Editor's Note: Matthew Beller is a former employee of the Federal Reserve Board and the Securities and Exchange Commission. He currently works for a private investment firm in Los Angeles, California

The Obama administration is busy touting the burgeoning success of its mortgage modification program. Unfortunately, it’s a farce: Out of one side of his mouth, the President touts a dedic

Rents Falling Everywhere Given that the official measure of Consumer Price Index (CPI) is based on rents not housing prices, consider the following links courtesy of Lanser on Real Estate: Really? Re

If we've learned anything from the bursting of the great real estate bubble, it's this: Nothing can cure an American of the desire to own a home, especially if it looks like a bargain. As Minyanville

Editor's Note: This is part 1 of a multi-part series. See part 2 here.A few weeks ago I first used the term “statistical recovery” to describe the nature of today’s economic environ

Editor's Note: This is a guest post by Don Fishback, of Don Fishback's Market Report.Can’t take it anymore. I’ve seen this too many times to not comment. Yesterday, a reporter for the Was

Every day brings yet one more story about the US dollar. Will the greenback crash? Will it lose its status as reserve currency? What is a dollar? And if we're here in the states, why do we care wheth

In fantasy novels, the intrepid heroes come across a sign saying "This Way Be Dragons." Of course they venture on, facing calamity and death. But such is the nature of fantasy novels. We li

Editor's Note: James Quinn is a senior director of strategic planning for a major university. James has held high-level financial positions with a retailer, homebuilder and a university in his 22-yea

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water... Subprime lending has come roaring back. But this time, reckless financial innovation isn’t being hatched on Wall Street. Instead, st