Economy

(MarketWatch) – How to invest for a global-debt-bomb explosion

Wake up investors. Are you prepared for the economic anarchy coming after a global-debt time bomb explodes? Are you thinking outside the box? Investing differently? Act now — tomorrow will be too late. Read More Here

(Spiegel) – German Auto Sales Crash in January

Domestic car sales hit an all-time high in Germany in 2009 thanks to the government’s cash-for-clunkers program. Now that the program is over, however, sales have plummeted. Is the worst still to come? Read More Here

(CityWatchLA) – Drastic Steps Needed to Prevent Bankruptcy

As you know, the City of Los Angeles faces a budget shortfall of nearly $208 million, and we expect it to exceed $400 million next year. This is the most serious situation we have faced in 75 years and without drastic steps, the City is threatened with bankruptcy. We cannot allow that to happen. Read More Here

(ABC) – Australia close to defaulting on debts: Joyce

Opposition finance spokesman Barnaby Joyce is courting controversy again, warning that Australia is getting to the point where it will not be able to repay its overseas debt. Read More Here

FLASHBACK – (Telegraph) – Société Générale tells clients how to prepare for potential ‘global collapse’

Société Générale has advised clients to be ready for a possible “global economic collapse” over the next two years, mapping a strategy of defensive investments to avoid wealth destruction. Read More Here

(TheBulletin) – Without water

Hundreds of Central Oregonians who can’t pay their bills have their water shut off. For people like Lynette Nicks, who’s recovering from cancer, that’s especially dangerous. Read More Here

(Bloomberg) – No Job Growth for Small Business Spurs Recovery Doubt (Update1)

Small businesses are becoming the Achilles heel of the U.S. recovery by limiting growth and job creation. Read More Here

(Time) – The Great Recession: Will Construction Workers Survive?

The middle and working-classes have been hammered by the Great Recession and no industry has taken it more on the chin than construction. Read More Here

Another (sobering) slice of the jobs data

Here’s a pretty depressing picture, courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics: Read More Here

(NYTimes) – This Crisis Won’t Stop Moving

YOU know we’re in trouble when we’re told that the economic problems in Greece, Portugal and Spain, the most indebted countries in the euro zone, are likely to remain safely contained in those nations. Read More Here

(ZeroHedge) – The Run On Greece Is Here: Investors Pull Out €10 Billion From The Troubled Country; Crisis Escalation Approaches

Remember the proverbial run on the bank? Well, that was the norm (or rather the outlier) before governments decided to backstop entire financial industries residing within their territory. As a result, the post-Lehman version of “the bank run” will henceforth be referred to as “the country run” and for an example of one in practice, look no further than Greece. The Guardian reports that investors have pulled a stunning €8-10 billion since the Greek crisis commenced in earnest last November. If true, this is the beginning of the end for the troubled EMU-member country. Read More Here

(Telegraph) – Global bear rally will deflate as Japan leads world in sovereign bond crisis

Milton Keynes will be vindicated. Lord Keynes will lose some of his new-found gloss. The Krugman doctrine that we should all spend our way back to health by pushing deficits to the brink of a debt spiral – or beyond the brink – will be seen as dangerous. Read More Here

(Risk) – Citi plans crisis derivatives

Credit specialists at Citi are considering launching the first derivatives intended to pay out in the event of a financial crisis. The firm has drawn up plans for a tradable liquidity index, known as the CLX, on which products could be structured that allow buyers to hedge a spike in funding costs. Read More Here

(Katu) – That’s a wrap? Future of Hollywood Video cast in doubt

Once one of the wealthiest companies in Oregon, Wilsonville-based Hollywood Video’s final scene may be written as many customers discovered Tuesday upon finding a dozen of its stores closed. Read More Here