The Situation Now seems as good a time as any to take a break from virus news and economic projections, so let’s talk about LIBOR. The London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) has long been the benchmark on which collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) are based. This benchmark rate is used for more than just CMOs. Many...Read More

According to my last two letters, it seems I’ve managed to be both right and wrong at the same time. In early February, as the coronavirus was starting to make itself globally significant, I mentioned that it might just be the sort of “major disruption” that could set the U.S. economy on a downhill slide...Read More

In the last week we have seen major moves in the stock market (which most people notice) and, subsequently, the bond market (which most people don’t). Most of these moves are due to concern over how the virus outbreak in China will affect the world economy. Why, you may wonder, would a virus affect the economy? The virus itself...Read More

Thirteen has always been an evocative number.  To this day, an estimated 85% of tall buildings don’t label the 13th floor as such, to prevent problems with superstitions or luck.  And now we find ourselves, thirteen years out from the last time the Treasury yield curve inverted, back in the same position.   Prior to...Read More

Despite what seem to be ever-increasing risks in the global economy, the stock market continues to push skyward.  While this may be a sign of economic resilience, it is just as likely to be a sign of people trying to get on board the gains train.  Even those who find the stock market risky, after...Read More