top of page


The Single Fed Mandate & Bank Stocks
The Fed's actions in 2008 and again in March 2020 were largely driven by the sole mandate of the central bank -- to keep the Treasury market opening and functioning.
-
May 149 min read


Trading Points: Banks, Interest Rates & MSRs
Some of the smaller holders of MSRs may ask themselves if selling right now is not the best strategy over a 36-48 month horizon.
-
Apr 168 min read


Silicon Valley and the Large Bank Dead Pool
When you see a bank with more than 10% of total assets in MBS, that's a big red flag in our book.
-
Mar 97 min read


Is Trump Bullish for Interest Rates? Pump & Dump for GSE and Fintech Stocks
You can tell lies and damn lies about the idea of releasing Fannie and Freddie, but the SEC and FINRA cannot and will not say a word.
-
Oct 30, 20246 min read


The Powell Hedge Fund Drives Private Market Instability
In 2019, the FOMC essentially nationalized the US money markets, eliminating private price discovery for a representation of a market.
-
Aug 12, 20247 min read


Market Volatility and Loan Defaults
The market tantrum which began on Friday was largely over by the market close on the following Tuesday.
-
Aug 8, 20246 min read


Yellen's FSOC: Housing Policy Dreams vs Mortgage Market Reality
Yellen's proposal for a backstop is merely a canard to help Treasury avoid another fiasco next time a Ginnie Mae issuer fails
-
Jul 30, 20246 min read


Interview: Robert Brusca on the Federal Open Market Committee
Powell won’t hit the two percent target, but he won’t change the target either.
-
Jun 10, 20249 min read


Home Mortgage Rates Falling? Really?
If President Trump starts talking about fixing the federal budget deficit and redeveloping moribund urban real estate, he’d win in November
-
Feb 18, 20246 min read


Bank Reserves & Treasury Auctions
As the public debt of the US grows, after all, the implicit claim of the Treasury on all private US assets also grows.
-
Jan 8, 20248 min read


Big What? Rising Debt Service & Falling Liquidity
As with the Volcker Rule for banks, the move to centralized clearing of Treasuries and T-1 settlement seems destined to reduce liquidity
-
Nov 13, 20238 min read


Biden Administration Staggers Toward a Debt Default
Whether we have Donald Trump or Joe Biden in the White House next Christmas, the US seems to be on a trajectory to a financial crisis...
-
Aug 7, 20236 min read


Washington Trip Notes; Mr. Cooper & PennyMac Financial
The last Treasury Secretary that tried to extend the maturities of US government debt was Jack Lew (2013-2017). Yellen missed an opportunity
-
Jul 28, 20235 min read


The False Narrative on First Republic Bank
Until Chairman Powell comes clean with the Congress and the American people, more banks will inevitably fail.
-
May 1, 20236 min read


Who Killed First Republic Bank?
The Treasury and Fed cannot admit fault for fear of bringing the whole house of cards crashing down.
-
Apr 26, 20236 min read


Extension Risk Threatens US Banks
There are literally dozens of banks in the US made insolvent by the policy moves of the FOMC over the past year.
-
Nov 17, 20227 min read


Terminal Rates & Conflicted Economists
The cult of ever falling interest rates goes back 50 years and spans the terms of Fed chairs back to Alan Greenspan and Paul Volcker...
-
Nov 2, 20226 min read


Inflation, Politics & Fed Chairmen
As the scale of Fed open market operations grew since 2008, volatility has increased, rendering the adjustment from QE to QT problematic
-
Sep 18, 20229 min read


Deflation, Not Inflation, is the Threat
Xi Jinping in China and Putin in Russia have turned their backs on the global economy to retain power
-
Apr 26, 20226 min read


The Curse of Humphrey Hawkins
If you consider QE “stimulus” inflationary, then Fed policy actually accelerated inflation in the November-January period.
-
Feb 14, 20226 min read
bottom of page







.png)