America Is Only One Step Away From A South African-Style Social Implosion Authored by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.us, On the global news front I have been watching one event with special attention, mainly because it seems like almost no one else is – I am speaking of course about the social and economic collapse in South Africa that has been escalating over the past couple weeks. What is strange to me is that certain parallels between South Africa and the US are being summarily ignored. Basically, the South African situation is a more exaggerated version of what is happening in America, and we need to consider if it is merely a preview of future events as the extra financial protections in the US begin … [Read More...]

One of my favorite charts shows a listing of eleven consumer goods companies, and the brands that they own. It reinforces my belief that strong brands grow dividends. You can view this chart from here: Source: Brewminate This illustration shows these massive companies that control large portions of a given segment of the market. While the sheer number of brands creates the illusion that there… To read the whole article, please click on the article title above. [Read More...]

The goal of every dividend investor is to one day accumulate a portfolio of income producing stocks, which would throw off a large amount of dividends every month. The magic point is where the dividend income exceeds the expenses of the dividend investor. At the dividend crossover point your dividend income meets or exceeds your expenses. For many dividend investors, this is the point synonymous… To read the whole article, please click on the article title above. [Read More...]

Broad Equity Market Tone:Advance/Decline Line: Substantially LowerSector Performance: Most Sectors DecliningVolume: Below Average Market Leading Stocks: UnderperformingEquity Investor Angst:Volatility(VIX) 17.2 +1.1% Bloomberg Global Risk On/Risk Off Index 2,943.0 -64.0 points Euro/Yen Carry Return Index 134.28 +.26% Emerging Markets Currency Volatility(VXY) 8.46 -.94% S&P 500 Implied Correlation 50.0 +1.5% ISE Sentiment Index 86.0 -12.0 pointsTotal Put/Call .94 +5.6% NYSE Arms 1.68 +76.8% Credit Investor Angst:North American Investment Grade CDS Index 49.63 +.97% US Energy High-Yield OAS 407.90 +1.0%European Financial Sector CDS Index 54.87 +.33% Italian/German 10Y Yld Spread 106.0 +1.0 basis pointAsia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 84.44 -1.0%Emerging Market CDS Index 160.36 -.4%China Corp. High-Yield Bond USD ETF(KCCB) 38.99 -.05% 2-Year Swap Spread 8.0 +.25 basis point TED Spread 9.25 +1.25 basis points3-Month EUR/USD Cross-… [Read More...]

Escobar: Russia-China Advance Asian Roadmap For Afghanistan Authored by Pepe Escobar via The Asia Times, Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s ‘facilitate, not mediate’ role could be the key to solving the Afghan imbroglio… Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pose for a family photo before a meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Contact Group on Afghanistan, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry / Sputnik via AFP Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting of Foreign Ministers on Wednesday in Dushanbe, the Tajik capital, may have been an under-the-radar affair, but it did reveal the contours of the big picture ahead when it comes to Afghanistan. So let’s see what Russia and China – the … [Read More...]

A reader writes in, asking: “Can you describe exactly the steps you would take to determine whether a Roth conversion makes sense? I understand conceptually that they are advantageous when your tax rate is low, but can you elaborate on how exactly you would figure that out, as well as how to determine how large of a conversion to do?” What follows is my process for retirement account distribution planning, including Roth conversions. There are two broad stages to the process: Creating a “dummy” plan (or maybe you could call it a “default” plan), and Making improvements to that plan. Making a Dummy Plan By a “dummy” plan, I mean a plan in which every year you: Do no Roth conversions. Spend … [Read More...]

Broad Equity Market Tone:Advance/Decline Line: Substantially HigherSector Performance: Almost Every Sector RisingVolume: Below Average Market Leading Stocks: OutperformingEquity Investor Angst:Volatility(VIX) 16.2 -14.7% Bloomberg Global Risk On/Risk Off Index 3,139.0 +250.0 points Euro/Yen Carry Return Index 135.14 +.67% Emerging Markets Currency Volatility(VXY) 8.8 -1.5% S&P 500 Implied Correlation 46.4 -4.0% ISE Sentiment Index 131.0 +25.0 pointsTotal Put/Call .84 -2.3% NYSE Arms .43 -70.3% Credit Investor Angst:North American Investment Grade CDS Index 48.09 -1.6% US Energy High-Yield OAS 381.43 -1.6%European Financial Sector CDS Index 54.17 -2.0% Italian/German 10Y Yld Spread 106.0 -1.0 basis pointAsia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 89.17 +.33%Emerging Market CDS Index 159.22 -1.9%China Corp. High-Yield Bond USD ETF(KCCB) 38.71 unch. 2-Year Swap Spread 8.25 unch. TED Spread 8.0 -1.0 basis point3-Month EUR/USD Cross-Currency Basis Swap -5.75 +.5 basis pointMBS 5/10 Treasury … [Read More...]

