When it Comes to Bailouts --- Congress Be Nimble, Congress Be Quick

But if history is any example, Congress usually falls when jumping over the Candle Stick --- at least for the first few times. Take a look at what I wrote in 2009 and tell me if it sounds eerily similar to what is happening today. Does this mean that as humans we don't learn from our mistakes? I would hope not but wow the similarities cannot be overlooked. If you're lazy I'll paste a few excerpts here from the initial 2009 bailout response from Congress (https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2008/11/bailout-tarp-abandoned.html):

2009: "Here goes another I told you so. The bailout money allocated to buy distressed assets was abandoned by the Treasury Department. 

Fundamentally I agree with the fact that a bailout is needed but I have noted that the government needs to address both the supply and demand side of our economy. On the Supply side, I don't mind the Treasury department injecting cash into banks but I do think that one of the strange things is that but private investors like Warren Buffett are brokering better deals then the GOVERNMENT is. Part of the problem is no oversight or poor oversight because these banks are not lending to the public!"

2020 - Fast forward to March 23, 2020, the bailout provision did not pass the Senate last night. This will undoubtedly cause the stock market to fall swiftly even further, and oh boy is it ever. With a majority of my investments in cash, you have to take history into account. Everyone I talk to NEEDS the market to go up I assume due the sheer amount of leverage they have in the system. While I am hopeful as well, risk management IS NOT about hope. It's about threats and likelihood. I am certain no matter what the climate is, politicians cannot do the right thing the first time around. Similar to the courageous fighters "300", that they are NOT --- until the markets are truly crashing and panic is all around will something finally get done. Look at 2009, same circumstances in 2020. Compromise, take care of people first, protect your companies but make then remember the pillars so we learn from our past mistakes. 

2009: "Where do we go from here:

The markets will continue to trend lower or remain in a trading pattern. When I first spoke of actions to take to address the direction of the markets I recommended most folks get a majority of their money out of the market and into bonds. Then the Dow Jones Industrial Average (basket of the 30 large stocks representing the US economy) was trading around 9000 and my guess was that we would head lower and test recession like lows. The last time we could compare lows like this was in roughly 2002-2003 when the market hit lows of roughly 7700 (I believe). My assumption is that this will be the prudent time to begin to reallocate your portfolio back into the market. Again that is an assumption because I don't really think that this last time can be effectively compared to now. We are facing a local recession, rising probability of a global recession (in most areas except for China), and if these conditions exist we could be facing a depression due to deflationary pressure. This could be the one area that I initially got wrong...I thought we would be facing inflationary pressures or rising costs but that appears to be far down the line. Right now deflation is running wild and that is evident is the sharp decline of prices across the board. Gas is down from $4.00 to now roughly $2.00 and everything is falling with it, stocks included. If this trend continues deflation could lead to an extended recession and Dow 7700 may not even be a legitimate floor for the market."

2020: Again striking similarities. Gas then dropped dramatically to $2. Where are we now in 2020... this exact same range. I have not looked at the charts but my gut tells me we are headed to the highs of PAST which are significant lows from where we were just a month ago. Let's flash back the good times in 2007 and 2013 as examples:

Before the Crash we topped 14,000 on the DOW in 2007: https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2007/07/dow-take-bow.html

After the Crash we hit 14,000 in 2013: https://urbanomics.blogspot.com/2013/02/dow-at-14000-pt1-are-you-too-late-for.html


We will get a bailout package in the next few days. Then expect the markets to bounce with euphoria. But then we will have to live with the unwinding process. If many of us are trying to get by living paycheck to paycheck...not everyone can be bailed out. Usually you see/hear debt or margin calls (people calling say you owe them money), foreclosures, evictions, etc. I am proud of the companies that have stepped up and delayed these payments already. But its a band aid measure. But proud non the less. I have not looked at the charts yet so this is not a prediction...but this could be a psychological number that is tested as it has been in the past.

What's Up With The Economy, The Deficit...

That is a really good question, "What's Up With the Economy?"!  The best analogy is the economy is sorta like a really nice business train that is slowly chugging along and starting to lose passengers at each stop.  I think this is an accurate picture because the data is definitely mixed, showing corporate businesses are doing quite well and chugging along, like the train.  The passengers being lost at each stop are comparable to middle-class Americans that are being negatively impacted by: 1) high gas & food prices, 2) declining housing prices, 3) still high unemployment numbers.  And the biggest problem is JOBS, JOBS, JOBS, or the lack thereof.  Jobs are so critical because they give Americans confidence that the economy is getting better when they see their neighbors getting up and going to work, coming home with bags of groceries, and investing in their homes.  So who is focusing on getting more Americans jobs? That's the question that needs to be asked of everyone from the president and his administration, to your senators, then your local congressmen, and also of the companies that are doing well.  Every moment should be spent on turning the dismal job scenario around and we've seen our politicians come up with some solutions but not nearly enough.  The formula is not that difficult as it usually comes down to stimulating Americans and stimulating the companies who are tasked with hiring more Americans.  Its a shame the debate in Washington is whittled down to spending versus tax cuts, but that has been the case.  Last time I checked both scenarios cost taxpayers money but are needed to bring this economy back to life.