• @The_Analyst does Hempton do Twitter? Bright guy. Jan 26, 2012
• RE: @SoberLook It’s not a pledge, indeed, but it is an estimate.? The bond market has reacted quite strongly to the e? http://t.co/crpU3QpH Jan 26, 2012
• RE: @SoberLook Does this post from Alea change your opinion at all? http://t.co/2hs1LTyN? http://t.co/p3Plmjnb Jan 26, 2012
• MF Customers Face Long, and Possibly Fruitless, Slog http://t.co/MoMIalrc Law s/b modified: customer accts s/b top priority in broker BK Jan 26, 2012
• Solar Cheaper Than Diesel Making India?s Mittal Believer http://t.co/ZW2ta2aB This is the right way 2 employ solar; with no subsidies $$ Jan 26, 2012
• Obama Pushes Salad in Schools at $3B Cost to States http://t.co/M9nWkW4T Healthier food is no good if the kids don’t eat it, ask L.A. $$ Jan 26, 2012
• Con Artist Starred in Sting That Cost $GOOG Millions http://t.co/ErAgeziD New motto: Don’t be evil, but if you are evil, make $$ by it Jan 26, 2012
• This is y well-capitalized P&C insurers r hard 2 kill, & usually make $$ over the int-term: past losses r more than paid 4 by higher prems Jan 26, 2012
• US Commercial P&C Rates to Climb, Marsh Says http://t.co/OxCUuSsU The insurance brokers know; after a year of losses comes a hard market Jan 26, 2012
• @researchpuzzler @The_Analyst “There’s an institutional hedge fund analyst born every minute.” Alleged 2 PT Barnum but, http://t.co/ku1NlqZG Jan 26, 2012
• @BarbarianCap What I am saying is that structural legal protections around economically necessary authorities & municipalities r significant Jan 26, 2012
• @BarbarianCap PV of losses are typically small, except on odd munis that don’t have any necessary economic value 2 a municipality + Jan 26, 2012
• @BarbarianCap Part of the difficulty is that states can’t default, and Ch 9 4 what municipalities can use it, merely gives breathing room + Jan 26, 2012
• @BarbarianCap There will be significant issues, but even during the Depression, losses were remarkably small on munis. Taxes will rise. $$ Jan 26, 2012
• @The_Analyst Then again, it’s probably more “a fool and his money are soon parted.” Due diligence ain’t always that great 4 institutions $$ Jan 26, 2012
• @The_Analyst Typically they were pretty good salesmen to get fund #1 off the ground, even better 4 #2. W/fund #3 they sell “It’s fixed.” $$ Jan 26, 2012
• Iran’s Ahmadinejad ups rates to stem money crisis http://t.co/6IhpevuO Sanctions r having an internal effect on the Iranian economy. $$ Jan 26, 2012
• Niederhoffer Discusses Being Wrong http://t.co/mWrnI7mg Frank talk from one who blew up twice. Perhaps he has a risk control discipline now. Jan 26, 2012
• What’s In Your 401(k) Fund Line-Up? http://t.co/1ufb7xk2 Plan sponsors have an obligation 2 remove poorly performing funds but many don’t Jan 26, 2012
• Wither the Wirehouse RT @ReformedBroker: Whither the Wirehouse? http://t.co/E4Xtz5Ul Jan 25, 2012
• Wither the wirehouse 😉 http://t.co/TnuMFvDE Jan 25, 2012
• RE: @wallstCS None of the competitor companies you list compete w/ $RGA. $PRE does a little bit of life reinsurance &? http://t.co/v9r3kg5z Jan 25, 2012
• @TimABRussell Yes, I think Bernanke is sincere in what he is doing. That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t confuse, or get the right result. $$ Jan 25, 2012
• @TimABRussell That was the Greenspan strategy. Talk about the six sides of the square & confuse: Top, bottom, right, left, inside, outside Jan 25, 2012
• Fed learns that it is easier to hide a needle if they put it in a larger haystack. $$ All for now on the Fed. Back to normal activity. Jan 25, 2012
• Final Q on fiscal policy asking what if deficits aren’t cut. B says that deficits need to be cut. IT’S OVER!! Jan 25, 2012
