An Economic Earthquake Shakes U.S. Municipalities
"California dreaming" turns into a Golden State nightmare

By Bob Stokes
5/20/2013 5:15:00 PM

Municipalities have borrowed and spent for decades. A substantial number are going broke. The economic earthquake at the state and local level is part of an even larger seismic shift.

Filed Under: debt crisis, deflation, economic indicators, Elliott wave, housing prices, municipal bonds, Robert Prechter

Category: U.S. Economy

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Deflation Warning: Money Manager Startles Global Conference
History shows that the U.S. should pay attention to economies in Europe

By Bob Stokes
5/17/2013 3:45:00 PM

The economy has been sluggish for five years. There's no shortage of chatter about "why," yet few observers mention deflation. One exception is a hedge fund manager who spoke up at the recent Milken Institute Global Conference.

Filed Under: bloomberg, CNBC, deflation, economic indicators, Elliott wave, great depression, Robert Prechter

Category: U.S. Economy

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Lenders and Borrowers "Just Say No" to New Credit
Why low interest rates are not stimulating the economy

By Bob Stokes
5/16/2013 4:30:00 PM

The desire of lenders to lend and of borrowers to borrow has shriveled dramatically. Interest rates have been historically low for years now, yet the economy is barely treading water. History shows that low interest rates are rarely bullish for the economy. Learn why.

Filed Under: conquer the crash, deflation, economic indicators, home sales, Interest Rates

Category: Interest Rates

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As with "Madame Deficit," Heads May Roll During the Next Economic Crisis
The blame game will get serious.

By Bob Stokes
5/6/2013 5:15:00 PM

Marie Antoinette had been a spendthrift early in her reign, but curtailed that habit when she learned what the public thought. Even so, the young French queen had already been nicknamed "Madame Deficit." French debt had ballooned before she and King Louis XVI took the throne. But they received the blame for France's financial straits. Now fast forward to the U.S. economy today. Get ready for the blame game to turn serious.

Filed Under: deficit, economic indicators, Elliott wave, europe, history, Robert Prechter, sentiment, social mood, Sovereign Debt

Category: U.S. Economy

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America's Economic Engine Heads for an Overhaul
The economy continues to sputter.

By Bob Stokes
4/26/2013 4:45:00 PM

Nothing short of a complete overhaul will get the U.S. economic engine purring again. The financial mechanics have been trying to get that engine firing on all cylinders for five years now. They've used every tool at their disposal. Yet the engine continues to sputter. There appears to be only one fix.

Filed Under: bloomberg, conquer the crash, consumer confidence, consumer price index, consumer spending, debt, deflation, economic depression, economic indicators, Elliott wave, monetary policy, monetization, U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed)

Category: U.S. Economy

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The Growing Case for Global Deflation
Prepare for a major worldwide economic contraction.

By Bob Stokes
4/24/2013 4:30:00 PM

The evidence for global deflation continues to build. Consider the recent plunge in the prices of commodities and Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS). Plus, the International Monetary Fund recently warned that ...

Filed Under: commodities, crude oil, deflation, economic indicators, Elliott wave, Gold, inflation, International Monetary Fund (IMF), silver, stock indexes, Treasury bonds

Category: Global Markets

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Why Are Crude Oil Prices Dropping? Not Why Many People Think
If you follow the logic of the "fundamentals," chances are you'll be fundamentally lost

By Vadim Pokhlebkin
4/16/2013 10:30:00 PM

Gold wasn't the only market that fell out of bed Monday morning (April 15). Crude oil also fell -- as low as $86.06 a barrel over the past couple of trading days. If you've read opinions as to why oil is getting cheaper, a common reason cited by the pundits is that oil reflects the state of the global economy. Interesting. If that is true, then what you see in these charts must be false.

Filed Under: crude oil, economic depression, economic indicators, Elliott wave, Elliott Wave trading, fundamental analysis, futures trading, inflation, technical analysis

Category: Energy

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An Epic Economic Trend Change is Underway
Persistent economic weakness sends a message.

By Bob Stokes
4/15/2013 6:15:00 PM

The earlier you spot a market trend, the more likely you can benefit from it. Is there an emerging economic trend in its early stages today? From the evidence, it appears so. Call it a seismic shift in the entire U.S. economy. Despite the evidence, most economic observers still do not expect what is about to swiftly unfold.

