Rich Sweum's Blog

I've chimed in a bunch on the perils of our current Fed behavior that has weakened our Dollar and what a potentially disastrous plan this is.There are many resources out there, not free of bias by any means, that explain the system of dollar valuation and function that we have.  There are those f...

Ok, I love this website, great economic "nerdery" articles and a bunch of humor to boot!  Go to their website to actually register in the brackets  www.minyanville.com  

I get a kick out of that TV show, Flip That House...which has been the demise of many amateur investors.  Sure, someone always wins the Lotto, but how many people lose?  Well, I still get calls, as recently as last week, asking me if I thought that now was a good time to get into Flipping.  My pa...

If you get a chance to visit Tony Campolo's website check out his Signature message/sermon, Friday's here, but Sunday's a comin!http://www.tonycampolo.org/media_archive.phpLast night Maundy Thursday, as a family we gather and read the last supper story, take communion, together, and read the "foo...

From "Irrational Exuberance"So, what led to the spike?  Too many pigs at the trough via "great rates" and ...easy money...next chart...  So, is there any rational thinking human that thinks that NINJA loans will show up at the Corner Mortgage-Mart anytime soon?  Don't bet against greed and the de...

1932 and 2008The differences are obvious, but the similarities are curious...1932; folks were loosing their homes, we were full swing into an economic depression, there were ecological/environmental issues, government was floundering coming up with solutions, we had ineffectual and impotent leade...

Yes, you can still wrangle a zero down loan through FHA via the Down Payment Assistance programs, BUT...with nearly all (soon to be all) of the mortgage insurance companies now only willing to insure to 97% LTV, we have just seen the elimination of another 30% of the first time homebuyer market.Y...

God bless GW, he got us through some tough times post 9/11, but save the first 360 days following that disaster, his administration has been a complete CF!  If you don't agree, feel free to stop reading right here.  Paulson has shown no ability to see the economy from any perspective other than h...

How far into the credit mess are we?  Can we see the light at the end of the tunnel OR are we still in for a few more years worth of major turmoil?  It sure appears that the "unwind" is going to take a lot longer than we might be thinking.  Of course I "wish" and "hope" for a miracle...but short ...

Spook du jour: Carlyle news The apparently imminent collapse of Carlyle Group affiliate Carlyle Capital is the latest jarring reminder that credit-crisis damage is not finished being toted up. The day's data on the U.S. economy only magnify worries.This is not good.  The major players in the TBA ...