“The Six Week Status Quo?” Just because I don’t predict what’s going to happen in the stock market doesn’t mean I don’t attempt to analyse it. So, here’s my (short-term) analysis: The #1 problem vexing the stock market is the Eurozone crisis. Europe — or at least its decision-making VIP-types — famously go on vacation...Read More
From “Super-Low” to “Outrageously, Absurdly Low” Wait a second — haven’t mortgage rates been, like, dirt cheap since . . . forever? And haven’t interest rates paid on savings been infinitesimal for practically just as long? Well, yes. But, as a result of further Euro zone deterioration last week — and the resulting flight to quality/safety — interest...Read More
Cost-Benefit Criterion “Quitting smoking is easy. I’ve done it lots of times.” OK, so refinancing isn’t completely painless — there are some fees involved, and some paperwork to fill out (natch). But, the operative question to ask isn’t, “how long has it been since I refinanced?” or even “how much will it cost?” Rather, it’s...Read More
“Pot Calling the Kettle Black” — Updated “God is dead.” –Nietzsche “Nietzsche is dead.” –God In a nutshell, that’s my reaction to the news that Standard & Poor’s has put a majority of the Eurozone countries on alert for a credit ratings downgrade. That would be the same S&P that took payment from Wall Street to...Read More
Did the Late Bird Get the Worm?? Although I take issue with some of the math underlying the analysis, there’s no denying that the drop in interest rates since April 30 — thanks to the Eurozone crisis — has at least partially offset the benefit(s) associated with now-expired home buyer tax credits. Missing the tax...Read More
Market Melt-Down Creates Refinancing Opportunity No, it’s not good when already volatile markets lurch downward like they’ve done the last couple days. However, astute financial observers know that such turbulence is also accompanied by a “flight to safety” — in this case, U.S. debt. Doesn’t the U.S. have a $13 trillion (and counting) deficit, and...Read More