Filed Under: bloomberg, CNBC, conquer the crash, consumer confidence, consumer price index, consumer spending, deflation, economic depression, economic indicators, Elliott wave, gross domestic product (GDP), Interest Rates, recession, supply and demand, unemployment

Category: U.S. Economy

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The Single Most Important Leading Economic Indicator
History shows the stock market leads the economy.

By Bob Stokes
4/11/2013 5:45:00 PM

The phrase "leading economic indicators" refers to a core set of data points: the Consumer Price Index, real earnings, employment, U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes, Producer Price Index and so on. And Forbes recently listed several unusual economic indicators which include lip stick and wine auctions. Learn about the single most important economic indicator that trumps them all.

Filed Under: economic indicators, Elliott Wave Theorist, history, Robert Prechter, stock indexes

Category: U.S. Economy

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The Housing Recovery Rests on an Unstable Foundation
Yale's Robert Shiller says the recent rebound in home prices is "artificial"

By Bob Stokes
3/28/2013 5:30:00 PM

The housing market has gone from financial rubble to what some analysts describe as another bubble. It's true that home prices are still nearly 30% below their mid-2000s peak. Yet the recent surge has Robert Shiller of the Case-Shiller Home Price Index concerned. Learn why.

Filed Under: 1929 Stock Market Crash, all the same market theory, CNBC, commercial real estate, economic indicators, Elliott Wave Theorist, foreclosures, great depression, history, home sales, housing prices, quantitative easing, U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed)

Category: U.S. Economy

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Every Big Economic Collapse Has a First Domino
When will the dominoes begin to tumble, or has it already begun?

By Bob Stokes
3/26/2013 4:45:00 PM

Financial history shows that every major credit boom is followed by a credit bust. The latest round of financial headlines remind us that unsustainable debt is crippling Europe. In the U.S., heavy debt burdens have put local and state governments in deep financial trouble. Federal debt rapidly approaches $17 trillion. What will be the first financial domino to fall?

Filed Under: 1929 Stock Market Crash, banks, Ben Bernanke, bloomberg, central banks, debt, economic indicators, Elliott wave, European debt crisis, gross domestic product (GDP), Interest Rates, monetary policy, quantitative easing, Robert Prechter, soverign debt crisis, U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed)

Category: U.S. Economy

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Suburban Poverty Up Nearly 64%
If this is an economic recovery, what will the next contraction look like?

By Bob Stokes
3/25/2013 4:45:00 PM

New research shows that poverty has spread faster in the suburbs than the inner city. Many Americans still haven't recovered from the real estate bust. Unemployment and under-employment remain historically high. Robert Prechter writes, "The Fed is doing everything it can to try to keep the credit balloon inflated. But it’s failing, because the markets and the economy are certainly not zooming, despite all the QEs and 0% interest rates." In the new Elliott Wave Theorist, you'll find 11 charts. Six of them, accompanied by Prechter's unique commentary, show why Americans should brace themselves for a major change in the economy.

Filed Under: CNBC, debt, deflation, economic indicators, Elliott wave, foreclosures, housing prices, Interest Rates, liquidity, personal finance, quantitative easing, Robert Prechter, stimulus package, U.S. STOCK MARKET, unemployment

Category: U.S. Economy

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Use Your Imagination to Prosper During an Economic Downturn
Which job skills will be in strong demand during an economic storm?

By Bob Stokes
3/21/2013 5:30:00 PM

You can prosper during an economic downturn by using your imagination. In the second edition of Conquer the Crash, Robert Prechter writes: "If you have a choice of employment, try to think about which job will best weather the coming financial and economic storm. ... If you are entrepreneurial, start thinking of ways to serve people in a depression so that you will prosper in it. ... Think about what people will need when times get hard."

Filed Under: economic indicators, Elliott Wave Theorist, financial forecast, history, Robert Prechter, unemployment

Category: U.S. Economy

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Why Even Federally Insured Bank Deposits Are At Risk
See the newly updated list of the safest U.S. banks

By Bob Stokes
3/19/2013 4:45:00 PM

Cyprus lawmakers voted against the European Union's proposed levy on personal bank accounts in Cyprus. Even so, bank runs in Cyprus may be unavoidable. Depositors in the U.S. can't help but wonder whether bank runs could happen here. It's true that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation guarantees U.S. bank accounts up to $250,000. Yet, during a time of severe bank stress, the FDIC's guarantee could actually make a bank crisis even worse. Learn why. Plus, find out how you can access a list of America's safest banks.

