The W’s have it this morning.  Yeah – It’s a real cluster-something down at the far end of the alphabet… 1W: Work The Labor Department is just out with: Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 225,000 in January, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 3.6 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported … Read More

Breaking:  Challenger Jobs Cuts soar to an 11-month high: Job cuts announced by U.S.-based employers jumped 106%, from December’s total of 32,843 to 67,735, the highest monthly total since February 2019, according to a report released Thursday from global outplacement and business and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. Last month’s total is … Read More

You can’t live 70+ years – filing tax returns for 57 years – and not learn a thing or three about how to make tax-time easier. Since most of the major brokerage firms will have their data ready for import into  tax software programs in a week or two, I sat down and started the … Read More

“If they can run a Caucus, how can they run a Country?  – G. Ure None Won Iowa The first BPL (Big Pant Load) of the morning hails from Iowa.  Remember, we framed last night’s Iowa Caucuses as a “Statewide IQ test.” Well, the whole left-side of the state failed.  As of this morning, the … Read More

Doggonit!  If I had just looked at the market charts, instead of working in the shop this weekend, I would have seen that the Chiefs were going to win.  Because?  (For those of us not hooked on Vegas-style T&A half-time shows, having sourced our own locally…) Investopedia has a good article on the “Super Bowl … Read More

Out here in the Outback of East Texas, we are continuing with prepping for a global pandemic.  As of Friday, the numbers were edging up toward 10,000 cases and 200 dead.  A modest 2.1-percent fatality rate, except for a few asterisks. One is that the disease can take up to 14-days to present symptoms and, … Read More

We have a surprise from us “Hicks in the Sticks” – Tech is losing its Urban bias. Sure there are some drawbacks to remote living, but thanks to technology, we’re catching up fast and the lifestyle rocks. More detail – and something of a short urban mass migration history – after we run through our … Read More

Up early this morning.  We have much to discuss, hence the Epistle-length report. Data Danger #1: M2 Collapsing The first is a major story about the future of America’s economy.  Buried by the China virus and the ongoing demo-Coup coverage, the Velocity of Money is free-falling again. What it is:  “Velocity” is the Gross Domestic … Read More

I am absolutely sickened by the apparent “fix” in the impeachment scam that came out for a second day running when Senator Rand Paul wanted to ask a question during the Q&A period. Presiding “Justice” Roberts turned down the question. Censoring it.  To us, looks like “the Fix is in.”  This isn’t a trial…it’s a … Read More

Yeah, we don’t like Extremism, either.  But have you noticed lately, everyone seems to be a crook, illiterate and ignorant of America’s founding Principles, as they’re off working their own game plan?” Manic Friday just ahead. When we take the high-level view, it’s like the values-based, clear-thinking, financially-savvy, American Middle has been teleported “off-planet.”  We’re … Read More

One of the biggest stories of the month – swamped by the District of Circus and the viral news of out China, is  that the World continues effectively in negative rates. What follows is a roadmap as to how this works and why so many people aren’t understanding the mechanics of what’s ahead.  Gold and … Read More

Just out from Case-Shiiller/CoreLogic/S&P: YEAR-OVER-YEAR  The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index, covering all nine U.S. census divisions, reported a 3.5% annual gain in November, up from 3.2% in the previous month. The 10-City Composite annual increase came in at 2.0%, up from 1.7% in the previous month. The 20-City Composite posted … Read More

Earlier this morning, the Dow futures were pointing to a higher opening, by some 140 points, or thereabouts. Unfortunately, since we closed under the present trend line in the Monday session, this may be a simple “wave 1” (Elliott) bounce before the next move down.  Time will tell on that one. Dead cat bounce, anyone? … Read More