The Citigroup economics team...made some noise late last week when they wrote that Greece would exit the euro on January 1, 2013 [and,] despite the results of this weekend's Greek elections which favors bailouts, austerity, and the euro, Citigroup continues to believe Greece is likely to exit the euro. Here's why. Words: 950

With 10 year Treasuries yielding 1.6% in the United States, some argue that higher deficits are warranted. As the discussion below shows, the logic behind that view is fundamentally flawed, if not reckless. Words: 1238

Dark...financial and economic clouds are, it seems, rolling in from every direction: the eurozone, the United States, China, and elsewhere. Indeed, the global economy in 2013 could be a very difficult environment in which to find shelter.

"Either you take the debt clean-out right away, and that means a very hard deflationary depression, or you do what I suspect they will try to do and that is keep pumping money into the system to keep the whole banking (system), derivatives and economies afloat [and] that will lead to some sort of monetary distress that could end in hyperinflation. I think that’s the worst outcome, but there is no good outcome.”

On the heels of Spain asking for $125 billion to bail out their collapsing banking system...there will be a massive worldwide package coming out between the Fed, the ECB, the IMF and other central banks. The money printing is imminent. As I see things, we are on the road to perdition,...there is no exit strategy for the world (to get) out of these problems. There is no solution. If you look at what happened in 2008, people thought that was bad, but what’s going to happen, starting this year and in the next few years, will make 2008 look like a small rehearsal because the real collapse is going to start now.

“The financial markets continue to show extreme volatility as the various institutions and governments deal with the end of their respective roads....Governments, economies and societies are converging on a common dead end, and it is a dead end of historic proportions....There will come a moment when this dysfunctional system can be sustained no longer. It is not inevitable. There is still time for rational behavior and solutions, but that time is short."

LOOK! Everyone needs to see this. United States owes a lot of money. As of 2012, US debt is larger than the size of the economy. The debt ceiling is currently set at $16.394 Trillion, estimated to be hit around Sep 14, 2012. In the infographic below that enormous amount is illustrated in $100 bills. It's frightening! Words: 605

The Q Ratio is a popular method of estimating the fair value of the stock market developed by Nobel Laureate James Tobin. My latest estimates [suggest] that the broad stock market is about 33% above its arithmetic mean and 42% above its geometric mean......Periods of over- and under-valuation can last for many years at a time, however, so the Q Ratio is not a useful indicator for short-term investment timelines [and, as such,] is more appropriate for formulating expectations for long-term market performance. [Let me review the Q ratio with you, along with several graphs, so you can clearly understand what the Q ratio is, how it works and what it is currently conveying.] Words: 800

Over the years foreigners have been buying more and more U.S. debt and now amounts to 33% of the total which is up from "just" 27% at this time 4 years ago and less than 15% only 20 years ago. However, given the dire state of U.S. finances it makes one wonder how much longer this trend will continue and what the consequences will be when the U.S. nolonger has a ready buyers to subsidize their excessive ways. Let's take a look at which countries and entities hold the U.S. debt and the extent to which it has changed over the years. Words: 480

Is this the time to acquire gold? Or is this the time to run away from it? Either answer could be correct, depending upon what course government chooses. Government is at a decision point, one that will determine how our economic malaise next turns. [Let's review their choices.] Words: 922