With the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index up 47% from the lows it reached in March, many investors are feeling intense relief.But with one or more institutional traders making bets that suggest

1) Economics 101Whenever I mention to friends that I see a structural shift in consumer behavior and attitudes, it's almost universally dismissed as some kind of crackpot theory. Which is true, but o

The scapegoating of the AIG bonus babies and the “outrage” of Senate is making me crazy. - like Tom Wilkinson in Michael Clayton type of crazy. (And forgive the potty talk, but Wilkinson

Senator Barack Obama is a either a naïf or a ninny. Based on his tax proposals, the key to any economic program, the nincompoop out-points the naïf. Here’s why: Obama proposes to rais

Imagine you’re running a marathon. Against incredible odds, you’re in first place. The finish line is just yards away; as you cross it, triumphant, the feeling of ecstasy immediately vani

Volatile swings and crushing losses in the stock market are enough to drive you crazy. Literally. The phones of psychologists in New York have been ringing off the hook as Wall Street’s executi

While October may be the cruelest month, its final week was even crueler: It gave us false hope. The Dow was up 10%, the S&P was up 11% - their biggest one-week gains since 1974. Even staid blue-

BRIC Stocks Cheap, ScaryEven after a record 20% gain in emerging-market stocks last week, some of the world’s biggest money managers think tougher times lie ahead for the BRIC nations (Bra

The private sector is actively engaging the mortgage crisis with the first broad-based, systemic attempt to prevent foreclosure. Both Bank of America (BAC) and JPMorgan (JPM) are attempting to h

The mortgage bailout parade marches on. Just days after rival Bank of America (BAC) announced plans to modify hundreds of thousands of mortgages, JPMorgan (JPM) released details of a homeowner rescue