Weekend Reading – Stock Market/Economy Disconnect Edition

Apparently, the market actually thinks a 9.6% unemployment rate is just swell, sending the S&P500 up 3.5% for the week.  This is a major move up for a 5 day period, and a reversal in a recent market downturn from prior weeks.  While the unemployment numbers were better than “expected”, they’re still not rosy by any means.  With the birth/death rate and other adjustments, it may be quarters or even years before we get the headline rate back down below 9%, let alone, the longer run rates of 5-6% Americans have grown so used to.  I’ll take it though, I’m 100% long equities in all my retirement accounts and while I’m hedged somewhat in my trading account, I’m still making money in an up market – just surprised.

Market stuff aside, there were some great reads around the web this week, and in case you missed some articles I wrote in the recent past, I’ve included them for your perusal at the bottom.  Check out the best of the web from the past 2 weeks:

Best of the Web:

Lazy Man and Money – Blogger Takes on Bullshit MLM Company and Gets Threatened and Blackmailed (check this out and support Lazy Man’s Right to Free Speech)

Financial Highway – 10 Tips to Curb Impulse Spending

TaxVox – HomeBuyer Tax Credit – AGAIN???

The Mish – Jobs Numbers: A Look Beneath the Surface

The Yakezie:

The Yakezie.com – Check it out!

Financial Sumarai – How To Get Girls If You Live At Home With Mom & Dad

Free From Broke – Blogging Essentials

Wealth Pilgrim – IRA FAQ

Len Penzo - 10 Key Characteristics of Debt-Free People (of Modest Means)

Aspiring Millionaire - Yakezie Carnival

Darwin’s Writing:

at Darwin’s Money:

• This Nasty-Gram Got Me a New $2800 Fridge ASAP
• Want to Be Your Own Boss? It Stinks – Here’s Why
• 5 Ways Obama is Wrecking the US Economy
• Beware: Realtors Do Better for Themselves than Their Clients

at ETFBase:

• 20 Insanely Hot ETFs in a Down Stock Market
• New Alerian MLP ETF: High Yield, Beats the Market and No Messy Tax Forms
• Collar Fund Review: Do Options Collars Fit The Bill?

at Darwin’s Finance:

• Is the McMansion Dead?
• Tutoring Gone Wild in America
• Who Would Make the Best Use of $Billions – Bill Gates or US Govt?

at Complex Search:

• Black Swan Investing

Tagged as: Weekly Links