Obama forecasts bleak future without stimulus. Obama painted a grim picture of the country's economic future sans immediate stimulus action, saying he doesn't "believe it's too late to change course but it will be if we don't take dramatic action as soon as possible." Without a rapid fiscal stimulus package, he warned, the economy will become 'dramatically worse,' unemployment could reach double-digits and the recession 'could linger for years.' The speech marked the launch of what is expected to be an aggressive campaign to raise public support for the stimulus plan.
How much will Madoff investors see? Based on the value of Madoff's brokerage, and assets including real estate, boats and jewelry, scammed investors may have access to as little as $1B of Madoff's money to satisfy as much as $50B in claims. The bulk of any refunds would likely come from other clients who withdrew money from Madoff recently, and government payouts (SIPC, tax refunds). According to one calculation, average Madoff victims might eventually get back $0.20 on the dollar. Small, direct Madoff clients could get back much more thanks to SIPC payouts of up to $500,000 per account. Large, indirect Madoff clients might not get much of anything at all. Meanwhile, insurers who cover financial institutions may be on the hook for over $1B to cover the legal costs for investment managers who gave client money to Madoff.
Swiss secrets revealed. UBS (UBS) will close 19,000 secret offshore accounts of wealthy U.S. clients under pressure from federal authorities who suspect the IRS is getting ripped off (no!). Balances will be transferred to other banks or UBS divisions, or else checks will be sent directly to clients - creating a damning paper trail. Here's how one UBS client puts it: "You can either take that check and throw it in the woods, or deposit it somewhere and get busted." Prosecutors suspect U.S. citizens have about $18B buried in UBS accounts (that's all?).
Unemployment came in down 524,000, better than the consensus of 525,000 and much better than the whisper of 600+. The unemployment rate reached 7.2%. Including "underemployment" the rate is around 13+%. Biggest concern with the date was the average work week of 33+hours. This points to an accelerating downturn in hours worked/week and potential for an increase in additional accelerating layoffs.
Crew Capital Management Thoughts on Investment
Welcome to the Crew Capital Management Thoughts on Investment blog. At Crew Capital, investment education is key to how we work with our clients. We hope our conversation and analysis entice you to think further on your investment strategies and planning. For further discussion, please contact us at rjung@crewcapital.com
Thank you!
Robert F. Jung, CFA CPA*
*CPA inactve
Thank you!
Robert F. Jung, CFA CPA*
*CPA inactve
Friday, January 9, 2009
Regulatory Disclosure
Crew Capital Management, LLC (Crew Capital) is registered with the State of Ohio as a "Registered Investment Advisor" as defined in Ohio Revised Code 1707.01(X) and its agent is an "Investment Advisor Representative" as defined in Ohio Revised Code 1707.0(CC). The information provided on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to solicit clients or provide any investment advice or service. Crew Capital does not make any representations or warranties as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of any information whether linked to Crew Capital’s web site or incorporated herein, and takes no responsibility therefore. The web site content offers general information only about Crew Capital and is provided solely for convenience purposes only and all users thereof should be guided accordingly.
Crew Capital enters into a new client relationship only after it provides and obtains certain information. In addition, Crew Capital may only transact business in those states in which it is registered, or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from registration requirements. Every prospective Crew Capital client is provided with a copy of Crew Capital ’s Privacy Policy, Form ADV Part II and Form ADV Part II Schedule F. Also, the USA Patriot Act, passed in response to the events of September 11, 2001, requires certain financial service providers to request specific information from clients. Accordingly, Crew Capital acts to verify a potential client's identity and makes a risk assessment of their financial and business activities. Lastly, Crew Capital will not provide any investment advice or supervision without a fully executed Investment Advisory Agreement.
As a registered investment adviser, Crew Capital is required by rule to adopt and enforce a code of ethics that establishes the standards of conduct expected of all employees and reflects our fiduciary duties. A copy of Crew Capital’s Ethics Policy will be provided to any client or prospective client upon request.
Nothing on this web site shall be construed as advice to any particular investment need or investor. All references regarding investment or portfolio returns are based on historical data. One should not assume that this performance will continue in the future as past performance or results are not an indication of future performance or results.
Certain portions of Crew Capital’s web site (i.e. books, newsletters, articles, commentaries, etc.) may contain a discussion of, and/or provide access to, Crew Capital’s (and those of other investment and non-investment professionals) positions and/or recommendations as of a specific prior date. Due to various factors, including changing market conditions, such discussion may no longer be reflective of current position(s) and/or recommendation(s). Moreover, no client or prospective client should assume that any such discussion serves as the receipt of, or substitute for, personalized advice from Crew Capital or from any other investment professional. Crew Capital is neither an attorney nor accountant, and no portion of the web site content should be interpreted as legal, accounting or tax advice.
At certain places on this site, live "links" to other Internet addresses may be accessed. Such external Internet addresses contain information created, published, maintained, and otherwise posted by institutions or organizations independent of Crew Capital. Crew Capital does not endorse, approve, certify, or control these external Internet addresses and does not guarantee or assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, efficacy, timeliness, or correct sequencing of information located at such addresses. Use of any information obtained from such addresses is voluntary, and reliance on it should only be undertaken after an independent review of its accuracy, completeness, efficacy, and timeliness. Reference therein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, service mark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by Crew Capital.
Crew Capital enters into a new client relationship only after it provides and obtains certain information. In addition, Crew Capital may only transact business in those states in which it is registered, or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from registration requirements. Every prospective Crew Capital client is provided with a copy of Crew Capital ’s Privacy Policy, Form ADV Part II and Form ADV Part II Schedule F. Also, the USA Patriot Act, passed in response to the events of September 11, 2001, requires certain financial service providers to request specific information from clients. Accordingly, Crew Capital acts to verify a potential client's identity and makes a risk assessment of their financial and business activities. Lastly, Crew Capital will not provide any investment advice or supervision without a fully executed Investment Advisory Agreement.
As a registered investment adviser, Crew Capital is required by rule to adopt and enforce a code of ethics that establishes the standards of conduct expected of all employees and reflects our fiduciary duties. A copy of Crew Capital’s Ethics Policy will be provided to any client or prospective client upon request.
Nothing on this web site shall be construed as advice to any particular investment need or investor. All references regarding investment or portfolio returns are based on historical data. One should not assume that this performance will continue in the future as past performance or results are not an indication of future performance or results.
Certain portions of Crew Capital’s web site (i.e. books, newsletters, articles, commentaries, etc.) may contain a discussion of, and/or provide access to, Crew Capital’s (and those of other investment and non-investment professionals) positions and/or recommendations as of a specific prior date. Due to various factors, including changing market conditions, such discussion may no longer be reflective of current position(s) and/or recommendation(s). Moreover, no client or prospective client should assume that any such discussion serves as the receipt of, or substitute for, personalized advice from Crew Capital or from any other investment professional. Crew Capital is neither an attorney nor accountant, and no portion of the web site content should be interpreted as legal, accounting or tax advice.
At certain places on this site, live "links" to other Internet addresses may be accessed. Such external Internet addresses contain information created, published, maintained, and otherwise posted by institutions or organizations independent of Crew Capital. Crew Capital does not endorse, approve, certify, or control these external Internet addresses and does not guarantee or assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, efficacy, timeliness, or correct sequencing of information located at such addresses. Use of any information obtained from such addresses is voluntary, and reliance on it should only be undertaken after an independent review of its accuracy, completeness, efficacy, and timeliness. Reference therein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, service mark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by Crew Capital.
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