I don't expect much from the FOMC and don't see that much to justify that many changes to your pretty diversified list of holdings. If anything I'd recommend people taper down on real estate investments rather than stocks right now. Housing prices are cyclical and are likely to fall before the market does.

They used to like scaring us that October was a terrible month and a month for crashes. Then it moved to September. Sometimes now you hear about summer doldrums as some speak of weak Augusts. It comes from the market rolling things forward to try to get ahead of the ball. You are ahead if you look at the facts. The author is right, there is little to imply a crash this year is coming and the numbers aren't spectacular but aren't anything bad either.

In my book it reads no need to sell this year unless you like enriching traders.

Go figure. Cause = Effect.

Good exhaustive article. Keep up the good work. I look forward to your further findings.

Yes dollar weakness is the main concern. However, it is good for the US stock market until it clearly isn't. I suppose that's the main reason the dollar is being pushed into the red.

Money is a product of human creation. In such systems, if widespread, people will end up paying from inflation. That is not the main issue though. Incentives to work would drop and pay would have to increase dramatically for low skilled unliked jobs like trash collection. I can see this happening later if robotics take over all menial jobs. Right now it has a lot of unintended consequences if done widespread. It may not actually benefit people as much as one would think. Of course the answer will be to raise it more, and more, and more. That is the big problem with social programs. Keeping them reasonable and cost efficient. Affordability has little meaning given governments don't care that much about debt until they do (at which point it is too late because that means they are having a hard time borrowing more money).

Trade wars are always bad for the global economy and the countries involved. China is already trading Won for oil. This is less a threat than made out to be. However, China is moving to diversify and develop trade directly with Europe and elsewhere. Trumps prating on everyone is hurting our International clout more than a direct war with North Korea would.

This is good. Financial engineering is weakening our companies and preventing money from going into working capital and infrastructure which is needed to keep up economically. That is why productivity gains has shrunk this cycle and employment has not kept up. Unintended consequences.

Sadly Russian's are use to tolerating most anything the government does. The issue is will the economy be able to handle added taxation. I would tend to believe that it will contract their economy even more than they are facing now, making them go into negative growth possibly requiring even more taxation to make up the difference.

China is the first to prevent bitcoin which evades monetary flow controls. It is not surprising, but shows the extent of governments to regulate even crypto currencies. The solution to free flow of money is not a new technology, but political motivation to allow the free flow of capital.