Is The Fed Engineering A Market Crash?
Can the Fed cause a market crash?
In 2017 Fed Chair Janet Yellen reassured us:
“Would I say there will never, ever be another financial crisis? …. That would be going too far but I do think we’re much safer and I hope that it will not be in our lifetimes and I don’t believe it will be.
…. The capital positions of the major banks are very much stronger….”
Current Fed Chair, Jerome Powell continues to reassure us. Judy Woodruff asked whether the rosy current moment can last indefinitely.
“Indefinitely is a long time. Not every business cycle is going to last forever, but no reason to believe this cycle can’t go on for quite some time, effectively indefinitely.
We don’t see the kind of buildup in risks in the financial markets, let alone the banking system.”
“The Federal Reserve Bank Of San Francisco says:
“…. A “neutral” monetary policy…is the…rate that neither stimulates (speeds up, like pushing down the gas pedal on a car) nor restrains (slows down, like hitting the brakes) economic growth.” |
CNBC reports, “Powell says we’re ‘a long way’ from neutral on interest rates, indicating more hikes are coming“:
“Interest rates are still accommodative, but we’re gradually moving to a place where they will be neutral,” he added. “We may go past neutral, but we’re a long way from neutral at this point, probably.” (All emphasis mine)
The Fed bailed out the banks and saved them trillions in interest. Rates were held down for over a decade.
If rates stay low for too long, stimulating the economy, they run the risk of high inflation and financial instability.
Advertisement Our friend Tim Plaehn at The Dividend Hunter has set up a unique Monthly Dividend Paycheck Calendar system that can provide you with an average of $4,000 a month in extra income based on a model portfolio of $500,000. For a limited time, he’s offering readers a 50% discount on the first year of a subscription: just $49. CLICK HERE for more information. |
What, me worry?
“Central Bank arrogance is one of the main reasons why we should still be scared. As a former official at the NY Fed, Peter Fisher, recently noted, the Fed has acknowledged no failures.
All the experiments have been successful, every one: no failures, no negative side-effects, no perverse consequences, only diminishing returns.” – Albert Edwards |
When Janet Yellen says we are not likely to experience another financial crisis in our lifetime or Powell says, “…no reason to believe this cycle can’t go on for quite some time, effectively indefinitely” – should we worry? Doggone right we should!
Friend Chuck Butler recently offered a dose of reality:
“So, let’s look at the Fed’s track record, shall we? Did you know that in 105 years, the Fed has never accurately forecast a recession?
…. Or that the current running total is nine straight annual economic forecasts that they’ve had monumentally incorrect?”
A different perspective
Fed heads tout a strong banking system and no risks in the market.
The Credit Bubble Bulletin cites Financial Times author Gillian Tett:
“Ten years ago, investors and financial institutions re-learnt…that excess leverage can be dangerous. So, it seemed natural to think that debt would decline…. Not so. …. Overall global debt has surged: last year it was 217% of gross domestic product, nearly 40 percentage points higher – not lower – than 2007.”
What about the “too big to fail” banks?
“The…Lehman bankruptcy made clear the dangers posed by ‘too big to fail’ financial institutions…. Unsurprisingly, there were calls to break them up. The big beasts are even bigger,…. America’s top five banks controlled 47% of banking assets, compared with 44% in 2007, and the top 1% of mutual funds have 45% of assets.”
The Economist offers, “A decade after the crisis, how are the world’s banks doing?”:
“At the time of the election just two of the six biggest banks,…could boast market capitalizations that exceeded the net book value of their assets. Now all but Bank of America and Citigroup are in that happy position.
“The Great QE Experiment went badly for most of society, but its inventors not only did not get hurt but became enriched, so twisted is our system of rewards for public service in central banking.”
– Harald Malmgren |
…. And the biggest question of all has not gone away: are banks – and taxpayers – now safe enough? (Emphasis mine)
Plenty of Americans…are still suspicious of big banks. The crisis left a good number of them (though few bankers) conspicuously poorer….”
Who cares if their market cap exceeds their assets? How does that equate to bank safety? When the credit bubble bursts they will write off billions in bad loans and/or get bailed out once again.
Are you comfortable a major crash won’t trigger another bank bailout at our expense? Count me as a skeptic!
For readers seeking higher dividend yields, I recommend Nathan Slaughter’s newsletter, High-Yield Investing. I’m impressed with the quality and in-depth research.
