The Fed’s ability to raise and lower short-term interest rates is its primary control over the economy. Alex Berenson Read Quote
Bigger spreads mean bigger gaps between what buyers pay and sellers receive. For example, a spread of 10 cents a share means that the buyer pays $100 more for 1,000 shares than the seller receives. Alex Berenson Read Quote
The lower spreads mean lower costs for investors, because Nasdaq investors generally do not trade directly with one another. Instead, they usually buy and sell from market-makers, brokerage firms that flip shares between buyers and sellers and keep the spread for themselves. Alex Berenson Read Quote
The thing to do with mutual funds is to buy a couple of decent ones, set up an investment plan and then never, ever think about them again, except maybe once a quarter or so when you take a peek at your statements to make sure that you have not accidentally been buying the Fidelity Peace-in-the-Middle-East fund. Alex Berenson Read Quote
Trust the Canadians to produce a game about mutual funds that is actually more boring than the real thing. Alex Berenson Read Quote
Most of America never noticed, but the 1990s were good times for trailer homes, a.k.a. manufactured housing. From 1991 to 1998, annual sales of manufactured homes more than doubled, to 374,000 from 174,000. Alex Berenson Read Quote
Trailer home borrowers, mostly near the bottom of the economic ladder, often default on their loans. Alex Berenson Read Quote
Normally, banks record profits on loans only as they are repaid, whether they securitize the loans or hold them on their books. Alex Berenson Read Quote
Most companies can survive even if their debt ratings are lowered below investment grade, although they will have higher borrowing costs. Alex Berenson Read Quote
