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| Investors with Uncle Sam's backing?
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| The string of bad economic and financial news has taken a huge toll on most investments. But at least one group of stocks -- so-called agency real estate investment trusts -- has held up relatively well in the face of recession. Agency REITs, which constitute the bulk of the home-financing REIT sector, invest primarily in residential mortgages guaranteed by agencies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Investors will see attractive dividend yields, however. The average for the home-financing sector was 13.8 percent recently, , compared with an average of 8.7 percent yield for all equity REITs.
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| @ Sarasota Herald Tribune | Posted: 04/06/09 at 0201 EDST
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| "Foreign governments plot against U.S. Disaster imminent. Credit crunch expands. Foreclosures increase. Inflation rampant. Violence spreads."
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| Today's headlines? No! This was America -- in 1787. So begins Rebecca Staton-Reinstein's introduction to her new book, Conventional Wisdom: How Today's Leaders Plan, Perform and Progress Like the Founding Fathers. Staton-Reinstein, the brains behind North Miami Beach consultancy Advantage Leadership, explores how the strategies of George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin and other U.S. Constitution framers can be applied at modern corporations.
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| @ Miami Herald | Posted: 04/06/09 at 0315 EDST
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| Bernanke: Fed programs are working
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| Bernanke pointed to several recent Federal Reserve actions designed to help credit markets: $860 billion in short-term loans to banks struggling with liquidity. About $255 billion to unfreeze securitization markets of credit cards, student loans and auto loans. Up to $1.25 trillion to purchase mortgage-backed securities, an effort to improve mortgage lending.
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| @ South Florida Business Journal | Posted: 04/06/09 at 0320 EDST
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| The Federal Reserve's Balance Sheet
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| Chairman Ben S. Bernanke speech at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond 2009 Credit Markets Symposium, Charlotte, North Carolina
April 3, 2009
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| @ Federal Reserve Bank | Posted: 04/06/09 at 0330 EDST
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| Local banks: Is your money safe?
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| More than 10 percent of bank deposits in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast are held by two deeply troubled thrifts assigned BauerFinancial's lowest safety rating.
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| @ Palm Beach Post | Posted: 04/06/09 at 0345 EDST
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| Office space glut in Tampa Bay area means negotiable rent
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| As unemployment swells above 10 percent in the Tampa Bay area, a deluge of empty office space has landlords muttering what used to be curse words: "negotiable rent."
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| @ St. Petersburg Times | Posted: 04/06/09 at 0400 EDST
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| Orlando foreclosures hit 6.6% in February
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| Foreclosure rates in the Orlando-Kissimmee area reached 6.6 percent in February — more than double the 3.1 percent rate during the same period a year ago. The rate of delinquencies extending beyond 90 days also doubled, from 6.3 percent in February 2008 to 12.1 percent in February. Statewide, the February foreclosure rate was 6.2 percent, compared with 3.2 percent in February 2008. Additionally, mortgage loans in Florida that are 90 days or more delinquent reached the 10.9 percent mark statewide, which compared with 6.2 percent in February 2008.
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| @ Orlando Business Journal | Posted: 04/06/09 at 0419 EDST
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| Caterpillar starts Decatur layoffs two weeks early
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| Caterpillar Inc. is letting close to 1,000 of its Decatur employees off a week or so earlier than their scheduled layoff, but with pay.
The company said there isn't enough work for those employees, whose last scheduled day of work before an indefinite layoff was to begin April 10. Some started being sent home on Thursday. The layoffs take effect April 13 for the Decatur employees as well as several hundred employees at Caterpillar
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| @ Peoria Journal Star | Posted: 04/06/09 at 0415 EDST
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| Is Puerto Vallarta On Fire, On Sale, or Having a Fire Sale?
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Very interesting dynamics in the Real Estate market amongst NAFTA members going forward in an economic crisis. Canadians and Americans come to Mexico and they expect to see similar fire sale prices. Not so, not true. We do have bargains, the proverbial 'steal of a deal,' and some listings as much as 40% off, however this is not a characteristic of the market.
Editor's Comment: This is a good read about this City the Editor has been to several times.
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| @ Bandaras News Puerto Vallarta, MX | Posted: 04/06/09 at 0646 EDST
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| More Oversight and $1 Trillion for World Economy
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On Thursday in London, the G-20 agreed to inject $1 trillion into the global economy and to significantly strengthen financial oversight. German Chancellor Merkel called the agreement an "almost historic compromise."
Editor's Comment: This is a good read.
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| @ Der Spiegel | Posted: 04/06/09 at 0652 EDST
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| Labour MPs join campaign against increasing beer taxes
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| More than 200 MPs have signed a parliamentary motion to help the beleaguered pub industry by scrapping plans to increase beer duty. The signing of an early day motion by 202 MPs, including 97 Labour backbenchers, comes amid growing public support for the Axe the Beer Tax - Save the Pub campaign, co-ordinated by the Campaign for Real Ale and the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).
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| @ London Times | Posted: 04/06/09 at 0655 EDST
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