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Banks Blocking Regulation

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:55:18 GMT

While most of the news today is focused on the General Motors (GM) bankruptcy, there was an article in the New York Times that is worth reading about the efforts of the banks to get back to business as usual, with no significant changes to the regulatory structure (other that pure cosmetics). This, after the combination of de-regulation and lack of enforcement of financial regulations brought the world to the edge of the financial abyss and caused incredible pain and suffering in the real economy -- not only here in the U.S. but around the globe. Now, lobbying is a constitutional right enjoyed by all citizens, and[More...]

Thrusday’s Market Recap (2/26/2009)

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 02:26:00 GMT

Today’s market was flooded with the news that President Barack Obama believes that this years budget deficit will total an astounding $1.75 trillion, which is four times last years budget. He has now proposed to Congress a tax hike on upper income citizens to begin the process towards guaranteed health care for all. In total, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell -1.22% to a close of 7,182.08 while the Nasdaq and S&P fell -2.38% and -1.58% respectively to closes of 1,391.47 and 752.83. Crude oil fell on the day a minuscule -0.60 to a close of 44.62 while gold boosted 4.70 to close at 947.30.[More...]

The Friday Political Update – To Pass Or Not To Pass

Sat, 07 Feb 2009 16:32:00 GMT

Friday, February 06, 2009 Love ‘im or hate ‘im, you got to give our 44th president this: He keeps us on our toes. This week, Obama’s main focus was on the stimulus plan that he’s been urgently pressing for agreement on from the Senate. In last week’s FPU, I cautioned that it was going to be a long week for lawmakers, and sure enough, they’ve been haggling over it ever since. Each day passed with some news on the Senate’s progress - or lack thereof - and the president’s reaction to it. Of course though, there was plenty of other issues that captivated public attention along the way. Here’s the recap: Monday, February 2, 2009 Monday opened up with a bang of course, as the Senate rang in the new month by reviewing the stimulus package presented to them. But that wasn’t the news that caught everybody’s attention since Tom Daschle was still trying to fight for[More...]

Financial Ground Zero

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:55:00 GMT

Would you choose to encumber your own family and future generations to personally pay for the "stimulus" boondoggle? You would necessarily fund continued government waste, fraudulent accounting, pork spending, crony bailouts and other central planning adventures. Pretty much indefinitely. What you've seen lately is what you will continue to get with this funny money crowd. The game has not changed. Most people wouldn't volunteer to cough up decades of commitment to this project. That's why it's not done on a volunteer basis. If you're locked in the fiat dollar sphere you will pay and you will pay dearly. Tennesseans aren't the only ones from the "volunteer state". The feds don't have this money just lying around waiting to be put to good use. They have saved zippo. In fact they've been deeply in the hole for an entire generation and get hopelessly more so all the time. There is lots[More...]

New York Times Opinion Piece by Lewis and Einhorn

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:08:00 GMT

I usually don't bring over opinion pieces to the website, but there is a fascinating one by hedge fund manager David Einhorn & Michael Lewis, the author of "Liar's Poker" and for you baseball fans "Moneyball". It comes in two pieces online 'The End of the Financial World as We Know It' and 'How to Repair a Broken Financial World' I'll post some excerpts below but these are two healthy sized pieces and if this type of thing is of interest to you, worth the full read. Since I'm so riled up about the[More...]

Where We Are, Where We're Heading (2009)

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:15:00 GMT

Let's score the 2008 edition predictions first: US will enter a recession: Confirmed by NBER. Check.Unemployment will rise north of 5%. Check (bigtime)Housing will not turn in 2008. Major check.The story in 2008 will be defaults on prime mortgages. Check.Consumer lending practice stupidity exposed. Check.Recreational sector (boats, etc) smashed. Check.Government will[More...]

Dynamic Growth: Monday, December 22, 2008- Briefing

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 18:43:00 GMT

Today is the first day of Hanukkah, and Christmas is on Thursday. The "real" market movers and shakers are not at work this week. This being said, I plan to join them in a few hours. By now you should be convinced that the U.S. has become (or has been for a while) one of the most corrupt countries on the planet. This list of misdeeds and dishonesty are too large to list. From Wall Street to Main Street to Washington DC, we have become a lawless society. A society built around decency and strict enforcement of laws does not live in fear. Our citizens live in constant fear. A decent and lawful society does not have to worry about "street gangs", putting bars on their windows, or even having a burglar alarm system for their homes. A decent and lawful society does not have to worry about Wall Street thieves tanking the economy, or their politicians and legal system beholden to these chosen few. A decent and lawful society does not have to go out and buy a[More...]

Money For Nothin' And... Fed Cuts Fed Funds Target To 0+

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:11:00 GMT

Share and bond markets rallied on Tuesday after the Federal Reserve announced that it will give away new money for almost free, lowering the Fed Funds target range to a historical low of 0% to 0.25%. The Fed had cut the Fed Funds rate in late October by 50 basis points. The new record low rate is a reaction to to the de facto status quo in treasury securities where short maturities of up to 6 months trade at yields below the upper end of the target range. While markets welcomed the bold move, gold, the canary in the mine of inflation, advanced as well, piercing the important resistance at $850. Investors are obviously pricing in that all Treasuries yield less than[More...]

