Although growth is estimated to slow in the second quarter of this year, improvements in the labor market and retail sales foreshadow continuing recovery. “We’re still definitely on the recovery path. We expect that this is going to be a very long and gradual recovery,” said Scott Brown, chief economist at Raymond James in St. Petersburg, Florida. “Most economists are looking for stronger growth in the second half of the year and into next year.”

Consumer sentiment rose from 76.4 to 83.7 in April, its highest level since July 2007, exceeding economist’s expectations. In addition, Americans reported a favorable view of their personal finances, especially households in the upper third income levels. Upper income households reported having less debt and higher asset values, but did not estimate a higher income within the next year.

Households with investments are reaping the benefits of the stock market rally, which caused the market to reach record highs this year. Following the expiration of the payroll tax holiday, consumers are finding the rise in stocks offsets the additional tax. “For (upper income) people, the payroll tax and gasoline prices didn’t really matter much, but stock prices and home prices rising, that’s a big, big plus,” said Brown.

Currently, economic conditions are improving, consumer expectations are positive, and buying attitudes are optimistic. A report from Conference Board showed its Leading Economic Index increased 0.6 percent to 95.0 last month, the highest level since June 2008. “Changes in confidence don’t always filter through into changes in spending, but the omens are good,” said Amna Asaf, economist at Capital Economics.
Source: Yahoo Finance

Cincinnati, Cleveland and Dayton, Ohio

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, since November 2007 Cleveland has lost approximately 5% of its labor force (59,200 workers), while since May 2009, Cincinnati lost 4% of its labor force (39,000 workers). Job growth has dwindled in Ohio’s main industry-manufacturing. Amy Hanauer, executive director of Policy Matters Ohio, believes this is happening because people are getting discouraged and leaving the labor market. Since the financial crisis, only one fifth of the 388,000 jobs lost in Ohio have been regained.

Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona

The effects of the housing bust still linger in Arizona. In the crisis the construction sector cut over half of its jobs, and as a result progress is down to a trickle. However, there are other factors beside construction that play a role in the decline-although Nevada was the epicenter of the housing bust, their labor force was not hit as hard as Arizona’s.
The crisis caused Phoenix to lose 3% of its labor force (64,000 workers), and cause Tucson to lost 6% of its labor force (29,000 workers). The decline has hit men ages 25-34 and women ages 45-59 the hardest. In addition, stricter immigration laws have cause the Latino labor force to decline.

Hartford, Bridgeport and New Haven, Connecticut

According to Alissa DeJonge, director of research at the Connecticut Economic Resource center, as the recession ended and the stock market began improving, the number of retiring Baby Boomers began rising. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate among young minorities has increased in Connecticut’s urban centers. Orlando Rodriguez, senior policy fellow at Connecticut Voices for Children believes that this is happening because the younger minority workers are waiting until the state’s economy improves before they attempt to reenter the labor force.
Detroit and Kalamazoo, Michigan and Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Michigan’s population was declining even before the recession because of the auto industry’s relocation of jobs. Three years ago, Detroit’s population fell to its lowest level since 1920, according to the U.S. Census.
Manufacturing cities in the Midwest are also facing declines. For example, Milwaukee lost 2% of its labor force (16,000 workers) since June 2009, while Kalamazoo lost 10% of its labor force (17,500 workers) since January 2007.

Source: CNN Money

First Quarter 2013: Review

The United State’s economic growth and market performance was fostered by the ongoing housing recovery, pliant consumption, and strong earnings growth.

• January and February 2013 equity flows were 20% higher than the first two months of 2012, 2011 and 2010

• The U.S. GDP grew at a 0.4% annualized pace in the fourth quarter, thus increasing from an earlier prediction of 0.1%

• Unemployment rates fell to 7.6% in March while inflation stood at 2.0% at the end of February

• Public sector jobs decreased by 7,000 after an increase of 14,000 in the month before

• Retail sales decreased in March by 0.4%-the lowest since June 2012

WHAT IS AN INVESTMENT?

This is actually an important question to answer because the range of “investments” available today goes far beyond traditional stocks and bonds. Understanding the unique characteristics of these “alternative investments” may help you avoid a negative surprise sometime down the road.

