The Rich Witch of Wall Street: Past and Present Penny Pinching
Public school students pay for decades of government's free-spending ways.

By Bob Stokes
6/18/2013 5:15:00 PM

Ultra-rich Hetty Green always wore the same black dress as she walked down early 20th century Wall Street. Thus, Green was nicknamed "The Witch of Wall Street." She was the ultimate penny-pincher. Few people would economize to her extreme, even in tough economic times. But many households have needed to cut back in recent years. So have state and local governments. In parts of big city school districts, the school bells no longer ring for class to start.

Filed Under: conquer the crash, deflation, economic depression, economic indicators, Elliott wave, history, Wall Street

Category: U.S. Economy

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What You Can Learn by Studying Financial Manias of the Past 400 Years
In the early 1980s Prechter forecast a big bull market, and also said the most severe bear market in US history would follow.

By Bob Stokes
6/5/2013 5:15:00 PM

In 1982 Robert Prechter called for a strong bull market. Most everyone else was mired in the memory of the 1970s, and expected little if anything from stocks. At the same time that Prechter called for a big bull market, he also said the most severe bear market in US history would follow. Has that epic trend change already occurred?

Filed Under: Bear market, bull market, conquer the crash, Elliott wave, history, Robert Prechter, U.S. STOCK MARKET

Category: Stocks

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Americans Recoup Only 45% of Lost Wealth: Brace for the Next Economic Leg
Join the few who will stay safe and prosper in the economic turmoil ahead.

By Bob Stokes
6/3/2013 4:45:00 PM

Five years after the worst of the 2007-2009 financial crisis, Americans have only recouped 45% of lost wealth. The next economic leg down will likely be more severe. Statistics show that the vast majority will be unprepared for a deflationary depression. You can join the fortunate minority.

Filed Under: conquer the crash, credit crisis, deflation, economic depression, economic indicators, Elliott wave, history

Category: U.S. Economy

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Lenders and Borrowers "Just Say No" to New Credit
Why low interest rates are not stimulating the economy

By Bob Stokes
5/16/2013 4:30:00 PM

The desire of lenders to lend and of borrowers to borrow has shriveled dramatically. Interest rates have been historically low for years now, yet the economy is barely treading water. History shows that low interest rates are rarely bullish for the economy. Learn why.

Filed Under: conquer the crash, deflation, economic indicators, home sales, Interest Rates

Category: Interest Rates

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America's Economic Engine Heads for an Overhaul
The economy continues to sputter.

By Bob Stokes
4/26/2013 4:45:00 PM

Nothing short of a complete overhaul will get the U.S. economic engine purring again. The financial mechanics have been trying to get that engine firing on all cylinders for five years now. They've used every tool at their disposal. Yet the engine continues to sputter. There appears to be only one fix.

Filed Under: bloomberg, conquer the crash, consumer confidence, consumer price index, consumer spending, debt, deflation, economic depression, economic indicators, Elliott wave, monetary policy, monetization, U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed)

Category: U.S. Economy

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An Epic Economic Trend Change is Underway
Persistent economic weakness sends a message.

By Bob Stokes
4/15/2013 6:15:00 PM

The earlier you spot a market trend, the more likely you can benefit from it. Is there an emerging economic trend in its early stages today? From the evidence, it appears so. Call it a seismic shift in the entire U.S. economy. Despite the evidence, most economic observers still do not expect what is about to swiftly unfold.

Filed Under: bloomberg, CNBC, conquer the crash, consumer confidence, consumer price index, consumer spending, deflation, economic depression, economic indicators, Elliott wave, gross domestic product (GDP), Interest Rates, recession, supply and demand, unemployment

Category: U.S. Economy

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How to Protect Your Physical Safety in a Bad Economy
What you don't know can hurt you.

By Bob Stokes
4/9/2013 4:45:00 PM

In a time of economic turmoil, what you know can be as important as what you have. Your possessions can decline in value or be lost altogether, but your knowledge cannot be taken away. You can use what you know to protect what you have. Evidence suggests that many Americans fail to grasp this basic truth. Staying ahead of the crowd begins by reading. As for what to read, few topics are as important as protecting your finances and your physical safety -- and that's what can matter most during a severe economic downturn.