What If An Alien Probe Visited Earth? Authored by Ross Pomeroy via RealClearScioence.com, Popular media portrayals of extraterrestrials visiting Earth have tended to display the dramatic: giant spaceraft, killer robots, and nefarious aliens. A more realistic scenario is decidedly more mundane, but still undeniably world-shattering: a single, robotic probe, visiting Earth in orbit or landing as a rover. Back in 1998, Allen Tough, a Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto and an expert in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) before his death in 2012, postulated that there might be alien civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy with the ability to send out hundreds of small, intelligent probes to explore space. His supposition was reasonable. Today, well-funded collaborations like Breakthrough Starshot here on Earth are … [Read More...]

Why Isn’t The US Preparing For EMP War Like The Rest Of The World? Authored by Jeff Thompson via The Organic Prepper blog, You’re likely already familiar with the 2009 EMP Commission Report. It was this report that raised the issue of EMP-preparedness for the American public. It’s notorious stating that just one year after an EMP attack, 90% of the American population would be dead, caused alarm throughout multiple sectors of society. Books began to be written on the subject. Sales of Tedd Koppel’s Lights Out, Forstchen’s One Second After, and Crawford’s Lights Out quickly reached blockbuster levels. And while I believe that these books (and that report) brought the issue of an electromagnetic pulse to light for Americans, I don’t believe it showed Americans just … [Read More...]

Today’s Headlines Bloomberg: China’s Industrial Profits Grow at Slower Pace as Costs Rise.China Asks Citic Group to Examine Huarong’s Finances Australia to Notch Up Another Record Year for Resource Exports. U.K. Names New Minister; AstraZeneca Vaccine Trial: Virus Update. Asia Stocks, U.S. Futures Steady; Dollar Edges Up: Markets Wrap. Oil Steady Near $74 With OPEC+ Expected to Trail Demand Revival. GOP Senators Say Biden’s Infrastructure Deal Back on Track. Crypto Exchange Binance Banned From Doing Business in U.K. Record Stock Sales From Money-Losing Firms Ring the Alarm Bells. The IPO Market Has Never Been Hotter Than It Is Right Now. Strategists Flag Near-Term Risks for Bitcoin Price Outlook. U.S. Investment-Grade Bond Supply Seen Subdued Ahead of July 4. Search for … [Read More...]

There are a lot of stories about people who become financially independent these days in their 30s or 40s. While these are isolated instances in the grand scheme of things, they are part of a broader movement online, where people want to take ownership of their time and retire to something more meaningful in their lives. Some call it retirement, others call it financial independence, and a lot of… To read the whole article, please click on the article title above. [Read More...]

Broad Equity Market Tone:Advance/Decline Line: Substantially HigherSector Performance: Almost Every Sector RisingVolume: Below Average Market Leading Stocks: OutperformingEquity Investor Angst:Volatility(VIX) 15.8 -3.0% Bloomberg Global Risk On/Risk Off Index 3,400.0 +40.0 points Euro/Yen Carry Return Index 136.72 -.07% Emerging Markets Currency Volatility(VXY) 8.7 -1.6% S&P 500 Implied Correlation 47.1 +2.4% ISE Sentiment Index 136.0 +7.0 pointsTotal Put/Call .7 -1.5% NYSE Arms .74 -22.1% Credit Investor Angst:North American Investment Grade CDS Index 48.39 -.9% US Energy High-Yield OAS 385.85 -.65%European Financial Sector CDS Index 53.4 -1.0% Italian/German 10Y Yld Spread 105.0 -2.0 basis pointsAsia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 84.17 -.56%Emerging Market CDS Index 152.86 -1.75%China Corp. High-Yield Bond USD ETF(KCCB) 39.15 -.22% 2-Year Swap Spread 6.75 +.25 basis point TED Spread 9.0 -1.0 basis point3-Month EUR/USD Cross-Currency Basis Swap -3.5 -.5 basis pointMBS 5/10 Treasury … [Read More...]