Bank CDs and Investments

One of the newer investment strategies is to bundle equities, bonds, commodities, and global currencies into three to six year notes with no access to your investment until the note is retired. The upside is that regardless of a down market, the worst one can do is to recover their initial principal. The downside is that in an up market you cannot transfer your money into a more liquid asset. Banks bundle these notes and sell them to customers to increase their own liquidity for short-term currency investments and to reduce debt.

Big Three Auto Bailout

Congress will vote today on the 15 Billion dollar loan to GM, Chrysler, and Ford (although Ford doesn't need money in 2008); the Senate holds the ticket and the Big Three need 60 senators to agree on the loan which calls for an "auto czar" and a detailed plan by 3/31/09 from the automakers or they default on their loan at six percent interest.