offshore-finances.com

The post below is a guest contribution by Marty Weiner of Comstock Partners, the highly regarded investment manager run by Charles Minter.

We have been strong believers in the deflation theme since we have been writing these reports beginning in early 2000 (and even before).  We are attaching a chart depicting the “Cycle of Deflation” which you should print out and refer to as you read this comment.
As you can see by the chart, the typical deflation starts with savings and investment … [visit site to read more]

It’s no secret that small businesses have been especially hard hit by the financial crisis. But some are doing better than others. Based on a sampling of news reports from small and mid-sized newspapers around the country, here are some tips that might prove helpful:
Rethink product mixes and service locations

“Small Businesses Cope with ‘New Normal’” (Danbury News Times)

While the economic downturn has caused dozens of area small businesses to shutter their doors, many of the survivors have … [visit site to read more]

A recent Associated Press report, “Temp Hiring No Longer Seen as Sign of Recovery,” suggests that one economic rule of thumb no longer applies:

When employers hire temporary staff after a recession, it’s long been seen as a sign they’ll soon hire permanent workers.
Not these days.
Companies have hired more temps for four straight months. Yet they remain reluctant to make permanent hires because of doubts about the recovery’s durability.
Even companies that are boosting production seem … [visit site to read more]

This week the World Gold Council released their 2009 Gold Demand Trends report and embedded in the statistics were a few tidbits we found interesting.

Overall investment in gold was 7% higher in 2009 than 2008. This is significant when you take into account that demand in the fourth quarter of 2008, during one of the worst financial meltdowns we have ever known, was so great that there were global shortages of physical metal. Nevertheless, in 2009, at a time when fears of a global financial … [visit site to read more]

A new projection is now showing that roughly 1,000 US banks may fail because of the financial crisis that uncovered the toxic assets hidden on bank balance sheets.
According to Reuters:
“James Dunne, senior managing principal of Sandler O’Neill, said 300 to 400 banks could be seized this year, especially as institutions start to deal with deteriorating commercial real estate loans.
“‘This is going to be a very slow recovery,’ Dunne said in an interview with Reuters.
“Regulators have … [visit site to read more]

Company insiders are selling in record numbers, once again. Yes, insiders have been selling for the better part of 8 months as share prices have risen, but how good could a company’s prospects be if those at the controls don’t see any benefit of holding onto their shares? The S&P500 has moved over 60% since the March, 2009 lows. The “bull market” hype has been nothing but a trading range for 4 months now, and over this time, the “dumb money” has been increasingly bullish while the “smart … [visit site to read more]

Gold switched to a neutral signal on January 29, but it looks as if a new Trend Model buy signal will be generated soon. Below you can see that the price index recently broke out of a descending wedge pattern (as expected for that pattern), then, after a pullback toward the breakpot point, it has begun to move higher. The buy signal will be generated when the 20-EMA moves up through the 50-EMA, something that is very close to happening.

Note also how the PMO (Price Momentum Oscillator), … [visit site to read more]

Is it any surprise that the next drawdown in a multi-billion dollar ongoing bailout gets posted at 5pm on a Friday afternoon? Not in this economy where Uncle Sam, that’s you and me boys and girls, continues to pay for the woefully mismanaged financial and legislative practices of those in Washington.

The gutless typically prefer to operate under a veil of darkness.

I am referring to the sinkhole that is the organization known as Fannie Mae (NYSE:FNM), as it comes back to the well for … [visit site to read more]

Exploring the world of opportunity that British teachers employed at international schools around the world can enjoy for the furtherance of their careers and the enhancement of their social lives! Case studies and expert data contained herein…

A quick, no nonsense guide to buying a property abroad and managing your money matters – from currency exchange to paying fees and haggling