Filed Under: banks, Club EWI, conquer the crash, debt crisis, deflation, economic indicators, European debt crisis, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), media, personal finance, risk management, Robert Prechter, safe banks, safe haven

Category: U.S. Economy

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The Biggest Part of the Economy Could Be Headed for a Cool Down
Consumer confidence drops to its lowest level since December 2011

By Bob Stokes
3/15/2013 4:15:00 PM

If you notice fewer shoppers at the mall, fewer buyers on the car lot, fewer patrons at restaurants and fewer movie goers in coming days and months, don't be surprised. Why? The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary sentiment index for March fell to its lowest level since December 2011. Learn what else the latest consumer sentiment data may suggest.

Filed Under: bloomberg, conquer the crash, consumer confidence, consumer spending, deflation, economic indicators, Elliott Wave Theorist, financial forecast, sentiment, social mood

Category: U.S. Economy

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Labor Force Participation Rate Falls to 32-Year Low
The 7.7% jobless number doesn't tell the whole story

By Bob Stokes
3/8/2013 6:30:00 PM

The Labor Department's just-released 7.7% February jobless number just tells one side of the U.S. unemployment story. Another side seems to be downplayed: the decline in the labor force participation rate. There's yet another way of viewing America's jobs picture. Learn what that is, plus find out how you can prosper during the likely economic contraction ahead.

Filed Under: CNBC, conquer the crash, deflation, economic indicators, Elliott Wave Theorist, unemployment

Category: U.S. Economy

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A Real-Time Montage of a Developing Global Deflation
Is the global economy headed for the German economic experience of 1928-1932?

By Bob Stokes
3/1/2013 5:45:00 PM

There's mounting evidence that deflationary forces are at work in the global economy. However, many financial observers remain focused on elevated equity prices and inflation. EWI's Global Market Perspective points to Germany's 1929-1932 economic experience as an example of what global economies could soon face. Get the full real-time economic story as it unfolds in the Asian-Pacific, Europe and the United States.

Filed Under: 1929 Stock Market Crash, Bank of Japan, CNBC, conquer the crash, deflation, economic indicators, eurozone, inflation, recession, Walmart

Category: Global Markets

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To Get a Job in This Economy, Go the Extra 10 Miles
How an 18-year-old got a job offer he didn't even apply for

By Bob Stokes
2/27/2013 4:00:00 PM

The U.S. jobless rate is 7.8%. And the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the January 2013 unemployment rate of 18- and 19-year-old men is a whopping 23.7%. The candidates with the best chances of landing jobs in a tough economy are those determined to go the extra mile – or more. Are you prepared to survive and prosper if the economy and jobs market get worse?

Filed Under: conquer the crash, deflation, economic indicators, great depression, history, unemployment

Category: U.S. Economy

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Retirement Shock: Corporate Pension Plans Fall Short
Why even insured pension plans could be in trouble

By Bob Stokes
2/26/2013 5:15:00 PM

Vast numbers of people may have to keep working past the age when they hoped to retire. That was the case even before the 2007-2009 financial crisis, and the economic environment since the crisis has produced even more delayed retirements. The evidence suggests that this trend will only grow worse. Perhaps you've read about the pension shortfalls that many municipal governments face. But that's only part of the story.

Filed Under: conquer the crash, debt crisis, economic indicators, financial forecast, Robert Prechter

Category: U.S. Economy

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Europe: The Epicenter of a Global Economic Earthquake
Will economic optimism be dashed once again?

By Bob Stokes
2/22/2013 4:45:00 PM

A big economic story can go underreported for only so long. Eventually it will show up in mainstream news headlines – a likely case in point is the euro zone's developing deflationary trend. The evidence suggests that Europe could be the epicenter of the next global economic earthquake.

Filed Under: bailouts, brian whitmer, deflation, economic depression, economic indicators, Elliott wave, european central bank, European debt crisis, European Union (EU), eurozone, Robert Prechter, world central banks

Category: Global Markets

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