Tuesday, June 19, 2012

The Road To Refinance



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It's time to make it easier for millions of homeowners around the country to refinance their mortgages and save hundreds of dollars each month.

Cutting through the red tape will be good for families, good for communities, and good for the country at large.

Will Interest Rates Under The Refinancing Proposal Compare With The Marketplace?



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James Parrott, Senior Advisor for the National Economic Council, answers your questions on President Obama's homeowner refinancing proposal that aims to make it easier for millions of homeowners around the country to refinance their mortgages and save hundreds of dollars each month.

It will cut through the red tape will be good for families, good for communities, and good for the country at large.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/why-refi

Monday, June 18, 2012

The Morning Call-'Muddle through' is alive and well and living in Europe | All American Investor



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The Market
Technical

Monday Morning Chartology

Friday the S&P traded through the ‘neckline’ of the reverse head and shoulders pattern---a technical positive. Absent a quick reversal today, the rough objective of this breakout is 1440.

**futures trading suggests that the S&P will fall back below that ‘neckline’. If we close the day that way then the ‘shoulder line’ (1292) is back in play.

GLD has held the lower boundary of its intermediate term trading range quite well. It is also setting a very short term uptrend.


The VIX remains above the lower boundaries of its short term uptrend and its intermediate term trading range (a negative). However, note the developing head and shoulders formation which, if completed, would drive the VIX back to the 14-15 level.


Update on ‘the best stock market indicator ever’:
http://advisorperspectives.com/dshort/guest/John-Carlucci-Best-Indicator-Ever-Update.php

Fundamental

The Greek’s gave the pro-bail out party a victory. While that party must still form a government and then make proposals to the EU (Germany) for changes in the terms of the bail out, the ‘muddle through’ scenario remains alive and well and living in Europe. Meanwhile, investors aren’t so optimistic about Spain:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/europhoria-fades-spanish-banks-may-need-whopping-%E2%82%AC150-billion-loan-loss-provisions


Politics

Domestic

Thoughts on the upcoming race for president (medium):
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/guest-post-does-america-face-election-between-two-moderates

Steve Cook received his education in investments from Harvard, where he earned an MBA, New York University, where he did post graduate work in economics and financial analysis and the CFA Institute, where he earned the Chartered Financial Analysts designation in 1973. His 40 years of investment experience includes institutional portfolio management at Scudder, Stevens and Clark and Bear Stearns. Steve's goal at Strategic Stock Investments is to help other investors build wealth and benefit from the investing lessons he learned the hard way.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

The Morning Call-Dimon wows the girl's softball team while Europe prays for a timeout



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The indices (DJIA 12496, S&P 1314) were off a bit yesterday. However, both traded within their intermediate term uptrends (11801-16801, 1239-1806) and short term trading ranges (12206-13302, 1266-1422)---(as an aside, their closing prices were also well above the upper boundaries of their former short term downtrends). In addition, they continue to develop the right shoulder of a reverse head and shoulders formation.

Volume rose; breadth declined. The VIX spiked, closing well above the lower boundaries of both its short term up trend and its intermediate term trading range.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

My First Job: Betty White



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Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Untangling Tau, Webinar, First Notice



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Many in the Alzheimer's community are interested in Tau tangles. Here is an opportunity to learn more about Tau and the mystery surrounding Tau tangles.

Alzheimer's Reading Room

Join special guest, Cure Alzheimer’s Fund Researcher Dominic Walsh, Ph.D., and David Shenk, author of the national bestseller, The Forgetting, for a free webinar about the role of tau in Alzheimer’s on Thurday, June 21, 2012 at 2:30 p.m. EST.

Alzheimer’s research for many years has been dominated by a focus on Abeta “plaques,” a focus that largely has overlooked the other infamous hallmark of the disease — the tau-based neurofibrillary “tangles.”

The research world recently has broadened its scope to include significant research into tau.

Cure Alzheimer’s Fund is actively supporting this diversification by funding two tau-based projects.

Click on the image above to register for the this upcoming webinar on the Internet. The webinar is free, all you need to do is register, and attend.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Are You Scared Of Dying Badly? | Alzheimer's Reading Room



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'I am scared of dying badly. But then I think that is something most people (are scared of)'

By Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room

Sir Terry Pratchett
Those are not my words, they are the words of world famous author Sir Terry Pratchett.

The words appeared in an article entitled I'm scared of dying badly, admits Alzheimer's sufferer Terry Pratchett. The article was published in today's Daily Mail online in the U.K.

For me, this article came up at a particulary interesting time. My mother, Dotty, died on May 25th of this year.

As I see it there are two issues here.

Continue Reading -- http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/2012/06/are-you-scared-of-dying-badly.html

Thursday, June 7, 2012

The Morning Call--Be sure there is follow through before getting too jiggy



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The Market

Technical


The indices (DJIA 12414, S&P 1315) staged a moon shot yesterday. Both of the Averages (1) pushed back up through their 200 day moving average [12269, 1285], (2) stayed within their intermediate term uptrends [11760-16760, 1234-1801] and (3) closed near or right on the downtrend off their May highs [12426, 1314].

First, blowing back through the 200 day moving average gives some strength to this support level. For the S&P that suggests a potential lower boundary of a short term trading range in the 1266-1285; for the Dow, the corresponding area would be 12037-12269. Time will tell whether these zones can provide the necessary support.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

The Morning Call-Don't assume the jobs number lessens Europe's importance



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The Market

Technical

Monday Morning Chartology

Last week was reasonably calm, that is, until Friday---when the bottom dropped out. The S&P (1276) broke the 1292 support level and kept going through the 200 day moving average (1285). Of course, our time and distance discipline technically kicks in. I say ‘technically’ since 1292 never really achieved true support level status. On the other hand the 200 day moving average is a viable support level; so it is the moving average that I will focus on as support. However, this break won’t be confirmed until either Friday (time) or it closes below 1259 (distance).

As you know, there remain three additional potential support levels: (1) the neckline of the reverse head and shoulders pattern [1266], the lower boundary of its intermediate term up trend [1232] (3) the old resistance/support level [1230]---note the proximity to the intermediate term up trend lower boundary


The Morning Call + Subscriber Alert + No dead cat bounce? | All American Investor



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The Market
Technical
The Averages (DJIA 12101, S&P 1278) had a flattish day (Dow down, S&P up); hence, no follow through from Friday’s shellacking. They remain in search of a lower boundary to their short term trading ranges; and along those lines, both index closed below their respective 200 day moving averages (12254, 1285) for the second day. In addition, the DJIA has traded below the support offered by the neckline of the former reverse head and shoulders (12287) for the second day
If the 200 day moving average can’t be regained, there remain three additional potential support levels: (1) the neckline of the reverse head and shoulders pattern [1266---clearly the Averages are out of sync on this support level], (2) the lower boundary of its intermediate term up trend [11732, 1233] (3) the old resistance/support level [11741, 1230].

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Pending Sales Of U.S. Homes Decrease By Most In A Year



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The number of Americans signing contracts to buy previously owned homes fell in April by the most in a year, indicating the U.S. housing recovery remains uneven.

All American Investor

The index of pending home resales dropped 5.5 percent following a revised 3.8 percent gain the prior month, figures from the National Association of Realtors showed today in Washington. The median forecast of 42 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News called for no change in the measure.