In an On My Mind segment of Forbes Ron Paul says Be Prepared for the Worst Any number of pundits claim that we have now passed the worst of the recession. Green shoots of recovery are supposedly popping up all around the country, and the economy is expected to resume growing soon at an annual rate ... Read more

I occasionally have people ask me what they should do about their underwater mortgage. I sometimes give them an opinion as to what I think might be appropriate but I always tell them to consult an attorney or You Walk Away (the latter has attorneys for the states they do business in). The reason I ... Read more

I have received a couple of replies to Government and Lender Policies of Fear and Shame Help Keep Homeowners Debt Slaves that are worth sharing. This one is from Michael Becker, a mortgage consultant in Maryland. Michael writes ...Hello Mish, I wanted to let you know that I deeply appreciate y ... Read more

Government, lenders, and various lender-sponsored "help" agencies have acted in unison, using fear mongering tactics and shame to manage the housing crisis for the sole benefit of lenders. Thanks to Brent T. White at the James E. Rogers College of Law and the Sacramento Bee and for a fascinating c ... Read more

Inquiring minds are asking the question "How many jobs were created out of the various stimulus programs so far and at what cost per job?" That is a good question. Not that we can believe the reported number of jobs created, but let's assume for the sake of argument that the figures provided by th ... Read more

For all the cheering about the recovery one might think actual jobs were being created or bank lending was increasing. Neither is true in the US or the Eurozone. About a month ago the Sydney Herald reported Eurozone private sector lending almost stalls . Eurozone private sector lending has near ... Read more

Thanksgiving came early this year. It was yesterday, Thursday October 29, 2009. The reason we know this is the after Thanksgiving shopfest known as Black Friday started today. No doubt some of you who forgot to stuff yourselves with turkey and pumpkin pie yesterday are demanding proof of this occu ... Read more

In Gold And The Watched Pot Theory I versed the following opinions on currency fluctuations:Might the US dollar blow up? Yes it might. But so could the RMB if China floated it, and so could the British pound. No one seems to see the crisis brewing in Japan with a huge demographic problem ... Rea ... Read more

Here is an email from Eugene Holloway, a Maryland Attorney, on the rising cost of college education. Eugene writes: When I attended law school at George Washington U in 1969, the tuition was $1,900 a semester. I worked my way through and had no debts when I began to practice law. Later, student ... Read more

The stock market and commodities are giddy today on the Third Quarter Advance GDP Estimate which increased at an annualized rate of 3.5%. Real gross domestic product -- the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States -- increased at an annual rate of 3 ... Read more