Nathan kindly offered Miller On The Money readers a significant discount off their $99 annual rate. Our readers can subscribe for $39.50. Included with a one-year $39.50 subscription is a number of free reports. ● Cash Cows: Three Great Companies Yielding up to 11.2% ● Hidden Dividends: 12 Companies With Much Higher Payout than People Think Click HERE to take advantage of this offer. Nathan also extended the offer for two years and included some additional free reports: ● 2 ‘Private Banks’ Averaging 10.4% Yields ● 3 High-Yielding REITs with Recession-Proof Dividends ● Pipelines of Profits: How We’re Crushing Stocks with the Most Investor-Friendly Securities on the Planet Click HERE to take advantage of this offer. They offer a 30-day 100% refund guarantee. If you are not satisfied, for any reason, you can cancel your subscription, no questions asked. |
Is the Fed going too fast?
I’m uncomfortable with Chairman Powell’s comment, “We may go past neutral, but we’re a long way from neutral at this point, probably.” (Probably???)
CNBC reports, “Analyst who called February correction says the Fed will trigger a bear market with two more hikes”:
“Stock investors could be in trouble heading into next year as the Federal Reserve continues to tighten monetary policy more than what is called for given the low level of inflation, Stifel’s Barry Bannister writes.
Bannister…said…that two more rate hikes would put the central bank above the so-called neutral rate, which accounts for inflation.
Historically when this has happened, it has triggered a bear market.”
“Timing the next 20 percent bear market is difficult…but ‘within 6-12 months’ seems assured,” (Emphasis mine) wrote Bannister. “History indicates that the next bear market may be quite rapid, probably exceeding the reaction time of the Fed.”
Who do you believe?
If Mr. Bannister is right, a big market correction is coming soon. Mr. Powell and Ms. Yellen tell us happy days can go on indefinitely. Who are you betting on?
Are you confident the market will only drop 20%? The S&P 500 dropped 56.4% last time. Not all market corrections turn into a financial crisis, but the warnings are clear.
Nasdaq reports, “Fed Chair Speech Cost Investors $1.5 Trillion”:
“…. On average, JPMorgan analysts say, the three news conferences hosted by Powell to clarify Fed rate-setting meetings have heralded an average 0.44 percentage point drop in the S&P 500…and those losses have totaled some $1.5 trillion so far….”
The losses were temporary as the market rebounded – so far!
If a .44% drop equals $1.5 trillion, would investors lose over $67 trillion in a 20% decline? How much do we have to lose before Yellen calls it a “financial crisis?”
Nomi Prins reports:
“…. A recent JPM report suggests, that the next financial crash may be so cataclysmic that the Federal Reserve may have to enter the market to buy up stocks….”
In my article, The Fed is Playing, “Pin The Tale On The Elephant”, I raise the question about the Fed (despite many denials) playing politics:
“Jeffrey Gundlach, chief executive officer at DoubleLine Capital, said…he expects the Federal Reserve to begin a campaign…of ‘old school’ sequential interest rate hikes until ‘something breaks,’ such as a U.S. recession.” (Emphasis mine)
Econoday also reports on the Jerome Powell interview:
“Yesterday’s BIG EVENT under the circus tent was the release of the Fed’s Minutes from their last meeting in Sept … The minutes were…what I expected…a rate hike jamboree among the Fed Heads, with most of them being hawkish.” |
“He described rates as still ‘accommodative’,…and said the Fed needs ‘to gradually, very gradually’ (Emphasis mine) move rates back to neutral.”
The Fed is aggressively hiking rates, while unloading trillions in treasuries, driving rates even higher. Does that look like “very gradually” or are they slamming on the breaks while putting the car in reverse?
Radio host, Dr. Dave Janda tells us, “Everybody in Washington knows the next big crash is right around the corner. …. The Federal Reserve is one of the entities that is directly responsible for this financial mess our country is currently in.”
Is the Fed trying to engineer a crash before the next election? I hope it is not true. If the deep state is willing to do that to maintain their power, God help us all. |
Control what we can – where we invest
Review your holdings and keep your stop losses current and tight.
Is your financial manager telling you to “buy and hold” or reduce your market risk?
Some readers reported tough discussions with their financial managers advising them to stay fully invested. Remember, it’s your money! If your manager is wrong, they lose a client – you lose your money. Do what YOU feel is right.
Help keep us on the air! We’re committed to keeping our weekly letters FREE. It’s humbling when readers suggested we add a donations button to help us offset the costs. It’s strictly voluntary – no pressure – no hassle! Click the DONATE button below for more information. And thank you all! PS: You do not have to sign up for PayPal to use your credit card. |
There is some good news.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, “…. The all items index rose 2.3 percent….”
