Without Jobs, Where Are We?

By dubayns on 6/30/09 10:37pm
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Consumer confidence has slipped in the past month to levels not seen since early March, before the major stock market rally. Housing and sales data have pushed the confidence index down, but the big key right now to American consumer confidence is the job market. Job losses have kept coming as the Obama Administration and other key players in the economic and government sectors have all said that the economy is recovering. Perhaps it is slowly recovering on Wall Street, but Main Street is left wondering when they will begin to see signs of real improvement in the form of decreased unemployment and real multiple-sector job growth.

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The Great Summer Pullback

By dubayns on 6/30/09 10:36pm
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While stocks have recently enjoyed a brisk climb well above beginning of the year numbers, it now seems that due to many factors, a summer pullback is beginning to rear its ugly head.  Stocks have begun to plummet on job loss and housing data and commodities that usually do well when stocks slump, like gold and oil, are also slouching a bit.  The notion of a summer pullback is leaving investors in a sticky situation, and often asking tough questions without any real clear answers.


Pulling the trigger on new investments gets tougher and tougher with each passing week.  Those that see inflation on the horizon are chomping at the bit for precious metals prices to sink lower and lower this summer.  In a situation where PM’s are cheap, people might be keen on loading up while the prices are still low and hanging on to their metals as a hedge against inflation.  Basically, people in these circles are betting on inflation.

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How the Credit Lockdown Will Affect Education and the Workforce

By dubayns on 6/30/09 10:35pm
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Credit CrunchCredit CrunchAfter the economic meltdown that ensued last year, many banks and lending institutions have severely limited access to credit. This shortage of available credit has both helped and hurt American consumers. It has helped to reduce the debt bubble that was building and taught people that saving is just as sexy as spending. But the lack of credit really hurts people looking to obtain financial aid for school or wanting to finance a home purchase. In the long run, the tightening of the credit markets will likely have a positive effect, but keeping up with the Jones’ will likely be a thing of the past, at least in the sense that it once was.

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But They Took Our Job!

By dubayns on 6/30/09 10:34pm
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I'm tired of people all wanting to lay the blame at the feet of illegals, supposed government manipulation, or the Obama Administration. This market is as tough to understand as ever, but these three scapegoats are dead horses. As far as I'm concerned, the situation is far too complex to blame any one or two or even three entities for that matter. Heck, in England, another economy where production has been outsourced and paper-changing has become a major economic sector, they are blaming the Polish for coming in and creating more of a welfare state and "stealing their jobs". If your job is so easily done by someone with often little to no experience and the inability to speak the country's dominant language, then don't you think it' s time to go and do better for yourself and find a job where you can use your talents to succeed?

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A Great Savings Strategy for First Time Home Buyers

By dubayns on 6/30/09 10:33pm
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For SaleFor SaleMany people are looking toward the housing market as a great investment opportunity. After the economic turmoil that has plagued the global economy over the past year there are very few sure bets anymore. The combination of low interest rates and low home prices is beginning to attract the attention of people who would not normally be in the market for a home, but who are now otherwise drawn into the real estate market. One of the biggest hurdles for anyone to overcome when buying a new home, besides securing good financing for their purchase, is coming up with a sufficient down payment. There are a couple of ways to make this hurdle a little easier to pass over if you are clever with the way you save and take advantage of new government-sponsored tax incentives for first time home buyers.

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Numismatic Value Versus Bullion Value: A Word of Advice for Perspective Collectors and Investors

By dubayns on 5/31/09 11:55pm
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There are many people who collect coins and bullion together, but for the most part, at least in my experiences, collectors tend to choose one or the other.  Collecting coins and precious metals for numismatic value means that people are collecting and stacking them because they hold more than just intrinsic metal value; they have a collectible demand and value as well.  Those that just collect or invest in precious metal bullion alone are doing so not because the units of bullion have more than their intrinsic bullion value, but because they hold their value as precious metals.

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Silver and Green Energy

By dubayns on 5/31/09 8:48pm
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Obama's ambitious plan to help stem America's dependence on foreign oil and create more sustainable energy sources helps silver's case as a great investment opportunity for the next decade.  Silver has already gained 25% over the past month but will likely decline in value as the summer wears on.  But if you're looking for a great long-term investment option, silver is a great choice due to its ties with green energy technology.

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Questions About the Future as Silver is Poised to Hit $16 An Ounce

By dubayns on 5/31/09 8:17pm
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Unlike many investments, silver has actually done better in May than any other month for the past 22 years.  This leaves many people the impression that it's highly overbought at this point.  Others have just jumped into the game and are getting their hands on some fairly high priced white metal.  Whichever group you belong to, the biggest question you're likely asking yourself is, "Will silver continue its climb upward or get pared off on some profit taking?"

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Silver Supply Versus Demand in 2009

By dubayns on 5/13/09 8:27pm
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The price of silver has recently shot up as investors are flocking to precious metals as a hedge against inflation and poor economic performance, especially in the stock market.  The price of silver was in the low $11's at the beginning of the year and has climbed nearly 25 % to reach well into the $14's this week.  It's no surprise that silver tends to mirror gold's performance, which is tied to so many factors that it's often hard to discern the future direction of movement until underlying factors are unraveled.  But silver's growth potential may yet be untapped if the economic crisis that is being experienced worldwide sticks around for the rest of the year.

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Monarch Precious Metals: A Closer Look

By dubayns on 5/13/09 8:12pm
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The Monarch Precious Metals Company is a Phoenix, Oregon based silver minting company that has recently come on the scene offering some old products with new unique twists.  The have been around for only about a year, but demand for their products has begun to increase as premiums for their bullion are beginning to appear on websites like EBay and many others.

The company allows investors to purchase silver bars ranging from 2 troy ounces to 50 troy ounces on their website.  The current premiums are between $2.50 per ounce for the smaller bars and only $0.90 per ounce over spot for the larger ones. 

One of the reasons I prefer Monarch Precious Metal's bars is because they are poured into the traditional "loaf" style that all but disappeared from view a couple of decades ago.  In a time where numismatic interest and premiums often overshadow the silver bullion value of a product, Monarch Precious Metals has done a great job refocusing the bullion collectors and reminding them that there are bullion products out there for those of us who are not as interested in the numismatic aspect of collecting and investing.

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