According to Investopedia, an investment is defined as “An asset or item that is purchased with the hope that it will generate income or appreciate in the future.” Sounds simple enough yet, ironically, investment professionals don’t necessarily agree on what constitutes an investment. For example, some disagree on whether gold and other commodities should be considered an investment.

On one side, some pros argue gold is an investment because it has been traded for thousands of years and has an established market where it can be bought and sold. On the other side, some say gold is not an investment because it does not generate cash flow, has no “earnings” that can be valued, and has little economic use.

Let’s contrast gold with stocks. Stocks represent a claim on a company’s assets and earnings. Using established norms of financial analysis, investment pros can place a value on those assets and earnings and come up with an estimated “fair value” for the stock (which may or may not be close to its actual trading price). However, with gold, there’s no underlying productive asset to value or earnings to capitalize so determining “fair value” is really not even possible.

Where does this leave us?

Successful investors need to know the difference between a traditional investment that consists of underlying assets and potential earnings versus an alternative investment like gold that may look like an investment, but is difficult to value using traditional financial analysis. This doesn’t mean these non-traditional “investments” are a bad idea. It means they bear close monitoring… which we try to do.

WEEKLY FOCUS – THINK ABOUT IT WHAT ARE BABY BOOMERS’ LATEST THOUGHTS ABOUT RETIREMENT? Here are some highlights from a survey released by MFS Investment Management®: •59% of non-retired Boomers agree with the statement, “I’m more concerned than ever about being able to retire when I thought I would.” •50% agreed that they have lowered their expectations about what life would be like in retirement. •30% of Boomers reported a net decrease in the risk they were willing to take to achieve higher returns over the last 12 months; only 12% reported a net increase. •Boomers are approximately evenly split when describing their primary investing goal: 34% reported it to be growing assets/increasing portfolio value as much as possible while 33% reported protecting principal/not losing money as their primary goal. •Nearly four times as many Boomers would describe themselves as protective investors (37%) vs. opportunistic investors (10%). •Only 13% of Boomers surveyed reported having $1 million or more in median household investable assets, while, on average, retirement was within 10 years. If you’re a Baby Boomer, do these survey results surprise you?

]]> http://permanentvalue.com/2013/week-in-review-2413/feed/ 0 http://permanentvalue.com/2013/week-in-review-jan-28th/ http://permanentvalue.com/2013/week-in-review-jan-28th/#comments Mon, 28 Jan 2013 19:04:19 +0000 Bruce Doole http://permanentvalue.com/?p=2013 THE MARKETS

THE WEATHER AND THE STOCK MARKET HAVE A LOT IN COMMON!

They’re both very unpredictable! The stock market has a habit of surprising investors with its ability to rise or fall dramatically in short periods of time. For example, remember the “Flash Crash?” On May 6, 2010, the U.S. stock market plunged for no apparent reason and briefly erased $862 billion from stock values in less than 20 minutes, according to Bloomberg. It then quickly rebounded.

As it relates to weather, we always know what season we’re in. One look at the calendar tells us whether its winter, spring, summer, or fall. And, depending on where you live, you have a pretty good idea – based on history – of what to expect for each day’s temperature. But, just like the Northeast experienced, you can have an “out of season” experience that messes up your best-laid plans.

The stock market doesn’t have four seasons, but it does have bull and bear markets, which are further divided into secular and cyclical. Market analysts have some general criteria that they use to categorize the markets into these buckets. Yet, like the weather, you could be in a bull market, but still have a nasty market drop that temporarily derails the path of the bull.

Bottom line, just like weather forecasters, market analysts may have a sense for general conditions in the market, but surprises still happen.

Though you may have already made up your mind about who you are voting for on November 6th, the debates and political ads will continue to increase in urgency and frequency. This election will affect this country economically for years to come so we thought it might be helpful to give a rundown of the economic issues you will be deciding on:

Barack Obama:
• Focus on key areas in rural communities to help businesses access capital and expand rural job search and training
• Double exports to foster job creation
• Provide tax cuts for middle class and working class Americans
• Set and enforce clear, consistent rules for the financial marketplace to protect American families from manipulation
• Support bipartisan plan to reduce national debt

Mitt Romney:
• Ensure the long-term solvency of Social Security without raising taxes and encourage individuals to create private accounts
• Return fiscal power to states and the people
• Expand the tax deduction to also include those who buy their own health insurance to empower individuals to purchase their own health insurance, 
• Make American businesses competitive in the global economy
• Cut federal spending and bring reforms to entitlement programs
• Balance the budget by reducing the size and reach of the federal government.
• Open markets abroad, on fair terms, for American goods and services

Whether you are Republican or Democrat, we hope you and your families are enjoying the autumn season and we look forward to seeing and talking to you as we review your 2012 budgets and plans for 2013.
 
