Negative Economic Conditions will Continue are Reviewed in New Article in Money and Markets

Jack Crooks takes a closer look at the negative economic conditions in the U.S. and determines the reasons are homegrown. In this issue of Money and Markets, Mr. Crooks discusses these negative factors and the Federal Reserve's intentions.

Jupiter, Fla., (PRWEB) March 16, 2008 - Jack Crooks takes a closer look at the negative economic conditions in the U.S. and determines the reasons are homegrown. Mr. Crooks discusses these negative factors and the Federal Reserve's intentions.

The negative economic fundamentals clobbering the dollar are homegrown. It's the homegrown negative economic fundamentals that are relentlessly pounding the buck. There are three in particular:

1.   U.S. retail sales, a gauge of consumer health, were mostly pathetic in February 2008, considerably worse than expectations. That's attributable to the huge hole in consumers' wallets from the additional cost of filling up the SUV at the local gas pump.
2.   U.S. Consumer Prices are rising again. Another nasty CPI report that was released March 13 showed exactly that. The price increases from January to February were tame, but the year-over-year numbers are cause for concern.
3.   The most recent statistics on consumer sentiment show that the numbers are sitting near 16-year lows and reflect a dismal economic outlook.

This worsening trend was entirely predictable. It was only a matter of time after a burnt out housing market, rising food and energy prices, and a beleaguered stock market left American consumers in a daze. Since the beginning of the current U.S. economic downturn, the ultimate question has become: Can the U.S. consumer hold up? Unfortunately the evidence is piling up and it's pointing to a "No."

"The Federal Reserve has no intention of doing anything to help the dollar. The Fed's slapdash approach offers up changes to its Term Securities Lending Facility. And it will amount to $200 billion dollars of liquidity dumped on the markets through weekly auctions. Every time the Treasury Department cranks up the printing presses, it only serves to drive the currency lower. But even with the Federal Reserve's recent adjustments, the credit crisis may not subside anytime soon. All banks not Central seem to be tightening lending standards simply because they're worried about the availability of capital due to growing losses from their exposure to this whole mess," Mr. Crooks states.

To read this issue online, please visit:
http://www.moneyandmarkets.com/Issues.aspx?NewsletterEntryId=1551

About JACK CROOKS & MONEY AND MARKETS    

John (Jack) Crooks is the founder and president of Black Swan Capital, an independent advisory firm specializing in foreign exchange and currency markets investing for retail and institutional clients. A seasoned financial advisory with nearly 20 years of investment experience, Mr. Crooks uses both quantitative and qualitative approaches to determine the fundamental driving force(s) behind the movement of the currency, capital, and commodities markets. He is the editor of Weiss Research's latest investment offerings, World Currency Alert and World Currency Options, which were launched in August 2007.

Mr. Crooks also founded Ross International Asset Management, a discretionary money management firm specializing in global stock, bond, and currency asset management for retail clients. Previously, he was general manager of Plexus Trading, where he specialized in currency futures and commodities trading. During his successful career, Mr. Crooks served as chief currency and futures strategist of M2 Futures Inc., an investment boutique headquartered in Chicago, as well as vice president of Global Strategic Research for an international investment boutique, where he was responsible for providing daily advice and global strategy analysis.

Prior to entering the investment arena, Mr. Crooks held various corporate finance positions. He has written extensively on the subject of global currencies and international economics and has been published in Asian Times, Futures Magazine, Barron's, Bloomberg, Dow Jones Newswire, and across many financial websites. He has also appeared on Bloomberg TV and CNBC.

Mr. Crooks holds a bachelor's degree in finance from Florida State University and a master's in business administration from the University of North Texas.

Money and Markets (www.moneyandmarkets.com) is a free daily investment newsletter from Dr. Martin Weiss and Weiss Research analysts offering the latest investing news and financial insights for the stock market, including tips and advice on investing in gold, energy and oil. Weiss Research, Inc. is located in Jupiter, Florida. For more information about our editors, or to set up an interview, please contact Jennifer Moran at 561-627-3300 or visit www.moneyandmarkets.com.

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