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The Larry Lasser era has officially ended at Putnam Investments.

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This video is fascinating for two reasons:
1. Watch as Peter Schiff of Euro Pacific Capital -- in 2006 and 2007 -- describes with amazing precision the very crisis that unfolded in the past two months.
2. Watch the reaction of reporters and especially other market pundits. It's not just that they disagreed, it's that they obviously......

If you're an investor in Crocs (CROX), the faddish shoemaker, you're used to disappointment. But even by Crocs' low standards, today was a doozy. Crocs shares fell almost 45% to 1.05.

A brief history of Crocs: The firm's shoes may be ugly ......

It seems more than a little quaint given the current state of the stock market that analyst "sell" ratings were once the center of so much controversy. Wall Street firms were loath to tag companies with a "sell" and often used a downgrade to the "hold" rating as a subtle, wink-wink warning that a stock might tumble. But these days, stocks are tu......

A lobbying group has sent the U.S. Congress a letter (signed by 300 companies: public, private, business groups) asking that the funding requirements for Defined Pensions under the Pension Protection Act of 2006 be suspend for one year. The letter states that current market conditions have deteriorated their assets and that if plan sponsors div......

Putnam Investments held its quarterly fixed income conference call today. With credit markets still under pressure, it should be of little surprise that the subtitle of the event was "Crisis, Credit and Confidence."

Much of the discussion related to the historical cheapness of bonds relative to Treasuries. All non-US government bond......

Phew. Just when I was starting to get worried, new data suggests that the total value of credit default swaps outstanding is smaller -- much smaller -- than we've been told. It's only $33.6 trillion, according to new information released by the the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation on Nov. 4, in the first the first of what promises to be a......

The market has rallied 18.3% since the October 27th close, including the 10.8% October 28 gain. The fact that we have been able to hold on to it is impressive. The political environment has added hope of quick positive action to the current economic problems, but whoever wins, and regardless of Senate makeup, it will be a tough journey. Sinc......

On Sunday, the Anchorage Daily News reported that the Alaska Permanent Fund, formerly home to $40.4 billion in investments, fell to $33 billion in the 3rd quarter, before losing another $3 billion last month. Here's a breakdown of the Alaska Permanent Fund's losses:

Here's one rare investment that, at least so far, has paid off handsomely in 2008: Barack Obama.

Various election futures markets allow traders to make bets on politics. On Nov. 1, 2007, on the Iowa Electronic Markets, the Illinois senator was given about a 14% chance to merely win the Democr......

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are putting a temporary halt to foreclosure sales and evictions of occupied single-family homes during the holiday season.

It’s not just that the government-controlled mortgage finance companies have gotten into the holiday spirit. The idea of the suspension, which will last from Nov. 26 to Jan. 9, is to hel......

The builders are about as pessimistic as they've ever been. Yesterday, we learned that the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, which tracks builder sentiment, fell to a record low of 9 in November (sinking from an already low 14 in October).

Today we found out that housing starts fell 4.5% in Octob......

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Many weird stories have popped up at a result of the real estate bust, but none stranger than this recent item from California's Riverside Press-Enterprise.

A character named King Solomon II is filing deeds of sale on foreclose......

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The $189 billion California Public Employees’ Retirement System, the largest and most closely watched pension fund in the country, has revealed a huge hit to its real estate portfolio. Its housing related assets are down 35% to $6.1 billion as of June 30. Until recently, the big fund was still reporting double-digit increases in its real estate ......

You might be surprised to learn that the California foreclosure rate actually decreased by 18% in October compared to September, according to RealtyTrac’s new report. But the news isn’t necessarily good.

The state’s filings have dropped for two straight months because of a new law that requires lenders to make a number of attempts to ......

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Apply yourself to taking judicious action instead of trying to get a million things done at once on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday -- otherwise you'll end up feeling frenzies and getting very little accomplished. By Thursday and Friday, you'll discover a groove that feels comfortable, productive and energizing to you. The more you listen to your ......

It's important to say thank you (not just to others out of courtesy, although that's always nice), but to yourself and the universe at large for all the loveliness, large and small, that you encounter every day. Use the first part of the week to be consciously grateful for things like a particularly speedy commute, the joke your grandmother tell......

Make an effort to see the issue from the other person's point of view on Monday. Sure, you may not understand the emotions he or she is having, but it's important that you acknowledge the validity of them. Tuesday and Wednesday are all about finding creative solutions, hopefully before a situation becomes a problem. Be kind and do a few good dee......

A tactic that will make your life easier is to take nothing personally, especially during the first half of this week. One day everyone may be singing your praises, while another the world at large is indifferent, but none of that has any real bearing on who you are as a person. The second half of the week is about looking at the details in your......

What's more frightening than a dream that doesn't come true? One that does. During the first half of the week, you start to see some very big payoffs from all your recent efforts, and that can feel overwhelming. Take a deep breath and slow down. If necessary, use Thursday and Friday to attend only to small, daily tasks and put the bigger issues ......

You're in a ruminative mood at week's start, thinking about the relationships you have in your life. On Wednesday, if you find yourself thinking about friendships, loves and family members who have come and gone, give them (and yourself) a break by reserving judgment and realizing that there are always multiple versions of the truth. Being so ad......

On Monday you realize that there's a big difference between taking action and reacting. The former is calm and cares about doing the right thing, no matter how it looks. The latter has qualities of over-compensation and worries about how other people will react. You have the courage of your convictions by midweek, thanks to this epiphany, and yo......

A great scientist once wrote, 'Nothing is too wonderful to be true.' Adopt that as your motto. If you can't see the truth of it on Monday, you will by Wednesday at the latest. True, that realization may be one you have to fight for, but once you commit yourself to it, you'll see that it's right on. Thursday and Friday are all about consolidating......

Be creative about what you consider to be positive events during the first half of the week. Sure, winning the lottery might be nice, but getting a seat on the bus, a great cup of tea and a long conversation with an old friend actually have a lot more impact on your day-to-day life. In other words, being grateful for items that might be consider......

One of the most common (and consistently false) assumptions people make is that everyone else has it together. The first half of the week, make a conscious effort to break out of that mindset. Seeing yourself and your fellow human beings with compassion helps with that task. Thursday and Friday are good times to make an art form out of commonly ......