Vigilant Investor

• Former Federal Reserve chair faults US policy
• Bernanke: Fed Can’t Ignore Stock Movements
• Stagflation Lite, Central Banking Nightmare, May Await Bernanke
• Greenspan Expresses Concerns On Derivatives, Medicare Costs
• Emerging-Market Stocks Slump 10th Day, Longest Rout in 8 Years
• Hike in rates from early in year taking toll on home salesBacklog of unsold homes in U.S. reaches record high
• Oil could top $105 in major supply outage
• Personal Spending in U.S. Increases 0.6% in April
• Consumer prices mount, souring the moodUS economy in ‘rude good health’

Updated and modified from our commentary from few days ago, here is our list of economic issues that vigilant investors ought to hede.

1. Middle East remains a powder-keg, while the U.S. insists on maintaining and even expanding its sphere of influence further into the region re Syria and Iran.
2. Iranian Nuclear Issue
3. Costs of War on Terror (unprecedented war against a tactic vs. a nation)
4. Petro-Dollars vs. Petro-Euros:   Alternative to dollar denominated oil transactions, which is the current standard. Iran and other countries are considering transacting oil business in other currencies, which would hurt the dollar and / or raise political tensions further (ala further incentive for military intervention against Iran by the U.S.) Also a “dollar issue” (number 3 below)

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