Filed Under: conquer the crash, deflation, economic depression, Elliott wave, European debt crisis, safe haven, soverign debt crisis, stock indexes

Category: U.S. Economy

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Why Even Federally Insured Bank Deposits Are At Risk
See the newly updated list of the safest U.S. banks

By Bob Stokes
3/19/2013 4:45:00 PM

Cyprus lawmakers voted against the European Union's proposed levy on personal bank accounts in Cyprus. Even so, bank runs in Cyprus may be unavoidable. Depositors in the U.S. can't help but wonder whether bank runs could happen here. It's true that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation guarantees U.S. bank accounts up to $250,000. Yet, during a time of severe bank stress, the FDIC's guarantee could actually make a bank crisis even worse. Learn why. Plus, find out how you can access a list of America's safest banks.

Filed Under: banks, Club EWI, conquer the crash, debt crisis, deflation, economic indicators, European debt crisis, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), media, personal finance, risk management, Robert Prechter, safe banks, safe haven

Category: U.S. Economy

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The Biggest Part of the Economy Could Be Headed for a Cool Down
Consumer confidence drops to its lowest level since December 2011

By Bob Stokes
3/15/2013 4:15:00 PM

If you notice fewer shoppers at the mall, fewer buyers on the car lot, fewer patrons at restaurants and fewer movie goers in coming days and months, don't be surprised. Why? The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary sentiment index for March fell to its lowest level since December 2011. Learn what else the latest consumer sentiment data may suggest.

Filed Under: bloomberg, conquer the crash, consumer confidence, consumer spending, deflation, economic indicators, Elliott Wave Theorist, financial forecast, sentiment, social mood

Category: U.S. Economy

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Why Your Life Insurance Company May Need Health Insurance
Learn what you can do to prepare

By Bob Stokes
3/13/2013 5:00:00 PM

In the second edition of Conquer the Crash, Robert Prechter writes: "Even traditionally safe insurance companies are massively exposed to losses during a major deflation because they invest in standard vehicles such as stocks, bonds and real estate. ... When insurance companies implode, they file for bankruptcy, and you can be left out in the cold. I know, because my insurance broker placed our insurance with ..."

Filed Under: all the same market theory, conquer the crash, deflation, Elliott wave, insurance industry, junk bonds, liquidity, personal finance, Robert Prechter, stock indexes

Category: U.S. Economy

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Labor Force Participation Rate Falls to 32-Year Low
The 7.7% jobless number doesn't tell the whole story

By Bob Stokes
3/8/2013 6:30:00 PM

The Labor Department's just-released 7.7% February jobless number just tells one side of the U.S. unemployment story. Another side seems to be downplayed: the decline in the labor force participation rate. There's yet another way of viewing America's jobs picture. Learn what that is, plus find out how you can prosper during the likely economic contraction ahead.

Filed Under: CNBC, conquer the crash, deflation, economic indicators, Elliott Wave Theorist, unemployment

Category: U.S. Economy

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A Real-Time Montage of a Developing Global Deflation
Is the global economy headed for the German economic experience of 1928-1932?

By Bob Stokes
3/1/2013 5:45:00 PM

There's mounting evidence that deflationary forces are at work in the global economy. However, many financial observers remain focused on elevated equity prices and inflation. EWI's Global Market Perspective points to Germany's 1929-1932 economic experience as an example of what global economies could soon face. Get the full real-time economic story as it unfolds in the Asian-Pacific, Europe and the United States.

Filed Under: 1929 Stock Market Crash, Bank of Japan, CNBC, conquer the crash, deflation, economic indicators, eurozone, inflation, recession, Walmart

Category: Global Markets

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To Get a Job in This Economy, Go the Extra 10 Miles
How an 18-year-old got a job offer he didn't even apply for

By Bob Stokes
2/27/2013 4:00:00 PM

The U.S. jobless rate is 7.8%. And the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the January 2013 unemployment rate of 18- and 19-year-old men is a whopping 23.7%. The candidates with the best chances of landing jobs in a tough economy are those determined to go the extra mile – or more. Are you prepared to survive and prosper if the economy and jobs market get worse?

