Americans Now Have Much More Money in IRAs than 401(k)s. Why That Leaves Workers More Vulnerable.
The U.S. private‑sector retirement system is witnessing a historic shift, with IRA balances now exceeding 401(k) assets by roughly $7 trillion. This migration moves workers’ savings out of the ERISA‑protected 401(k) framework into a less regulated IRA environment. IRAs lack the stringent fiduciary duties, fee‑disclosure standards, and forced‑savings mechanisms that characterize 401(k) plans. Consequently, retirees face greater exposure to market risk, higher fees, and easier early‑withdrawal options.
IDB Group Announces Settlement with ECOSAC Regarding Prohibited Practices
The Inter‑American Development Bank (IDB) Group has imposed a twenty‑four‑month Conditional Non‑Debarment on ECOSAC AGRÍCOLA S.A.C. and its subsidiary after confirming fraudulent financial representations made to an IDB Invest loan between 2022 and 2023. The settlement, reached through the Office of Institutional Integrity,...
Google’s 100‑Year AI Bond: Ambitious or Foolhardy?
Google issuing a 100-year bond to fund AI capex. Remember JC Penney’s 100-year bond? Issued in 1997. Bankrupt in 2020. At least they got their basis back in coupons.
China’s US Treasurys Exit Could Limit Japan’s Military Spending
China is directing state‑owned banks to cut U.S. Treasury holdings to roughly $750 billion by 2025, halving its 2010 peak. The reduction removes a major buyer from the market, shifting the financing burden toward Japan, the world’s largest foreign‑reserve holder. Japan’s...
Is a Dollar Vibe Shift Under Way?
The Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center podcast explores whether a sustained dollar depreciation is emerging. Host Dan McDowell explains how a weaker greenback could reshape U.S. trade balances, investment flows, and national‑security calculations. The discussion highlights potential benefits for exporters alongside higher...
Fed Likely Holds Off Policy Changes for Year
Bessent on balance sheet policy in a Warsh Fed: "I wouldn't expect them to do anything quickly. They've moved to an ample [reserves] regime ... that does require a larger balance sheet. So I would think they'll probably sit back,...
Uranium Market Gathers Momentum in 2026: Sprott
Uranium spot prices surged above $100 per pound in January 2026, the first breach of that level in two years, signaling renewed market vigor. Sprott Asset Management, a major buyer, added 4 million lb to its fund this year, bringing total holdings...
Why Buying Silver Bars Online Is a Smart Investment Choice
Buying silver bars online is presented as a practical way to add a tangible, low‑cost precious metal to a diversified portfolio. The article highlights that online bullion dealers offer broader product ranges, real‑time pricing and lower overhead, which translate into...
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/INV-Express-2026-02-09-21c6c996e3f24101be9e37a0d02d48d9.jpg)
What Is, and Isn’t Working in This Market
Investors pushed the Dow Jones Industrial Average past the 50,000 mark for the first time, even as volatility surged. Despite the icy winds of market turbulence, many are still buying the dip, signaling stubborn optimism. Paul Hickey of Bespoke Investment...
Thermal (and Industrial) Coal Update - 10 Feb
In this episode, the host reviews recent price movements in South African thermal and industrial coal, highlighting a notable price rally driven by strong demand from Indian sponge‑iron and cement producers. The discussion references insights from the McCloskey OPIS coal...
US Antimony, Americas Gold to Jointly Build Idaho Plant
United States Antimony and Americas Gold have formed a 51-49 joint venture to construct a hydrometallurgical processing plant in Idaho’s Silver Valley. The facility will treat antimony feed from Americas Gold’s Galena complex and could handle additional sources, aiming to...
First Quantum Credit Outlook Improves on Cobre Panama Progress
S&P Global Ratings upgraded First Quantum Minerals' credit outlook to positive, citing tangible progress toward restarting the Cobre Panama copper mine. The agency now expects the mine to resume operations in the first half of 2026, with a production ramp‑up later...
Permian Wells Surge 13% as Crews Work Smarter
The frac spread count measures the number of completion crews actively fracturing a well. In the Permian, the frac spread count averaged ~100 crews in 2025, 3% higher than the 2024 average. Yet operators completed a total of ~6,800 wells,...
Dollar Weakening as Diverging Policies Boost Global Assets
I keep playing through the potential outcomes over the coming months and I have a very difficult time painting a bull case for the dollar. I expect: 1. Monetary policy divergence widens (more dovish US vs RoW/Japan) 2. Capital flight risk as...
USD/JPY Continues to Fall After US Retail Sales Miss
USD/JPY fell for a second day as Japan’s new lower‑house majority under Prime Minister Fumio Takaichi spurred a rally in Japanese equities and a shift of capital into the yen. The decline was amplified by weak U.S. retail‑sales data and...