Sincerely,
Bruce W. Doole, President

It’s back. Volatility, that is.

Like a yo-yo, the market bounced around and the S&P 500 index ultimately ended down 2.0 percent for the week and 3.4 percent from this year’s closing high, according to Reuters. Despite the drop, the market is still showing a solid 9.0 percent gain for the year.

Once again, debt issues in Europe made headlines as Spain became the latest problem country. That, along with some disappointing economic growth data from China, helped spark the volatile week. Because of its massive size, any slowdown in China is closely watched by market participants.

As a sign of the big swings this week, the Dow Jones Industrial closed the day up or down by at least 100 points on four out of the five days last week, according to Barron’s.

Highlights from the week included:

•  China’s economy expanded at the weakest pace in over three years last quarter, missing consensus economic forecasts.
• Yields on debt in Spain jumped due to a weak debt auction, renewing fears that the European debt crisis could start affecting the global markets again.
• Several U.S. banks reported earnings that underwhelmed investors, resulting in weakness in financial stocks.
• U.S. inflation remained under control which may leave open the possibility for further Federal Reserve intervention should economic data deteriorate.

 Sources: The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo! Finance

The quarterly corporate earnings season is now underway so we wouldn’t be surprised to see more market volatility as investors digest the latest read on the health of corporate America.

RETURNS

Notes: * This newsletter was prepared by Peak Advisor Alliance. * The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) is an unmanaged group of securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general. * The DJ Global ex US is an unmanaged group of non-U.S. securities designed to reflect the performance of the global equity securities that have readily available prices. * The 10-year Treasury Note represents debt owed by the United States Treasury to the public. Since the U.S. Government is seen as a risk-free borrower, investors use the 10-year Treasury Note as a benchmark for the long-term bond market.* Gold represents the London afternoon gold price fix as reported by the London Bullion Market Association.* The DJ Commodity Index is designed to be a highly liquid and diversified benchmark for the commodity futures market. The Index is composed of futures contracts on 19 physical commodities and was launched on July 14, 1998. * The DJ Equity All REIT TR Index measures the total return performance of the equity subcategory of the Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) industry as calculated by Dow Jones.* Yahoo! Finance is the source for any reference to the performance of an index between two specific periods.* Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and are not intended as investment advice or to predict future performance.* Past performance does not guarantee future results.* You cannot invest directly in an index.* Consult your financial professional before making any investment decision.

THE “SHOVE IT” INDICATOR…

…as highlighted by CNBC made a noteworthy gain in February suggesting consumer confidence may be increasing. You’re probably wondering, “What in the world is the ‘shove it’ indicator?” Well, every month the government conducts a Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or “JOLTS” for short. One of the data points in the JOLTS report is the number of workers who quit their job as opposed to being laid off. And, in February, for the first time since September 2008, the quitters were in the majority.

What does this mean? Generally speaking, people who quit their job are typically more confident that there is another job waiting for them when they voluntarily leave a position. Nicholas Colas, chief market strategist at ConvergEx Group says, “Quits go hand-in-hand with consumer confidence.”

This positive JOLTS data point follows a disappointing government jobs report for the month of March where only 120,000 new jobs were created. Also, the preliminary March reading of the University of Michigan’s consumer confidence survey showed a decline from the previous month. Analysts had expected confidence to stay flat, according to International Business Times.

This conflicting economic data gave the bulls and the bears ample ammunition to bolster their respective case. And, conflicting data like this may lead to a continuation of the yo-yo as investors try to predict which direction the economy is headed.

Weekly Focus – Think About It

“Expectation is the root of all heartache.”

–William Shakespeare

When in doubt, blame it on the weather.

It’s human nature to want to ascribe a reason to everything that happens in the world. Rather than feeling like it’s all random, we always want to know why the market went up or why bats hang upside down or why white is the most popular car color. 

