3 things bigger than the taper on Wall Street
Commentary: Investors could be in for a rough ride before year end
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Will all this talk about the “taper” ever end? How about just taper off?
If you’re an investor in stocks or bonds or have a loan with a variable interest rate, you’re probably watching the “taper” headlines closely.
The “taper,” of course is the Federal Reserve’s plan to end its up to $85 billion a month bond buying program. The bond buying was designed as a sort of back-door stimulus package. It’s supposed to free up cash for investment in the economy. Without it, that investment could shrivel, job growth slow, the economy stall even more.
Raising interest rates is next on the Fed’s agenda. So, when there’s talk about the taper, it’s only a matter of time before borrowing costs more. Uh oh.
This column rarely gives investment advice. But I’d argue that there are more pressing concerns for investors — a few of them, in fact. A lot of anti-Fed types argue that the bond-buying program is helping little and actually making matters worse by expanding the Fed’s balance sheet to bubble-sized proportions.
Even if you are of the opposite view, consider these looming issues: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/3-things-big...beforebell