Seeking Bull Case for Discounted HAL Stock
RPK, last time I asked you about $RIG signaling buy more - what's the bull case on $HAL on sale? @RPKent
Software Selloff Hits BDCs, Creditors May Be at Risk
“Business Development Companies” have been hammered in the recent software selloff. Alphaville dug into the data of some of the biggest ones to find out if software creditors are in trouble. https://t.co/ybVLHwLoCi https://t.co/AMQPhflF5J
U.S. Secretary Of State: Brazil & China To 'Trade In Own Currencies & Get Around The Dollar'
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio highlighted Brazil's new trade agreement with China that will use their own currencies instead of the U.S. dollar, signaling a shift toward a secondary, dollar‑independent global economy. He warned that as more nations transact...
Import Prices Rise Slightly, Showing Tariffs Not Absorbed
Another month of US import price data shows - again - that foreigners aren't broadly eating Trump's tariffs (bc if they were, prices would have collapsed this year - instead they're up slightly) https://t.co/Dwv9hRwxO1 https://t.co/pF66RuUWjN
Gold Nears Breakout: From Panic to Directional Pause
Gold Price Short-term Outlook: XAU/USD From Panic to Pause- Breakout to Decide Direction https://t.co/e2vca3B4h2 $XAUUSD Daily & 240min Charts https://t.co/BsGu6wpKlh
Arbol and Pollen Systems Partner on Parametric Product for Agricultural & Climate Challenges
Arbol and Pollen Systems, backed by Esri and Omniris, have launched a parametric insurance product that fuses AI‑driven risk models with real‑time satellite, drone and field data. The solution leverages Esri’s GIS platform to deliver location‑aware insights throughout the policy...
Snap‑back Rallies Off Strong Support Aren’t Reversals
Little Bounces Off Big Support From my live trading room Friday... Snap-back rallies off big support does not a trend-reversal make 🙃 $MSFT $AMZN $QQQ $BTCUSD $SLV https://t.co/OLa6XrVvqJ
Railroads Hit All-Time Highs, AI Disruption Unlikely
No AI disruption worries in railroads, with Union Pacific, CSX, and Norfolk Southern all touching ATHs
Climax Top Signals Bear Market for Precious Metals
OUT NOW - @BergMilton on: - clear sign of "climax top" in gold & silver - why he expects a precious metals bear market - S&P 500, Bitcoin, Software + Korean stocks & more Apple🔊https://t.co/bNqmCOVqMV Spotify📽️https://t.co/mnN6Dn02hi 1/3 https://t.co/U3F0Pxojhy
US Employment Costs Are Still Falling
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the Employment Cost Index (ECI) fell for the second straight quarter, marking the slowest annual wage growth in more than four years. In Q4, total compensation rose just 2.8% year‑over‑year, down from...
Western Canadian Refineries Thrive, Ontario Slows, East Rebounds
🇨🇦🏭⛽️ Canadian refineries are running strong in the West, have seen operations slip faster than seasonally normal in Ontario, and have had a bouncing start to the year in Quebec & Eastern Canada. https://t.co/CY8K1qOKIh
Bonds Taking a Pre-NFP Lead-Off
Bond yields pulled back toward the 4.1‑4.2% band after weak retail‑sales data, reversing a brief flirtation with the 4.30% ceiling on the 10‑year Treasury. The market is now pricing in a softer labor outlook ahead of the February non‑farm payrolls...
U.S. Stocks Under Pressure as SPX/VEU Hits Near Two‑Year Low
The 'sell America' trade pressure seems to be picking up again. The SPX-VEU (rest of world equity ETF) ratio is the lowest since April 22nd. A little further and it is a two year low. Adding the DXY Dollar Index in for...
Amazon Steadies; Rally to 200‑day MA Signals Trade
$AMZN is holding steady after the gap frenzy last week. A rally back to the 200-day moving average would make sense for the bulls and the bears, but that feels more like a "trade" to me. The real question...
American Consumers Slam On The Brakes
The U.S. Commerce Department reported that January 2026 consumer spending stalled, with retail sales slipping amid unusually cold weather. Month‑over‑month retail sales fell 1.2%, while personal consumption expenditures dropped 0.8% year‑over‑year. Analysts say the weather‑induced headwind temporarily depressed demand, but...
US Refineries Pivot From Canadian to Venezuelan Heavy Crude
US refinery heavy crude sourcing from Canada (red) vs Venezuela (pink), compared to refinery capacity (blue) 2010 on the left, 2024 on the right https://t.co/nKOX5T7tGn
Atlanta Fed GDPNow Now at 3.7% Q4 2025
GDPNow model (a “nowcast,” not a forecast) from @AtlantaFed down to +3.7% q/q annualized for 4Q2025 https://t.co/NKqC4jdaL0
Committee Claims New Focus, Still Clings to Big Caps
Imagine being on a pretent "investment committee" that has finally figured out being Long Industrials $XLI and isn't Long of the Big $CAT ? lol Reality: they're all still long of the #Bag7 Stocks and widely held Large Cap Financials...
