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Recent Articles from Robert Smith
OP-ED: Economy suffering from another 鈥楢merican Hustle鈥�
In March 2009, I warned investors of the inevitability of another stagflationary economic cycle. I repeated it in April 2010. It is now coming to pass. Just like Lyndon […]
Preparing to pull the plug
Now that the Federal Reserve is disconnecting the heart-lung machine, it will be interesting to see if the economy can survive on its own. For five years now the […]
To QE infinity and beyond!
Janet “Lightyear” Yellen gives the market just what it wants: more stimulus! As she recently sailed through her Senate hearing, Yellen delivered dovish comments that strongly suggest that the […]
鈥楴o direction home鈥� for Federal Reserve
It should be apparent to all that the economy can't stand on its own. As I mentioned last month, it still needs monetary crutches. Truly, the Fed has "no direction home."
A tale of two economies
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness 鈥� we had everything before […]
Between the devil and the deep blue sea
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his minions, after watching global stock and bond markets crater following his remarks about the mere possibility of monetary tightening, are backpedaling as fast as […]
Darned if you do, darned if you don鈥檛
The Fed’s conundrum now is how and when to pull back from its massive and historically unprecedented campaign of monetary easing. The tremendous surge in stock prices the past […]
Zombie-like economy won鈥檛 last forever
“Fed, China sink Japan stocks.” “Global manufacturing weak.” “Sales force guidance weak.” “Global stock slide points to addiction to easy-money QE.” And that’s just a day’s worth of headlines […]
Time to revisit old financial friends
As the housing market slowly climbs out of its deepest abyss since the Great Depression, I think it’s a good idea to revisit some old, pre-recession financial friends. After […]
The reality gap
Irrational exuberance, anyone? I believe it was John Kenneth Galbraith, a committed Keynesian who famously said the financial memory is “notoriously short.” How ironic then that fellow Keynesian and […]
Is financial catastrophe around the corner?
Last year, Jeffrey Gundlach, co-founder and head of DoubleLine Capital, gave a speech to investors at Los Angeles鈥� City Club. His message was simple: 鈥渇inancial catastrophe (was) on the horizon.鈥� […]
The real financial ‘cliff’ isn’t just a metaphor
No, the end isn鈥檛 near; it鈥檚 already here. It鈥檚 here in the sense that the debt-fueled, outsized economic growth of the last 30 years is gone, done and dead. This […]
News
- $960,000 office renovation in Portland building permits | Aug. 10, 2026
- Two projects in historic districts in Portland land use review intakes | Aug. 10, 2026
- Multnomah County commits up to $101.6M for Moda Center
- Portland code changes to take effect in November
- Los Colibris project approved for Portland’s OMSI District
- Pacific Northwest projects totaling $9.9 million in top bidders | Aug. 7, 2026
- Oregon opens infrastructure grant program
- Ex-TV host claps back at Detroit officials in blight case
- 31-unit multifamily project in Portland land use review intakes | Aug. 3, 2026
- $2.4 million office renovation in Portland building permits | Aug. 3, 2026
- Transportation commission weighs ODOT budget cuts
- Lam Research planning $1.7 billion investment in Tualatin
Commentary
- Beware of when the debt collector comes calling | Opinion
- Assembly of a future workforce begins with an invitation | Opinion
- Beware of overlooking legal requirements for remote workers | Opinion
- Become a critical thinker and transform a workplace | Opinion
- Managing construction risks with international suppliers | Opinion
- A rally with many engines: the lesson of 2026’s first half | Opinion
- Oregon housing challenges persist despite sound and fury | Opinion
- When does an employee’s bullying become harassment? | Opinion
- Ditch disorganization 鈥� the cost of deferred decisions | Opinion
- Consider 10 common risks for healthcare construction projects | Opinion
- Clarifying the reach of a law regarding prevailing wage | Opinion
- Adjust to legal changes now to ensure compliance later | Opinion
