To Infinity and Beyond!

 

 I was going to write a long post on the effects of QE3 to infinity announced by the Fed when I came across an extremely well written piece that describes both the plus side and coming negative side of endless printing on different asset classes. It supports the goal of this blog to examine the macro economic environment to preserve and grow wealth. You can read it here. I have also shown it below:

The Dark Side Of QE: The Next Chapter In Our Story

I am about to tell a story with a very happy beginning and a very sad end. Unfortunately, it happens to be the story we are living in today, but because we are still in the happy part of the story most people cannot see what is coming ahead. I will provide that for you here.

The immediate knee jerk reaction to the Fed's announcement today is that the Fed printing $40 billion per month and pumping it into the banking system is fundamentally strong for every type of asset in the world. Those that graduated from college in 2009 and have only been watching the market for a few years would believe this is a fact.

In essence: buy everything and just keep on buying.

Now that we know we are on the path of QE to infinity it is very important to understand how an endless running stream of new money fundamentally impacts assets differently. You'll notice a repetition of the word fundamentally because for long periods of time assets can move in the opposite direction of their fundamentals. Think of the 100% par value of subprime mortgage tranches in early 2006 or the multi-billion dollar valuation of Pets.com in 1999. Over time assets have a tendency, like gravity, to revert back to their fundamental value. This is what causes booms, busts, opportunity, and disaster.

Before we go any further, let's quickly review how QE actually works. The Fed shows up at the doorstep of primary dealer (the largest) banks with a printed bag full of money and asks them if they can come in and buy some mortgage bonds. The banks agree, hand them the bonds, and take the bag full of cash. The banks now have a new lump sum of money to spend or do with what they like. This is also new money that did not exist in the economy before which is how the money supply is increased. In reality, there are no knocking on doors with bags of money, this process takes place electronically with a few key strokes from either side. The outcome, however, is the same.

Click to continue reading

More Money Printing- QE3 Has Arrived

The Fed, in a move that is no surprise at all, has announced indefinite monetary stimulus. Though this blog has focused on wealth preservation that has assumed more QE all along, its still disheartening to see our country continue to move down the road to ruin and a weaker dollar. My readers, of course, are well positioned to profit from the latest move but one wonders, what of the rest of America who will now face higher prices in both food and gas as this depression drags out longer?

I'll have more on the Fed's latest move later.