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Automotive

The Flea Market

Posted by Doug Wolkon on September 19, 2008 at 5:16 pm

A developer once told me that if you do a deal with someone that has fleas, your bound to get fleas. For example, Bear Stearns and AIG have fleas. I understand the fear-based argument for getting fleas, “We have no choice”. But borrowing more money to participate in the Flea Market can’t be our only choice. What if the “Free Markets” posed another choice? What if there was a much better way than borrowing more time and money just to get fleas (and these are big and scary fleas)? Continued »

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Subprime is a Fancy Word for Too Much Debt

Posted by Doug Wolkon on February 14, 2008 at 3:14 pm

Subprime is a fancy word for too much debt. Adam Smith would actually say that housing over and above shelter has no utility value. If that is true, we are in for some serious additional write downs (think second homes).

On another note, Subprime could have worked if the loans stayed true to their risk and were made at “loan shark” type rates (5% “money-down” should have warranted a 20% rate; instead we were lending it at 7-10%). As a result, we were only realizing less return on a greater expense in the form of lower and lower investment rates (Menger, Say, Smith, Jevons and others), but more risk. Continued »

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Imagine New Jobs

Posted by Doug Wolkon on January 24, 2008 at 1:17 am

I agree that the Fed is walking right into the markets hands. The Fed rate cut does not have a prayer. Greenspan took all the inflation fighting juice out of the economy in the 90’s while igniting the momentum of debt. In any case, we are all in trouble. Continued »

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