, we put together a free 35-page report for our Club EWI members that explains the Fed, its goals and, very importantly, its limitations in layman's terms. Enjoy this short excerpt!
Filed Under: Ben Bernanke, Campaign for Independent Thinking, consumer spending, deflation, european central bank, inflation, monetary policy, monetization, Robert Prechter, stimulus package, U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed)
Category: U.S. Economy
By Nico Isaac
12/27/2010 5:30:00 PM
The day after Christmas is to the world of retail what gravity is to planet Earth. Known as "Returns Day," "Boxing Day" (in the UK) and/or "Black Friday II," this single calendar square is historically one of the top five busiest shopping days of the year, when swarms of gift-receivers deck the malls with bills of money. Such was not the case for this year's December 26.
Filed Under: Campaign for Independent Thinking, consumer spending, Elliott Wave Principle, fundamental analysis, social mood, stimulus package
Category: U.S. Economy
By Nico Isaac
7/1/2010 12:15:00 PM
According to a recent Newsweek cover story, America has gone on a serious "All-Cash Diet." This financing-free, fiscally conservative movement is already reshaping economic policies and consumer practices in dramatic ways -- all with one main goal: To reverse the onset of Type 2 Debt-abetes brought about by a decades-long borrowing binge.
Filed Under: Robert Prechter, consumer spending
Category: U.S. Economy
By Nico Isaac
8/8/2008 4:45:00 PM
08.08.08: The long-awaited Summer FINANCIAL Olympic Games has begun. Hosted by the August 2008 Elliott Wave Financial Forecast, this event showcases the world’s leading economic athletes as they compete in the race toward opportunity. Here are just a few of the event’s most show-stopping details:
Filed Under: Merrill Lynch, Bear market, consumer spending, gold futures, crude oil
Category: U.S. Economy
By Nico Isaac
8/1/2008 4:45:00 PM
Given the amount of economic turmoil the U.S. faces today, the government will adopt a "Saving Private Ryan" policy regarding consumer spending: Keep Alive and Well at All Costs. Problem is, their rescue schemes have come too late...
Filed Under: consumer spending, bailouts, M3 money supply
Category: U.S. Economy
By Nico Isaac
6/6/2008 3:45:00 PM
When it comes to the world of finance, FEAR is to a rising market what a hot flame is to an air-filled balloon. The challenge comes in knowing beforehand when things are about to go “POP!” In our experience, one of the most reliable measures of collective investor emotion is the Junk-to-Treasury Yield Spread, or difference between low grade and high-grade debt.
Filed Under: Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), consumer spending
Category: U.S. Economy