Crude’s Slide Greases A New Bull - Martin T. Sosnoff - Hang on for a raging bull market once a bottom in home prices joins up with cheaper commodities. - Forbes 

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Recession of 2008? Evidence Is Still Weak - Bill Conerly -  Businomics Blog

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Pitfalls of Countrywide acquisition - RACHEL BECK - … “This deal is so rancid and npredictable,” said Christopher Whalen, managing director at the consulting firm Institutional Risk Analytics. “Bank of America’s executives can’t even articulate what the total liabilities from this deal are.” … - The Associated Press - Palm Beach Post

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Core inflation - The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported yesterday that its primary consumer price index CPI-U rose 5.6% over the last year. That’s the highest inflation rate in 17 years, the newspapers all call to our attention. Just how concerned should we be about these numbers? - EconBrowser - James Hamilton

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PIMCO’s Bill Gross Softens Fannie/Freddie Rhetoric - Maria Bartiromo interviewed PIMCO’s Bill Gross Friday (8/15/08) on CNBC. Gross’s tone was decidedly less abrasive when questioned about Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE). Gone was the anger and disgust that had been amplified by PIMCO’s consultant and spokesman former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. There was no talk of insolvency and systemic financial risk emanating from the failure of the GSEs. - Click Broker

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Kenneth Harney: Fannie, Freddie raising most fees for mortgage borrowers - CREDIT SCORE GROWS IN IMPORTANCE - By Kenneth R. Harney - MercuryNews 
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In this issue of The Institutional Risk Analyst, we compare Downey Financial (NASDAQ:DSL) with IndyMac and other recently failed thrifts. 
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Whatever Happened to Decoupling? - John Mauldin’s Weekly E-Letter  - frontlinethoughts 

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BANKRUPT R US - The mortgage crisis that sparked a wave of foreclosures is now responsible for a rising tide of bankruptcies across the city, according to a Crain’s New York Business report. - NY Post
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Fannie and Freddie: Worth Negative $50 Billion Each - The Big Picture

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Bondholders jittery over BofA’s acquisition - Del. court asked to force $2 billion repayment - By ERIC RUTH - The News Journal

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2 articles by Arnold Kling - thanks Owen Eldridge:

1.  Freddie Mac: My Chapter - I’ve said that I think that someone should write a book about Freddie Mac. Here is my chapter.  I came to Freddie Mac as a senior economist in the Financial Research Department in 1986. The department was headed by Peter Lloyd-Davies, who knew me from when we overlapped at the Fed. … EconLog 

2.  The Risk Disclosure Problem - about Freddie Mac and NPV Curve Model - TCS Daily

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IRA ARTMAN SECTION - thanks Ira:

ECONOMIC REVIEW AND FORECAST: - Spend it Quickly - David Wyss, Ph.D., Chief Economist - S&P

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As Inflation Heats Up, How Much Can TIPS Really Help?  - Murray Coleman  - Index Universe

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47 page report - Default & Loss Rates of Structured Finance Securities: 1993-2007 - This Special Comment presents Moody’s sixth annual report of the material impairment and loss rates of global structured finance securities, covering the credit performance through year-end 2007 of all structured finance securities issued since 1993. - Moody’s