October 6, 2017 By Steve Blumenthal "We think the main attribute of the next crisis will be severe liquidity disruptions resulting from market developments since the last crisis." - Marko Kolanovic, Ph.D., Head of Quantitative and Derivatives Strategy, JP Morgan Chase & Co. (Source: The [...]Read More >

September 29, 2017 By Steve Blumenthal “It isn’t what’s in my head that’s most valuable, although I did learn a lot along the way; it’s knowing how to deal with not knowing that’s been the source of my success.” – Ray Dalio I’d like to take you to two places today.  One is life and the pursuit [...]Read More >

September 22, 2017 By Steve Blumenthal “The message from a string of BIS [Bank of International Settlements] reports is that the US dollar is both the barometer and agent of global risk appetite and credit leverage. Episodes of dollar weakness - such as this year - flush the world with liquidity [...]Read More >

September 15, 2017 By Stephen Blumenthal “While asset prices have decoupled from fundamentals, the gap has been filled by quantitative easing, large cash reserves by corporations and worsening inequality.” - Mohamed El-Erian: In Investing, The Journey Is Not The Destination Last week, investors [...]Read More >

September 8, 2017 By Steve Blumenthal “Expect lower returns and rocky markets for the next 2-3 years.” > Joe Davis, Global Chief Economist, Vanguard Group I’m writing to you from Chicago where I am attending the Morningstar ETF Conference.  Vanguard’s global chief economist, Joe Davis, kicked [...]Read More >

September 1, 2017 By Steve Blumenthal “No act of kindness is too small.  The gift of kindness may start as a small ripple that over time can turn into a tidal wave affecting the lives of many.” Kevin Heath The car is loaded with clean clothes and dog food.  I’m heading out mid-morning to help [...]Read More >

August 25, 2017 By Steve Blumenthal “[T]he big elephant in the room is the Fed.” David Rosenberg Chief Economist and Strategist, Gluskin Sheff + Associates This week the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City is hosting its annual Economic Policy Symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and a number [...]Read More >

August 18, 2017 By Steve Blumenthal “Anything that has happened economically, has happened over and over again.” – Ray Dalio Founder, Bridgewater Associates, in Bloomberg Interview My thinking is impatient and mostly critical as I sift through research each week.  I’m sure my “get to the point” [...]Read More >

August 11, 2017 By Steve Blumenthal “... Focused on the obvious and unimportant.” – Former Senior Economist, Federal Reserve Bank, Camp Kotok, August 6, 2017 Atop the “what matters most” list is debt.  Specifically, global sovereign debt: U.S., Europe, Japan and China.  We are at the end of a [...]Read More >

August 4, 2017 By Steve Blumenthal “The uncertainties are unusual in terms of number, scale and insolubility in areas including secular economic growth; the impact of central banks; interest rates and inflation; political dysfunction; geopolitical trouble spots; and the long-term impact of [...]Read More >

July 28, 2017 By Steve Blumenthal "Over the years I have seen scores of very bright investment advisors turn into hugely successful gurus who blaze into the investment business with spectacular forecasts. Yet, I've watched each and every one of them crash back to earth when a big subsequent [...]Read More >

July 21, 2017 By Steve Blumenthal “The primary, direct driver of default rates is not the yield on Treasury bonds but rather the business cycle.” Martin Fridson, CFA CIO of Lehmann, Livian, Fridson Advisors, LLC At a conference in Chicago this week, following up on last week’s letter, Keep [...]Read More >

July 14, 2017 By Steve Blumenthal “Our responsibility now is to keep dancing, but closer to the exit and with a sharp eye on the tea leaves.” – Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates, LP Ray Dalio, chairman of Bridgewater Associates, wrote last week that the global economy is heading toward a new [...]Read More >

July 7, 2017 By Steve Blumenthal “Would I say there will never, ever be another financial crisis? You know probably that would be going too far.  But I do think we’re much safer and I hope that it will not be in our lifetimes, and I don’t believe it will be.” - Janet Yellen, Federal Reserve [...]Read More >

June 30, 2017 By Steve Blumenthal “Change of a long-term trend is usually gradual enough that it is obscured by the noise caused by short-term volatility.  By the time secular trends are even acknowledged by the majority they are generally obvious and mature.  In the early stages of a new secular [...]Read More >