All Hat, No Cattle

As it turns out, the housing recovery isn’t quite as robust as we’ve been led to believe.

http://www.businessinsider.com/jonathan-miller-dont-buy-the-hype-about-the-housing-recovery-2012-8

Jumping The Shark

Fed bankers on borrowed time, according to Jim Grant.

http://www.businessinsider.com/jim-grant-fed-chairman-eric-rosengren-2012-8

Falling Off The Floor

Home prices rise again, good luck getting a mortgage for that.

http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2012/08/28/Home-Prices-Rise-for-Fifth-Straight-Month.aspx#page1

Faded Glory

World’s worst central bankers, this isn’t the list you want to be on.

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-10-worst-central-bankers-in-the-world-2012-8#mercedes-marc-del-pont-argentina-1

Endless Summer

The stealth rally continues, even as investors change the channel.

http://pragcap.com/7-reasons-for-even-higher-stock-prices

Bait And Switch

Former Merrill Lynch brokers continue to expose flaws in the system, this won’t end well for Bank of America.    

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/22/merrill-settlement-idUSL2E8JM5F720120822

Rock And A Hard Place

Artificially low interest rates continue to punish savers and retirees, this just in.

http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2012/08/23/How-the-Safest-Investments-for-Retirees-Went-Wrong.aspx#page1

Boiler Room

The New York Observer finally opens the mail,  turns out the old fashioned broker-dealer model really is broken.

http://observer.com/2012/08/broken-brokerages-finance-luminaries-join-fight-over-uniform-fiduciary-standard/2/

Baby Bust

The never ending financial crisis continues to make starting a family a difficult proposition.     

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-21/americans-having-fewer-babies-crimping-consumer-spending.html

Ice Harvest

Iceland tells unsavory global bankers to hit the road, it’s about time.

http://www.thestreet.com/story/11665082/1/iceland-was-right-we-were-wrong-the-imf.html?obref=obinsite

Enter The Dragon

Former Morgan Stanley advisor gets 9 months for bribery, do not pass go.

http://www.advisor.ca/news/former-morgan-stanley-advisor-goes-to-prison-87467

Don't Bank On It

Turns out banks actually do play an important role in the economy, it’s called lending.

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-08-14/the-vital-link-between-banks-and-jobs#r=nav

For Whom The Bell Tolls

The axe continues to swing on Wall Street, as firms are running out of ways to invent profits.    

http://money.cnn.com/2012/08/15/investing/wall-street-layoffs/index.html?iid=Popular

Bigger Than Elvis

ETF’s appear to be setting up as the next market bubble, proceed with caution.

http://www.etftrends.com/2012/08/index-providers-take-on-active-management-with-etfs/

Blind Leading The Blind

In a shocking turn of events, Bank of America cutting loose non-U.S. Merrill Lynch units.  

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-10/julius-baer-said-near-deal-to-buy-merrill-non-u-s-wealth-units.html

Muppet Massacre

The Justice Department lets Goldman Sachs walk away from the biggest financial crime ever committed.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/world/7452253/Goldman-Sachs-off-the-hook-with-US-regulators

Secret Recipe

Turns out all the doom and gloom is actually a raging buy signal. This meeting never happened.

http://www.businessinsider.com/bob-farrell-stock-market-sentiment-indicator-bullish-2012-8

The Money Pit

Taxpayers get the finger from Washington, again.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/boblutz/2012/08/08/a123-goes-chinese-will-washington-learn-it-cant-mandate-a-market/

Back Room Deal

Stuck in a bad marriage, clients are the real losers in the Bank of America/Merrill Lynch debacle.

http://www.propublica.org/article/how-bank-of-america-execs-hid-losses-in-their-own-words

The Grifters

If perception is reality, it’s hard to argue Wall Street isn’t rigged.

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/08/06/why-are-investors-fleeing-equities-hint-its-not-the-computers/?src=dlbksb

Failure To Launch

Apparently hedge funds actually destroy wealth, someone alert the media!

http://advisorperspectives.com/newsletters12/Why_Hedge_Funds_Destroy_Investor_Wealth.php

Knight Rider

Investors bailing out Knight Capital get a sweetheart deal, the market shrugs.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-06/knight-investors-eye-prize-in-market-making-for-individuals-1-.html

Piker Bars

Just couldn’t let this one get away, have a great week.

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-obnoxious-bars-on-wall-street-2012-8

Thunder Dome

Bill Gross vs. Jeremy Siegel. Two men enter, one man leaves.

http://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gross-professor-siegels-ivory-tower-again-lacks-common-sense-2012-8

A Tale Of Two Cities

Meredith Whitney to unemployed Wall Street execs, “Lower your expectations.”

http://www.businessinsider.com/meredith-whitney-on-wall-street-compensation-2012-7