For the first time in years, some CD’s are paying more than reported inflation.
If you want to safely hold capital, CDs 6 months or longer yield more than current inflation. I’m not going out more than two years. The extra yield is not worth the loss of liquidity and future inflation risk.
While Mr. Bannister predicts a downturn in 6-12 months, no one knows for sure when the correction/crisis will occur. I’m not willing to bet it won’t happen in our lifetime. If/when it finally happens, let those who took reasonable precautions enjoy some real bargains in the market.
On The Lighter Side
One person in South Carolina won the $1.6 billion-dollar lottery. Not only are they lucky they won, they are also fortunate because South Carolina allows the winner to remain anonymous.
I did some research when they changed the Powerball rules. If every adult in the country bought one lottery ticket with a different number, 20% of the lottery numbers would remain unsold! I read that it could easily have rolled over to $2 billion as 25% of the available numbers were not sold.
I can’t imagine what would have happened if it rolled over. What a windfall for the government.
It’s a fantasy dream for participants – for entertainment purposes only.
And finally…
Friend Bob O. offers us some cool definitions:
- All the villagers decided to pray for rain. On the day of prayer only one boy came with an umbrella. That’s FAITH.
- When you throw babies in the air, they laugh because they know you will catch them. That’s TRUST.
- Every night we go to bed without any assurance of being alive the next morning, but still we set the alarm. That’s HOPE.
- We see the world suffering, but still we get married and have children. That’s LOVE.
And my favorite…
- An old man’s shirt read, “I’m not 80 years old; I’m sweet 16 with 64 years of experience.” That’s ATTITUDE.
Until next time…
I do business with Alexa & Amazon but I do not know how to give you credit thus $s when ordering from them. IT MAY BE MY 88 YEAR OLD COMPUTER SKILLS, AND NOW i decided to change from windows 10 to apple in a few weeks
don busch don busch
Dear Don,
You have to go to my website, https://www.milleronthemoney.com
Scroll down the right side and you will see “Shop Amazon” There is a link and also a photo “Shop, connect enjoy. Click on them and order like you normally do.
Thanks for your help and support.
Best regards,
Dennis
You talk about stocks but how would a recession affect holding in corporate bonds (the good stuff, not junk) much of which is top tier financial institutions? Thanks for taking the time to answer.
Dear Carl,
You ask a good question. While I’m not an economist, I can give you an educated guess. Assuming the bonds are issued by entities that will still be able to repay their debts, I’d think your interest payments would continue. I frequently advise our readers to buy bonds they plan to hold until maturity, not speculate on changes in interest rates, hoping to make a profit.
In 2008 we had the major portion of our nest egg in CD’s. When the market crashed we did not get nailed. However, when the Fed bailed out the banks all our CD’s were called in and we lost our nice 6% yield. Friends sadly joked their 401k turned into a 201k, with 40%+ declines. We did not lose money, but rather lost our guaranteed income source.
Check our our 9/27 article. https://milleronthemoney.com/failing-to-check-a-simple-box-can-destroy-your-retirement-dreams/ I’d recommend the bonds are owned individually and are non-callable. You want to control if/when you sell your safe bonds, not the borrower.
Hope this helps,
Dennis Miller
Judy Woodruff and Jerome Powell are members of the Rockefeller CFR. How many people who saw that “interview” knew they were watching two CFR members reading a script?
Most of the Fed chairmen have been CFR members, including: Powell, Yellen, Greenspan, Volcker, Miller, Burns, Martin, McCabe, Black and Meyer. CFR corporate sponsors include Citigroup, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, and BlackRock. Several of their execs are also CFR members. See lists in the CFR annual report.
David Bradley, owner of Atlantic Media, is another CFR member. From the Atlantic article linked above: “My focus is on controlling the controllable,” Powell said Wednesday at The Atlantic Festival in Washington, drawing knowing laughter from the crowd. “We control what we do at the Fed…”
The Atlantic Festival where Powell was speaking is a joint production between Atlantic Media and the Aspen Institute, a CFR affiliate. Most of the Aspen trustees, including Madeline Albright and Condoleeza Rice, are CFR members.
theatlanticfestival.com
aspeninstitute.org/team/board-of-trustees/
cfr.org/annual-report-archive
I’ve known for a long time about CFR and their agenda, but I didn’t know that Judy Woodruff is a member. Thank you for this enlightening [to me] comment, John!