Waxman the Watchman on Pharma - Analyst Blog

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 20:16:00 GMT

Henry Waxman (D-CA) has won appointment in the House to be the Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, defeating his colleague, John Dingell (D-MI), who had been the Chairman over the past two years and has served as Ranking Member since 1995. Mr. Waxman's taking over the leadership position on the Energy and Commerce Committee has, potentially, big implications for the healthcare industry. The Hatch-Waxman bill put into law in 1984 essentially created the generic drug industry as we know it today, and over the past twenty-plus years Mr. Waxman has argued aggressively for cheaper drug pricing and nationalized healthcare. Both would be a significant negative headwind for many companies in our universe. Biotechnology companies now seem squarely in Mr. Waxman's crosshairs, with his aggressive push for "follow-on biologics" (FOB). His argument for zero years of patent exclusivity for new biologic applications seems[More...]

Ben Stein's Idiocy

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:47:00 GMT

Ben Stein needs to be locked up - or BBQd and eaten - for penning this article: In this situation, the governments that care about their citizens should and must have extremely expansive policies. That would include running very large deficits — which we are doing, not even mentioning tax hikes until the situation is stabilized, and possibly cutting taxes as a temporary measure. Public works projects, tax rebates, even to people who paid no taxes, extensions of unemployment insurance payments — all of these are necessary. Bailing out the big auto companies, offering loan guarantees to encourage banks to lend, making sure lending facilities are in place for credit card issuers - all[More...]

The News-Times, Danbury, Conn., Brian Koonz column: Danbury veteran reflects on his loss -- and growth -- during World War II

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:03:00 GMT

Nov. 6--As a member of the Vermont National Guard during World War II, C. Rodney Dow took cover from Japanese bombers and charted zig-zag courses to elude Japanese submarines.
On Wednesday, Dow and Americans everywhere will observe Veterans Day.
More than six decades after he served in the CBI Theater (China-Burma-India), Dow takes great pride in his years in the military.

: iStockAnalyst.com Symbols Feed

Banks Blocking Regulation

Thrusday’s Market Recap (2/26/2009)

The Friday Political Update – To Pass Or Not To Pass

Financial Ground Zero

New York Times Opinion Piece by Lewis and Einhorn

Where We Are, Where We're Heading (2009)

Dynamic Growth: Monday, December 22, 2008- Briefing

Money For Nothin' And... Fed Cuts Fed Funds Target To 0+

Waxman the Watchman on Pharma - Analyst Blog

Ben Stein's Idiocy

The News-Times, Danbury, Conn., Brian Koonz column: Danbury veteran reflects on his loss -- and growth -- during World War II

Glitch Hits Citizens Bank ; Thousands of Customers' Debit Cards Not Working

Glitch Hits Citizens Bank: Thousands of Customers' Debit Cards Not Working

Specter to Join PSU Festivities

Opponents Expected Denial of PATH Application

OPINION: Snirts, Sniggles & Snorts

CIA Invests Again in Draper Company: Technology ? Lingotek Software Claims to Speed Up Translation of Sensitive Info.

Evening Standard, London, Letter From Dubai Column

Conference Shows the Bright Future of Solar Power

Conference Shows the Bright Future of Solar Power

Citizens, Inc. Reports Second Quarter Results

Citizens, Inc. Plans Earnings Release for Thursday, August 6th and Expects to Host Conference Call Friday, August 7th at 10 a.m. CDT

Citizens, Inc. First Quarter Earnings Increase

Citizens, Inc. to Release Earnings Thursday, May 7, 2009 and Host Conference Call Friday, May 8, 2009 at 10 a.m. CDT

Citizens, Inc. Reports Year-End Results

Citizens, Inc. Completes Integrity Capital Acquisition, Plans to Release Earnings Thursday, March 12, 2009 and Host Conference Call Friday, March 13, 2009 at 10 A.M. CDT

Citizens, Inc. Reports Acquisition of Integrity Capital

Citizens, Inc. Announces Third Quarter Results

Citizens, Inc. to Release Earnings Thursday, November 6, 2008 and Host Conference Call Friday, November 7, 2008 at 10 A.M. CST

Citizens, Inc. Reports Acquisition of Ozark National Life

Form 4 RILEY HAROLD E For: May 29 (10K)

Form 4 RILEY RAY A For: Jul 02 (10K)

Form 4 RILEY RAY A For: Jan 05 (10K)

Form 4 RILEY HAROLD E For: Mar 27 (10K)

Form 4 RILEY DOTTIE S. For: Jun 02 (10K)

Form 4 RILEY HAROLD E For: Mar 02 (10K)

Form 4 RILEY HAROLD E For: Jan 05 (10K)

Form 5 SLOAN ROBERT B JR For: Dec 31 (10K)

Form 5 GAGE ERROL DEAN For: Dec 31 (10K)

Form 5 RILEY RAY A For: Dec 31 (10K)