Gulf Coast Refineries Boost Capacity, Replace Imports with Shale Oil
US Gulf Coast refineries (PADD3) have continued to grow distillation capacity while dramatically shrinking imports, displacing imported light and medium crudes with domestic light tight oil from the Shale Patch https://t.co/6EezXrbiQL
White House Inflates Payrolls; Revisions Could
WH keeps 'pumping up' payrolls for tomorrow. Here's why. Revisions could wipe out all job growth last year. Zero. zip. nada. https://t.co/RILDizthdl
USDA Cuts Global Corn, Wheat Stocks; Soy up on Brazil
USDA's estimates for global corn and wheat ending stocks come in below expectations/last month (ending wheat's run of surging each month as harvests surpassed predictions). Soy stocks are up on a massive 180 mmt Brazilian crop. https://t.co/kM88lO1Zbq
Private-Sector Wages Barely Slowed, up 3.38% YoY
ECI: Private-sector pay growth decelerated ever so slightly last year. Wages and salaries for private sector workers ex-incentive paid occupations was +3.38% in Q4 from a year earlier, unchanged from Q3. https://t.co/769ycb4jwP
COIN Bounces Off $145 Support, Aligns With Low Targets
Can't help but notice $COIN is bouncing off major league support around $145, lining up well with the Sep '24 and Mar '25 lows. Previous lows have been confirmed with a bullish crossover from weekly PPO. But dang...
Mexico's Inflation On Target, Money Supply Within Golden Growth
Mexico’s inflation rate is ON TARGET at 3.65%/yr Mexico’s money supply (M4) is growing at 7.91%/yr, WITHIN Hanke's Golden Growth Rate of ~7.3%-9.3%/yr, a rate consistent with Mexico’s 2%-4%/yr inflation target. THE INFLATION STORY = A MONEY SUPPLY STORY. https://t.co/4w05Yr94Mz
USDA Lifts Brazil 2025/26 Soybean Forecast to 180 Mt
USDA pushes Brazil's 2025/26 soybean harvest to 180 million metric tons. No changes to corn or to Argentina's crops. https://t.co/D2KarYYtVJ
USDA Lifts Corn Export Outlook, Cuts Ending Stocks
U.S. corn ending stocks decrease from last month as USDA bumps exports to 3.3 billion bushels. Minimal/no changes in wheat and beans. https://t.co/FpMZKyhSPO
Software Multiples Hit 2014 Lows Amid AI Fears
Software earnings have been quite resilient, yet prices have collapsed over AI worries. As a result, multiples are the cheapest they've been since 2014. Sometimes things are cheap for a reason, but what if this is another DeepSeek moment? Nice charts...
Gold and Silver Bull Market Persists, Keep Cash Ready
I had a great chat with Peter Spina @goldseek at #VRIC. We covered why this still looks like a real gold/silver bull market, why I keep cash ready, and where early-stage opportunity is hiding. Full interview 👇
Holiday Sales Slump and Rising Delinquencies Hit Young, Low‑Income Americans
The one-two punch today of highly disappointing holiday retail sales and the highest consumer delinquencies since 2017 paints a bleak picture for lower-income and younger Americans. https://t.co/Bd2eX18BAU https://t.co/H1biY6UCIL
Weekly ChartStorm Reveals Hidden Stock Market Seasonality Angles
You may think you know all about stockmarket seasonality... but this special focus piece from the Weekly ChartStorm lays out a few more angles and details that you might not have considered before: https://t.co/5sf2QCC8pE https://t.co/XBuZIufwiB
Brent Futures Steepen Backwardation, WTI Weakens
The Brent (white) and WTI (blue) futures curves are telling rhyming but importantly different stories right now Both have a backwardated front, depressed belly into contango past 2027 But Brent curve seeing steepening prompt backwardation (70c/bbl now) while WTI weakening (20c) https://t.co/5ZyF18ZPDO
Top Picks: Hundreds of Weekly Charts Highlighted
Our team probably creates a couple hundred charts each week. Here are some of our favorites from last week in the @CarsonResearch Charts of the Week. https://t.co/UIFr74RPu4
Market
Great analysis in his note this week on some positives and negatives from @scottcharts. But breadth continues to be the one big reason to expect this bull to continue imo. https://t.co/WO4e9HXrem
Banking Chief Calls for Urgent European Payment Alternatives
European alternatives to Visa and Mastercard ‘urgently’ needed, says banking chief - https://t.co/TJ18SQs5Bg via @FT
Doubling Down: Shorting QQQ to Complement SPY Bet
Adding Some QQQ to My SPY Short @TheStreetPro I just shorted (QQQ) (to add to my (SPY) short earlier this morning): * QQQ $615.74 By Doug Kass Feb 10, 2026 9:26 AM EST