And, last week’s employment report is no different. The government said the economy added 120,000 new jobs in March, however, that was well below the 210,000 increase expected by economists surveyed by MarketWatch. So, to what did some economists attribute the smaller than expected increase? You guessed it, the weather!

Unseasonably warm winter weather in many parts of the country may have disrupted the normal winter hiring pattern. According to MarketWatch, “Companies kept workers on or hired people in January and February who otherwise would have been added in March or April.”

In addition to hiring, weather was also a key driver behind recent strong retail sales. Bloomberg reported that, “Retailers are benefiting from warm weather that boosted demand for spring products…”

Over time, the effects from weather will likely even out so there’s no need for us to add a meteorologist to the team. But, just so you know, it’s not always dollars and cents behind changes in the markets. Sometimes you just have to stand outside and check out the weather.

RETURNS

Notes: * This newsletter was prepared by Peak Advisor Alliance. * The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) is an unmanaged group of securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general. * The DJ Global ex US is an unmanaged group of non-U.S. securities designed to reflect the performance of the global equity securities that have readily available prices. * The 10-year Treasury Note represents debt owed by the United States Treasury to the public. Since the U.S. Government is seen as a risk-free borrower, investors use the 10-year Treasury Note as a benchmark for the long-term bond market.* Gold represents the London afternoon gold price fix as reported by the London Bullion Market Association.* The DJ Commodity Index is designed to be a highly liquid and diversified benchmark for the commodity futures market. The Index is composed of futures contracts on 19 physical commodities and was launched on July 14, 1998. * The DJ Equity All REIT TR Index measures the total return performance of the equity subcategory of the Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) industry as calculated by Dow Jones.* Yahoo! Finance is the source for any reference to the performance of an index between two specific periods.* Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and are not intended as investment advice or to predict future performance.* Past performance does not guarantee future results.* You cannot invest directly in an index.* Consult your financial professional before making any investment decision.

DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY…

… is apparently more than just a cliché. Research over the past 10 years shows there is a direct link between happiness and business outcomes. Author and researcher Shawn Achor says “happiness” raises sales by 37 percent, productivity by 31 percent, and accuracy on tasks by 19 percent. He goes on to say, “The single greatest advantage in the modern economy is a happy and engaged workforce.”

So, how do you become happy at work?

Achor says you have to train yourself and start developing new, positive habits. For example, he challenges his clients to implement one of the following positive exercises everyday for 21 days.

• Write down three new things you are grateful for each day.
• Write for two minutes a day describing one positive experience you had over the past 24 hours.
• Exercise for 10 minutes a day.
• Meditate for two minutes, focusing on your breath going in and out.
• Write one quick e-mail first thing in the morning thanking or praising someone in your social support network (family member, friend, old teacher).

By following one of these exercises, Achor says your happiness will rise and so will your business success.

The tiny Himalayan country of Bhutan has taken this idea of happiness even further. Four years ago, the country launched a “gross national happiness” measure to guide public policy. According to The Guardian, Bhutan’s “constitution mandates that at least 60% of the country remains under forest cover in perpetuity and its stated policy is to be 100% organic in its agricultural production.”

Now, Bhutan’s definition of happiness is a little different than our typical Western definition. The Bhutan government says, “it refers to the deep, abiding happiness that comes from living life in full harmony with the natural world, with our communities and fellow beings, and with our culture and spiritual heritage, in short, from feeling totally connected with our world.”

Well, no matter how you define it, it looks like it “pays” to be “happy.”

Weekly Focus – Think About It

“Rules for Happiness:
something to do,
someone to love,
something to hope for.”

–Immanuel Kant, German philosopher

Last week marked the end of a very strong first quarter for the stock market.

For the quarter, the S&P 500 index rose 12.0 percent, its strongest start to a year since 1998. In fact, the index ended the quarter 3.4 percent above the average year-end projection of strategists surveyed by Bloomberg. In other words, the market gained more in the first quarter than analysts thought it would gain for the whole year.

Looking back on the strong start, analysts pointed to an easing of Europe’s debt woes, a strengthening global economy (at least in some areas), rising consumer sentiment in the U.S., and supportive Federal Reserve policy, according to Bloomberg and CNNMoney.

