As the author of three books on mortgage finance and related derivative securities, and speaking as someone who first turned mortgages into rated securities in 1983, I’m going to let you in on an unfortunate little secret – the real subprime mortgage securitization crisis may not have even started yet. But, there is a good chance the real crisis will arrive soon.

This assertion that the crisis could just be getting started may seem absurd and extraordinarily out of touch. What about the approximately 45,000 homeowners losing their homes to foreclosure in the United States every month? What about the 8.9% plunge in nominal housing prices in 2007, the largest decline in over 20 years? What about Bear Stearns losing 94% of the value of its stock in 2 days, with even the remaining 6% in value being based on an unprecedented loan from the Fed before JP Morgan would agree to the acquisition? How much worse could it get? ...

Read

Global systemic crisis – States faced with three brutal options in 2010: inflation, high taxation or default
In the absence of major reappraisal of the international monetary order, the world is now entering the phase of geopolitical dislocation of the global systemic crisis. In 2010, as protectionism and the economic and social depression will gain momentum, a large number of States will be compelled to choose between three brutal options: inflation, high taxation or defaulting on their debt... (page 2)
Read public announcement

The end of the consumer-as-we-knew-him in the past thirty years
For sure the American consumer, incarnation of the American Dream since Henry Ford, has died. But the Western consumer (outside the US) as we knew him in the past thirty years is also wearing out. In addition to that, LEAP/E2020 believes that it is wrong to think that Asians and Latin-Americans will replace these « consuming machines » and enable « planet-profit » to go on as it used to do… (page 6)
Subscribe

Crisis exit: In collision with reality – Real state of things at the end of 2009: USA, Euroland, China
The United States, United Kingdom, or even Japan, striving to escape from defaulting, or France and Germany left with no other choice than raise taxes by the end of 2010, in any event, in 2010, as inflation will affect necessity goods and speculative assets, anti-crisis policies and the reality of the global systemic crisis will collide… (page 11)
Subscribe

Turkey’s awakening: Its gradual exit from the Western camp
Taking advantage of the ongoing systemic crisis, and of the weakening of the US and of the Western superstructure over which the latter’s might is based, Turkey has entered a process of fundamental redefinition of its key geopolitical interests. The new priorities ready to break out by 2012 will account for Ankara’s most profound reappraisal since the country joined NATO in 1952… (page 16)
Subscribe

Strategic and operational recommendations
. Currencies/Gold: Trends are being confirmed
. Real estate: Renting or buying? A choice requiring careful consideration
. Shares/Bonds: The tipping point is approaching
. « Liquidity surplus »: An iconoclastic explanation (page 20)
Subscribe

The GlobalEurometre - Results & Analyses
The unanimity of respondents (99 percent) sees no sign of economic improvement in their country… (page 22)
Subscribe