Volume 71 May, June, 2010

A Penny for My Thoughts...

     I'm finally taking some of the vacations of my dreams. For weeks, I had been studying books on my latest dream vacation-- Greece.     The ancient ruins, the beautiful scenery, the interesting people-- all called to me.

     Then, it hit the fan! With an economy in the ditch and a national budget in tatters, Greeks flooded the streets in protest.

     Still, I watched with my travel books in hand convinced the tide would turn before we climbed on board a transcontinental flight. I told my husband, "But we could get a deal!"

     My Minnie Pearl mentality took over. Greece, my dream destination, was on sale. Surely, that meant we should book and book fast. Alas, things just went from bad to worse, and my sensible husband convinced me to abandon those plans for this summer. Maybe next year.

      Instead, we stayed in the good, ole US of A. We traveled to San Francisco and Yosemite, an awesome national park. So I got beautiful scenery and interesting people. Forget the ruins. Buying American pays!

Need help with your investments?  Have questions about your retirement?  Need financial advice?  Call us - 601-991-3158 or 888-831-3158. 

      The first quarter was a good one for stocks, and the second quarter started off right. Note I said "started."

     In May, we experienced several shocks:  an oil well explosion in the Gulf, a foiled terrorist attack on New York City, and flooding in several parts of the country.

     The real issue on investors' minds, though, has to do with new problems in the debt market. This time, Europe is giving us a headache. Entire countries have been in danger of defaulting on their debt.

     Greece has been the most visible culprit. Their citizens have taken to the streets. Spain, Italy, Ireland, and Portugal are also struggling. Ratings agencies have downgraded these countries' bonds, causing investors worldwide to run for the exits.

     Germany and others have stepped in to ease fears and bolster the weaker members of the European Union. Things are beginning to stabilize, but Europe still faces sizable problems.

 http://newper.blogspot.com