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Bob Doll, chief equity strategist at BlackRock, summarized the quarterly nicely when he said, “This year has been all about people coming away from the abyss that the world might end, and putting risk back on.”

Some analysts suspect this year’s strong start may be déjà vu all over again (hat tip to Yogi Berra). Stocks roared out of the gate in 2010 and 2011 only to drop later in the year, “as the U.S. economy faltered and Europe’s crisis worsened,” according to The Wall Street Journal.

Potential spoilers for the market over the next few months include:

• Renewed European debt woes, particularly in Portugal and Spain.
• Renewed weakness in the U.S. economy, possibly due to unseasonably warm weather in some parts of the country that may have “pulled forward” some shopping and construction activity.
• High gasoline prices, which could take a big bite out of consumers’ pocketbooks.
• Slower corporate earnings growth and profit margins that may down from near record levels.
• An economic slowdown in China that exceeds expectations.
  Sources: The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times

So far this year, investors have shrugged off the worries and plowed higher. With supportive Federal Reserve policy underpinning the market, that old adage seems to apply – “Don’t fight the Fed.”

 RETURNS

Notes: * This newsletter was prepared by Peak Advisor Alliance. * The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) is an unmanaged group of securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general. * The DJ Global ex US is an unmanaged group of non-U.S. securities designed to reflect the performance of the global equity securities that have readily available prices. * The 10-year Treasury Note represents debt owed by the United States Treasury to the public. Since the U.S. Government is seen as a risk-free borrower, investors use the 10-year Treasury Note as a benchmark for the long-term bond market.* Gold represents the London afternoon gold price fix as reported by the London Bullion Market Association.* The DJ Commodity Index is designed to be a highly liquid and diversified benchmark for the commodity futures market. The Index is composed of futures contracts on 19 physical commodities and was launched on July 14, 1998. * The DJ Equity All REIT TR Index measures the total return performance of the equity subcategory of the Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) industry as calculated by Dow Jones.* Yahoo! Finance is the source for any reference to the performance of an index between two specific periods.* Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and are not intended as investment advice or to predict future performance.* Past performance does not guarantee future results.* You cannot invest directly in an index.* Consult your financial professional before making any investment decision.

WHILE GASOLINE PRICES ARE HITTING RECORD HIGHS…

…for this time of year and oil has shot past $100 per barrel, natural gas prices are plumbing 10-year lows, according to The Wall Street Journal. What are the implications of this large price disparity for America’s long-term energy security?

As indicated below, gasoline, oil, and natural gas are critical to the U.S. energy picture as they account for a large percentage of our energy use. 

Energy Demand by Fuel Source in the U.S. in 2010

• 37 percent petroleum products (includes oil and gasoline)
• 25 percent natural gas21 percent coal
• 9 percent nuclear
• 8 percent renewable
  Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

Oil, in particular, is deeply entwined in our economy as 10 of the past 11 recessions were preceded by an oil price shock, according to Moody’s Analytics. Even the 2008 economic crisis, which on the surface was triggered by the subprime mortgage crisis, was accompanied by a massive spike in U.S. oil prices to a record high of about $145 per barrel in July 2008, according to Reuters. As oil prices rise, gasoline prices are likely to rise, too, because gasoline is a by-product of oil refining. In fact, a 42-gallon barrel of oil yields about 19 gallons of gasoline, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

So, where does natural gas fit in the U.S. energy story?

Interestingly, new technology including horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) has led to a substantial increase in the supply of natural gas. The Department of Energy has even said we have more than a 90-year supply of natural gas at current consumption rates. This massive supply is one reason why natural gas prices are so low right now.

One plus for natural gas versus oil is that almost all of the natural gas we consume is produced domestically while 45 percent of the oil we consume is imported, according to Financial Times. With natural gas prices low and supply abundant, we’re starting to see more emphasis on using natural gas instead of oil.

As the U.S. continues to regain its economic footing, it’s critical that we have the right mix of energy sources available at a reasonable price. Historically, that’s not always happened and, consequently, it’s an important factor that we monitor on a regular basis. 

WEEKLY FOCUS – Think About It

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”
–Corrie ten Boom, author, Holocaust survivor

A trillion here, a trillion there and, pretty soon, you have a nice market rally.

