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For at least thirty years there has been great dispute about the weakness of the US Dollar. Is it weak because the Chinese economy is strong? Because we want it to be weak to help our exports? Because the Fed is printing money? Because some guy says the dollar is bad? Every reason is at least a l...

Today I am in a haven safe from shopping: my office. But for those brave or foolhardy enough to venture forth, many eyes will be watching, from a distance. Retail sales are one measure of an economy's health, and for the last two holiday seasons they have been soft. So far in 2010 things have bee...

In 1961, Wall Street Journal editor Vermont C. Royster (that "C" stood for Connecticut, though he was from Raleigh, NC) published two editorials: "The Desolate Wilderness" followed by "And The Fair Land". They have been published every year since, and have become classics. I can offer no finer gr...

We have had a recession, a decline in our nation's economy. That is not in dispute. When it started, however, and when it ended (or will end) has been and will be the source of much debate among economists and historians. Also up for debate has been (and will be) the cause or causes of the recession...

Congress will probably wait until after Thanksgiving to finalize the income tax scenario. Numerous tax breaks that we have benefited from in recent years have expired. Tax planning is difficult this year as we may not know the tax landscape until mid December. Some of the benefits in question: The...

The Obama Administration named Steven Rattner it's "Car Czar" in February 2009. The NY Times describes Mr. Rattner as a "financier." The Securities & Exchange Commission says Rattner paid kickbacks to secure investment business, and fined him $6 million. NYS Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo, in his curre...

This morning, newly-minted shares of General Motors begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange.You know the history: founded early in the 20th century, grew to become the world's largest auto company selling half of all US motor vehicles in the 1950's and 60's, torpor and decline in the 70's and 8...

Last week the news was all about the Federal Reserve's Quantitative Easing plan, for short: QEII. The QEII plan is for the Fed to buy $600 billion of US Treasury securities - and to print dollars to do it. Bernanke's rationale? To drive interest rates lower in order to help economic recovery. I h...

Most readers of this blog are clients of Brighton Securities, and the overwhelming majority of our clients need little or no advice on reducing debt. You know debt is needed at times, particularly when buying a home. But you also know that in the long run debt imposes its own form of servitude, and...

Today is the 11th day of the 11th month, once called Armistice Day to mark the end of World War I. Now we call it Veterans Day, to honor those who have served their country in our armed forces. To all of you who have helped defend our lives, our liberty, and our pursuit of happiness, all of us at...