• Bernanke essentially says that everyone has a lot of slack assets, and can invest them after-tax at 2% in the long run. Jan 25, 2012
• Q on CPI vs PCE, critics saying Fed planning to destroy 2% of currency value per year. B: CPI has made up numbers, healthcare differences $$ Jan 25, 2012
• French reporter asks whether Fed would extend a loan to the IMF. “Raison detre” cute response, punts to Tsy and Congress $$ Jan 25, 2012
• Mkt news intl reporter: why have forward guidance when you give out forecasts? Bernanke: guidance describes Fed’s decision, vs expectations Jan 25, 2012
• Bernanke gets symmetric questions asking whether policy is doing too much or too little, on inflation and unemployment. 😉 $$ Jan 25, 2012
• WP reporter: could the Fed bring unemployment down faster if it were more aggressive? Bernanke really doesn’t answer. Jan 25, 2012
• In general, people analyze better with limited amounts of data — zero data (w/Kremlinology) and lots of data make analysis harder $$ Jan 25, 2012
• I think the more data the Fed hands out, the more lost the press and average people get confused. Jan 25, 2012
• Q: Why isn’t Fed doing more now if you think things will be bad for so long? Internally Bernanke reconsiders the value of press conferences. Jan 25, 2012
• Bernanke says that low rates conquer all and so providing more data won’t hurt things — expectations are a lesser thing $$ Jan 25, 2012
• Peter Barnes, Fox Business: possibility of negative expectations because the economy is viewed as much worse than previously thought $$ Jan 25, 2012
• AP reporter asks about principal reductions for the housing crisis. Bernanke says that the FOMC is concerned, but doesn’t say much really $$ Jan 25, 2012
• Median b/c FOMC is a “democracy.” In practice, though, the Fed chair has 12 votes Jan 25, 2012
• Robin Harding of FT asks about forecast, and what it implies for FOMC policy: Bernanke says there’s no mechanism, look at the median Jan 25, 2012
• to be able to be released — mentions that June 2011 principles are still in force for shrinking the balance sheet (in 2015?!) Jan 25, 2012
• Reuters reporter asks for more data on balance sheet data, versus data on Fed funds — Bernanke says there is only so much data at a time + Jan 25, 2012
• RT @joshuademasi: @AlephBlog All fed needs to do is create esoteric invesment vehicle cross hedging USHY in Rand and Real. What could g … Jan 25, 2012
• Donna Moran (?) of Amer Banker — Basel 3, capital requirements, etc. Me: Fed supervision of biggest institutions not done well in past $$ Jan 25, 2012
• Bernanke waffles on the question of what happens to savers, confusing saving and investing. Needs to consider what finl intermediation does Jan 25, 2012
• Greg Robb(?) Marketwatch asks about Republicans, and how older people on fixed incomes survive, and whether he might resign if Reps win Jan 25, 2012
• Greg Ip questions the asymmetry comments — I think Bernanke would be better off saying “asymmetric in the long run.” Jan 25, 2012
• @joshuademasi The hate for the Fed exists because they were overly loose 1984-2006, regulated banks poorly & created much of this crisis $$ Jan 25, 2012
• Hilsenrath asks about confidence in the FOMC’s forecasting abilities. Wonders which dot is Bernanke’s… Bernanke affirms limitations Jan 25, 2012
• Torres of Bloomberg asks about near-term inflation — The Bernank points to falling commodity prices, slower global growth Jan 25, 2012
• Decent question on the symmetric nature of monetary policy Jan 25, 2012
• Toady comments on what he views as strength RT @agwarner: Liesman Alert! $FED Jan 25, 2012
• Full set of projections from the FOMC: http://t.co/VqWfrYgL Worthy of note that their forecasting ability is subpar. Jan 25, 2012
• Fed Funds Projections: http://t.co/Wd9lmEeO Jan 25, 2012