Yardeni: "The Bond Vigilantes Finally Woke Up"

Video - Economist Ed Yardeni - Runs 5 minutes

• "QE2 is like throwing gasoline on a fire that's already burning."

The Treasury market's violent reaction to Bernanke's 60 Minutes appearance is the focus of the discussion.

• Bernanke On 60 Minutes: "We're NOT Printing Money"

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30-year mortgage jumps to 7-month high

Interest rates on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.83% for the week ending Dec. 16, up from 4.61% last week. The mortgage averaged 4.94% a year ago.

Fifteen-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 4.17%, up from 3.96% last week. The mortgage averaged 4.38% a year ago.

Adjustable-rate mortgages also rose, with the 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage averaging 3.77%, up from 3.6% last week. The ARM averaged 4.37% a year ago.

And 1-year Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 3.35%, up from 3.27% last week. The ARM averaged 4.34% a year ago.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/30-year-mortgage-jumps-to-7-month-high-2010-12-16

Comments

[DailyBail]

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/30-year-mortgage-jumps-to-7-month-high-2010-12-16

source...

[DailyBail]

YOUNG PEOPLE: GET READY TO GRAB YOUR ANKLES

http://www.sovereignman.com/expat/young-people-get-ready-to-grab-your-ankles/

[DailyBail]

Dude, Where's My Mortgage? How an Obscure Outfit Called MERS Is Subverting Our Entire System of Property Rights

http://www.alternet.org/economy/149189/dude,_where's_my_mortgage_how_an_obscure_outfit_called_mers_is_subverting_our_entire_system_of_property_rights/null

[DailyBail]

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The final cost of the much maligned $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program is expected to be no greater than the amount spent on the program’s housing initiatives, said Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Thursday.

“The remainder of the investment programs under TARP – in banks, AIG, credit markets, and the auto industry – will likely, in the aggregate, ultimately yield a positive return for taxpayers,” Geithner said, testifying before a Congressional Oversight Panel hearing on the bailout.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/geithner-only-tarp-costs-will-be-from-housing-2010-12-16

[DailyBail]

We Have a New College Debt Queen

After detailing college graduates with $97,000 and $120,000 in debt, I thought I had reached the peak of "bad ways to finance college." I was so, so wrong.

Here's the story of a young lady who has $200k in college debt (from an undergraduate degree alone.) Yikes! Her words:

The severity of my situation goes a bit deeper than "I owe this money, help me" - I am actually forced to live with my parents (forced = I am lucky! But...) as the monthly payments for just my private loans are currently $891 until Nov 2011 when they increase to $1600 per month for the following 20 years... attached is my payment plan. I also mentioned I have a job - which is great! And I probably have my college education to thank for that! Except there is still no way to make these monthly payments, and live on my own as a contributing member of society. Neither of my parents, nor I, really knew how this would pan out — unfortunately — and now that I'm here, I see no real light at the end of the tunnel.

http://www.freemoneyfinance.com/2010/12/we-have-a-new-college-debt-queen.html

[john]

Get out of muni bond funds now. Asia Times.

http://blog.atimes.net/?p=1635

[DailyBail]

nice link john...i've been telling people to get out of munis for precisely this reason for a while...