Filed Under: conquer the crash, deflation, economic indicators, great depression, history, unemployment

Category: U.S. Economy

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Retirement Shock: Corporate Pension Plans Fall Short
Why even insured pension plans could be in trouble

By Bob Stokes
2/26/2013 5:15:00 PM

Vast numbers of people may have to keep working past the age when they hoped to retire. That was the case even before the 2007-2009 financial crisis, and the economic environment since the crisis has produced even more delayed retirements. The evidence suggests that this trend will only grow worse. Perhaps you've read about the pension shortfalls that many municipal governments face. But that's only part of the story.

Filed Under: conquer the crash, debt crisis, economic indicators, financial forecast, Robert Prechter

Category: U.S. Economy

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Cutbacks in Government Services Only to Get Worse
USPS cutbacks now, but what next? Be prepared for more government cutbacks in the event of an economic crash.

By Bob Stokes
2/12/2013 6:00:00 PM

Huge financial losses have prompted the US Postal Service to end of a 150-year-old postal tradition: Saturday service. However, the proposed USPS cutbacks are only the start of a major trend toward government belt-tightening. Learn what steps you can take now to prepare.

Filed Under: conquer the crash, debt, economic depression, economic indicators, Elliott wave, history, Robert Prechter

Category: U.S. Economy

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A Study of Financial Bubbles Reveals a Remarkable Pattern
Financial manias end below where they started

By Bob Stokes
2/11/2013 4:15:00 PM

The tricky thing about financial bubbles is, even the smartest investors don't know they're in one until it bursts. Isaac Newton was a rare genius as a scientist, yet he decided to invest in the South Sea Bubble (1719-1722) just before it burst. Bob Prechter studied major financial bubbles going back to the year 1600 and made a remarkable observation which may be relevant today.

Filed Under: 1929 Stock Market Crash, Bob Prechter, conquer the crash, Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), Elliott Wave Theorist, herding, history, market crash, sentiment, South Sea Bubble

Category: Stocks

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Little to Show for the $3 Trillion Federal Reserve Balance Sheet
The U.S. central bank's bond-buying spree has merely kept the economy running in place

By Bob Stokes
2/5/2013 5:30:00 PM

The Federal Reserve's aggressive bond buying has caused the central bank's balance sheet to balloon to $3 trillion for the first time. But for all of its quantitative easing initiatives, the economy remains fragile. Three economic professionals share a sobering outlook for the economy that's similar to the warnings in the second edition of Conquer the Crash.

Filed Under: Bob Prechter, central banks, CNBC, conquer the crash, deflation, economic indicators, Elliott wave, Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed)

Category: U.S. Economy

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"Control of Interest Rates" is the Biggest Myth About the Federal Reserve
Bond investors need to prepare for a major change of trend

By Bob Stokes
1/31/2013 4:45:00 PM

Many observers of financial markets hang on the Federal Reserve's every word, and believe the central bank determines interest rates. However, the evidence shows that interest rates are not controlled by the Fed. Bond investors need to prepare for a major change in trend.

Filed Under: all the same market theory, central banks, conquer the crash, Elliott wave, herding, Interest Rates, market myths, Short Term Update, Treasury bonds, U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed)

Category: Interest Rates

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Chaos and the Stock Market May Be Set to Collide
Contemplate what's ahead for the markets BEFORE it happens

By Bob Stokes
1/10/2013 12:45:00 PM

To err is human. This truism is conspicuously true of financial markets -- especially when human error meets the limits of modern technology. Bob Prechter elaborates:

"Trading stocks, options and futures could be extremely problematic during ..."

Filed Under: Bob Prechter, CNBC, conquer the crash, Elliott wave, history, liquidity, market crash, market forecasts, risk management, Traders, trading lessons, U.S. STOCK MARKET, VIX, volatility, volume

Category: Stocks

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The Tortoise is About to Cross the Financial Finish Line
Slow and safe wins the race

By Bob Stokes
1/4/2013 5:00:00 PM

It's true that a Treasury-bill account yields next to nothing. But at this financial juncture, the well-known saying of humorist Will Rogers has never been more relevant: "I am more concerned with the return of my money than the return on my money." Learn why Bob Prechter says that embracing financial risk because interest rates are low can be a trap.

Filed Under: all the same market theory, Bear market, conquer the crash, derivatives, Elliott wave, history, Interest Rates, investment strategy, long-term trend, market forecasts, mutual funds, personal finance, risk management, Robert Prechter, safe haven, social mood, stock indexes, Treasury bills (T-bills), treasury yields

Category: Classic Prechter

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