Through a program called quantitative easing, central banks around the world have flooded the world economy with the equivalent of trillions of U.S. dollars. Quantitative easing involves central banks making large-scale purchases of debt – usually government or mortgage debt – and paying for that debt by creating money out of thin air, according to The New York Times. The hope (and remember, hope is not an investment strategy) is that with more money sloshing around the global economy, interest rates will drop and that will stimulate demand and increase economic growth.

If all goes according to plan, the economy will recover and then the central banks will sell the bonds they purchased and “destroy” the money they received for selling the bonds. When the whole cycle is completed, the net effect is no new money is created, according to the BBC. Optimists say this is an appropriate activity for central banks when the economy faces major hurdles. Pessimists say the central banks are unlikely to turn off the spigot and we could end up with runaway inflation.

And, yes, it’s a big spigot. Just between the U.S. and the United Kingdom, more than 2.5 trillion dollars of new money has been created since 2008, according to Reuters and the BBC.

On top of that, the European Central Bank made more than 1 trillion euro available to banks in the form of cheap three-year loans in just the past few months. The hope (there’s that word again) is that banks will use this money to lend and invest, and, thereby, boost the economy, according to Bloomberg.

All this “easy money” has helped fuel a strong start to many of the world’s stock markets this year. The big question is, will this easy money be the bridge that gets the world economy back on a self-sustaining growth path or is it simply keeping the patient addicted to an unsustainable monetary policy?

RETURNS

Notes: * This newsletter was prepared by Peak Advisor Alliance. * The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) is an unmanaged group of securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general. * The DJ Global ex US is an unmanaged group of non-U.S. securities designed to reflect the performance of the global equity securities that have readily available prices. * The 10-year Treasury Note represents debt owed by the United States Treasury to the public. Since the U.S. Government is seen as a risk-free borrower, investors use the 10-year Treasury Note as a benchmark for the long-term bond market.* Gold represents the London afternoon gold price fix as reported by the London Bullion Market Association.* The DJ Commodity Index is designed to be a highly liquid and diversified benchmark for the commodity futures market. The Index is composed of futures contracts on 19 physical commodities and was launched on July 14, 1998. * The DJ Equity All REIT TR Index measures the total return performance of the equity subcategory of the Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) industry as calculated by Dow Jones.* Yahoo! Finance is the source for any reference to the performance of an index between two specific periods.* Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and are not intended as investment advice or to predict future performance.* Past performance does not guarantee future results.* You cannot invest directly in an index.* Consult your financial professional before making any investment decision.

QUANTITATIVE EASING HAS LED TO A STEALTH “TAX” ON SAVERS…

… in what’s been called “financial repression,” according to Bloomberg. As mentioned above, one goal of quantitative easing is to lower interest rates. On that score, it’s succeeded since interest rates are super low all along the yield curve. Unfortunately, there’s a problem with that – interest rates on many bonds and savings accounts are lower than the rate of inflation. This means savers are losing purchasing power (the stealth tax) while debtors are able to pay back their debts in inflated (i.e., “cheaper”) dollars. Savers are effectively being “financially repressed.”

The public debt of the U.S. is more than $15 trillion, according to the Treasury Department. The annual interest expense on that mountain of debt is more than $400 billion. Not surprisingly, the government wants to keep interest rates low because that will keep their interest payments low. Also, by tolerating some inflation, that debt pile can be paid back in inflated dollars. So, who loses in this deal? It’s the diligent American saver who lives below their means and has to endure very little interest on their savings.

Government policy makers are well aware that their actions are, to some extent, helping debtors at the expense of savers. They also know that in this complicated, global economy, there’s no easy way to make everybody happy and still get us out of the fiscal hole we’re in. Knowing that, we’ll keep doing our best to help you prosper. 

WEEKLY FOCUS – Just for Fun

If you could spend one year traveling around the U.S. and Canada, how many different bird species do you think you could see? Well, there’s actually an informal competition that does just that and it’s called a Big Year. Last year, a movie starring Steve Martin, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson chronicled the Big Year exploits of three men who tried to set a new Big Year record in 1998. Sure enough, one of the men set a new record of seeing 748 bird species that year. Check out the movie and you’ll never look at birding quite the same.