Monday Breakfast Links

Posted by Jeff Carter
on September 19th, 2011

Operation Twist may be announced later this week. More machination. Why not just issue 50 and 100 year bonds?

What do lucky people do?

Henry Blodgett of Business Insider wonders if anyone will work less when their taxes go up 5%. I think it depends on risk versus reward. It’s not so simple. Especially to a trader living and working with his own capital. I can lose it too you know. Nothing is guaranteed. Say I am at $999,999 for the year. Do I really want to take the risk on my next trade and make 10, 20, 30k more? Remember, to make one million a year trading you need to make just over 5k per day. Then the feds take 39% if you are in stocks, and 23% if you did it in futures. Is my life going to be that much different if I make 999 or 1.0 something? Especially when my next .1, .04 goes to Uncle Sam to be spent on crap. Why penalize achievement?

A little piece on the fourth estate.

Call me glad that this protest flopped miserably.

Hey, I have been to Mississippi a number of times in the past two years. Haven’t heard one racist comment, although I am sure it happens. Happens every day where I live in Chicago. DeSoto Country in Mississippi is one of the fastest growing counties in the US. Pass Christian is a nice little coastal city, and Ole Miss is a really nice school. Plus the tuition is a lot cheaper than 99% of the schools up north. Weather is better for most of the year too.

Chicago bakery turns 100. That’s a lot of bribes to city health inspectors and alderman.

Are ETF’s toxic? There is an argument to be made for $GLD and $SIL because they aren’t deliverable. But, there are cash settled futures contracts too.

This week is all about Fed Watch and Housing data. We know the housing data will suck. How bad will the Fed be? Think they will do the Twist? It didn’t work the last time they tried it in the early 1960′s.

Not free to choose. Bureaucrats don’t want to let go of the housing issue.

Market timing. Doesn’t work. Just invest your money in a no load mutual fund that replicates the S&P 500. Put the same amount of money away each month. If you get a windfall, add a little extra.

Jan Schakowsky loves the President’s new tax bill. Heck, she’d take everything.

Ethanol policy continues to distort grain prices. It has effects on other markets.

Japan stifles innovation. Another reason they can’t grow their way out of their debt crisis.

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