About

Hello ML-Implode readers. It’s my pleasure to bring you our brand of general economic commentary a few times per week. My goal is twofold: to give you a fresh perspective on the economy, hopefully ahead of the crowd, and to analyze the significance of the day’s events, hopefully in simple, though not oversimplified, terms.

I plan to blog about the dollar, the Fed, interest rates, the economy, international trade, stocks (long/short) and even about politics and sports once in awhile.

Who am I?

Basic background info….former Internet and Media Analyst at hedge fund Matador Capital Management in St. Petersburg, Florida (long/short U.S. equity); University of Chicago Economics; CFA charterholder.  I’ve contributed articles/op-eds/quotes to the NY Daily News, Baltimore Sun, Chicago Sun-Times, FT’s Alphaville, Housing Wire Magazine, NPR’s Planet Money, the Christian Science Monitor, and others.

Why “Option ARMageddon”? Because I think Option ARM loans, particularly borrowers’ over-reliance on them towards the end of the housing bubble, exemplify much that is wrong with our economy: deferred interest payments, growing loan balances, low (no?) down payments.

“Covenant-lite PIK Toggles” exemplify the same thing, but how would I ever turn that into a catchy blog title?

Anyway, my point is if American individuals, institutions, companies and governments had more skin in the game–and cared more about paying their debts–we’d all be better off.

Guess that covers it. Enjoy the blog.

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CONTRIBUTORS

• Arthur Kimball, a former reporter for Dow Jones and the Providence Journal, is a freelance writer and a student at Boston College Law School.  At the Providence Journal, Arthur wrote about labor and employment issues. At Dow Jones, he wrote about venture capital investments in the wireless and alternative energy industries. Arthur studied history at the University of Chicago, where he met Rolfe.  Arthur’s main interests are the evolution of the OTC Derivatives market, the potential limits of global economic growth and any other issues surrounding the future place of the United States in the world. Generally, he worries that those who understand how things work are not interested in helping the United States maintain its place in the world and those who do care about where the country moves don’t really understand the choices we must all make going forward.He is neither a liberal nor a conservative. He believes responsible citizens should understand their interests, both as a society and as an individual within it, and work to defend those interests.