Financial Solutions

Get Aboard the Natural Gas Wave with These ETFs!

February 27th, 2012

Last week Sean Brodrick used my space to tell you some Inconvenient Truths About Alternative Energy. I think he is right on track about the natural gas sector, and you need to pay attention.

Just look at what’s happening in the energy markets right now …

Iran is cutting off shipments to some of its biggest European customers — just out of spite for the nuclear technology dispute. Who will get dragged into this squabble next?

Furthermore — and I bet you’ve noticed — it’s costing more to top off your car’s gas tank these days. We’re almost back to the 2008 “super-spike” gasoline prices in some parts of the U.S.

The headlines simply prove Sean’s point: Natural gas is set to be the next big energy boom. It’s much more efficien

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Tags: Gas, Natural Gas

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The President’s Corporate Tax Reform Plan: Rhetoric and Reality

February 21st, 2012

The administration released today its corporate tax reform “framework”, which is largely a rehash of previous proposals, but with a lowering of the corporate rate from 35 percent to 28 percent.  As with previous proposals, there is a complete disconnect between the rhetoric and reality, particularly in regards to simplification of the tax code and elimination of special interest loopholes, aka tax expenditures.  First, the rhetoric (which is quite agreeable):

The United States now essentially trades off greater tax expenditures, loopholes, and tax planning for a higher statutory corporate tax rate relative to other countries. T

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Tags: Corporate Tax, Corporate Tax Reform, Reform, Tax Reform

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Survey Shows Employment and Real Estate will be most important issues in 2012

February 12th, 2012

A HouseLogic survey found that employment and the real estate market will be the two most important issues for voters in the 2012 election process. 54% of the people who took part in the survey said lowering the unemployment rate will be the top issue when they head to the polls next November, and upwards of 27% of respondents thought housing was the most important issue.

People were specifically asked, what issues will have the greatest impact on your voting this year? Not surprisingly, even issues like national security, health care, energy and the environment followed the jobs and housing market concerns.

• Jobs-unemployment — 54%

• Housing — 27%

• National security — 8%

• Health care — 4%

• Energy & Environment — 2%

With unemployment still considerably high for the last 3 and ½ years, it’s easy to see why Americans from all political backgrounds are concerned about the job market. Yet, employm

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Tags: 2012, Important Issues, Real Estate

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Why the Yen Is Set to Weaken

February 2nd, 2012

The problems facing Japan have been building up for some time. And I don’t believe the coming negative impact on its currency can be delayed much longer.

Earlier this week I gave my World Currency Trader members two powerful reasons why. In today’s column, I’d like to share those with you:

Reason #1—
Japan just recorded its first
current account deficit since 1980

As you can see in the chart below, Japan posted a trade deficit of 2.49 trillion yen in 2011, after the economy was hit by the price shock of oil and a slowdown in global growth.

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