The Real Cost of Free College

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The cost of a college education is out of control. In fact, the business of saddling students with inordinate debt, whether they complete a degree program or not, is the dirty business of colleges.

One answer to the $1.5 trillion problem facing indebted college students of all backgrounds and income levels is free college.

The real cost of free college would be borne by taxpayers and the students it would fail in more ways than one.

Socialist policy purveyors advocate free college to lift all boats with the tide. However, as laudable as that goal appears, free college is nothing more than a ruse.

It's all a corrupt business, and today, I'll break down for you why free college is a problem.

Ten Years On: Who Let Lehman Brothers Fail?

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Ten years ago on Sept. 15, in 2008, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. failed in spectacular fashion.

The implosion of the $600 billion-in-assets investment bank immediately triggered the financial crisis, which led directly to the Great Recession.

But none of that had to happen.

Lehman could have been saved or, at least, slowly and systematically unwound. The financial crisis could have been averted, and the Great Recession should never have happened.

Those events happened for good reasons in hindsight. Not good for you, me, the economy, or America, but good for the re-shaping of political and banking powers who benefited from what they let happen.

Is Wells Fargo a Criminal Enterprise?

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Something is really wrong with Wells Fargo & Co., the third largest bank in the United States by assets and the eleventh largest bank in the world.

After being hit with massive fines and paying out tens of billions of dollars to settle a litany of charges, Wells Fargo's facing more investigations from the U.S. Department of Justice.

And there's no doubt that this won't be the last of them.

So, I ask you, is Wells Fargo a criminal enterprise?

Midyear Stock Market Forecast: Mostly Sunny With a Chance of a Passing Shower

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What's ahead for the stock market is always a matter of what's overhead, just like with the weather.

Right now, sunny days and a bright outlook for stocks are what we're seeing.

Due to the crazily volatile market conditions we've been suffering over the past few months, you might think that statement is nuts.

And maybe you're right…

But today, that's what the skies look like to me – and I'm going to make my case.

We're a little past the midyear 2018 mark, so let's use today's report to review.

I'll tell you about what I've seen in the market "weather" the past half-year or so.

I'll share with you my forecast for the near future.

Facebook's Deeds May Be Dirty, but the Profits Will Be Sweet

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Facebook Inc. is trying to cozy up with America's biggest banks.

Talk about a dirty hookup…

The social media behemoth has approached megabanks like Wells Fargo & Co., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citigroup Inc., and others, hoping to sweet-talk them into sharing customers' card transaction history, their checking account balances, and other personal data.

Why? Because there's a ton of money to be made knowing how much people spend and what they buy. And there's even more money to be made developing platforms and applications that drive business to advertisers and make spending easy.

You don't need me to tell you why this is a bad idea – but I'll do that today anyway.

Plus, I'll tell you why it'll get done regardless.

However, as distasteful as it may be, there is a way to get yourself a piece of the pie.

A big piece.

247 Trillion Reasons Why the Stock Market Could Tank

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Talk about a hangover. The world's got $247 trillion of debt hanging over its collective head.

If there's a broken link anywhere along the chain of global connection, or if a big debt can't be serviced, or rolled over, or there's a default, there's one thing I know for sure… Contagion will be swift, and stocks will throw up their gains quickly.

Don't look now, but we're getting to a breaking point thanks to escalating trade wars, emerging markets debts that have to be rolled over this year, and the fact that China's stock market is already in the tank.

It's like déjà vu all over again.

This Trade War's Next Casualty Could Be You

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Last week, I covered the shots across the bow from both the United States and China in the growing trade war. Today, I'm going to take a deep dive into both parties' next moves and how the markets would inevitably react. 

With the mid-term elections coming up in November, it looks like the Chinese are cleverly exerting pressure directly on the president and the Republican Party.

In a deft political move, the Chinese are targeting U.S. products coming out of "red" states. Specifically, they are going after products made or grown in counties that voted for Donald Trump for president.

That's putting pressure on Trump supporters, who are now at odds over losing income and jobs and still believing in the president's agenda and politics.

And that's not the only curveball China will be lobbing at the United States.

This Trade War Could Tank the Market - Are You Prepared?

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The first volley of shots in the America versus China trade war was fired on July 6, 2018.

America fired first. China fired right back.

U.S. equity markets, after sliding on tariff threats, rallied once again as the first round of 25% tariffs were levied.

If initial tit-for-tat tariffs lead to negotiations and an end to a potential war, the market will continue to rally, and we're probably heading for new all-time highs.

But, look out below if both sides start lobbing the equivalent of tariff nukes, as President Trump has threatened.

That would likely take stocks down hard and possibly lead to a U.S. recession.

This Government "Protector" Became a Money-Grubbing Predator

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The name of my publication is Wall Street Insights & Indictments for a reason.

It's a platform for calling out the trash generated by Wall Street or government money-grubbers that should be taken to the garbage heap.

Here's a prime example of what I mean.

Timothy Geithner, the former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and former secretary of the Treasury, went from bailing out giant predatory banks, to pretending to chastise them, to becoming president of Warburg Pincus – a New York investment firm that owns a private equity fund that owns Mariner Finance, a predatory lending heap.

What Mariner does (and why) tells us more about Timothy Geithner than any statement he released as Treasury secretary.

Facebook Admitted to More Shady Dealings - Here's How to Profit

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Facebook Inc.'s (Nasdaq: FB) stock tumbled 21% in March when revelations surfaced that political analytics firm Cambridge Analytica, which helped guide President Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, paid for data on 87 million Facebook users without their consent.

But after a strong showing by founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg in front of Congress to address selling of users' data in breach of a 2012 consent decree, Facebook's stock ran right back up to make new all-time highs at $203.55.

Now, in a 747-page document released to Congress last Friday, Facebook admitted giving dozens of companies special access to user data after telling Congress it restricted personal information to outsiders in 2015.

But after a strong showing by founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg in front of Congress to address selling of users' data in breach of a 2012 consent decree, Facebook's stock ran right back up to make new all-time highs at $203.55.

Now, in a 747-page document released to Congress last Friday, Facebook admitted giving dozens of companies special access to user data after telling Congress it restricted personal information to outsiders in 2015.