I would worry some of these less friendly business candidates would change the exemptions for municipal bonds. The munis have done well in 2016 albeit not like the Treasuries. The junk munis not as well. HYD, the ETF for junk munis is having one of its worst days in many a moon. If that continues throughout the day will sell a very large slug of my open end junk muni fund

NHMAX up .04 and HYD down .03 today - munis still looking good.

HYD down .11. Had the HYMB junk muni ETF confirmed the weakness in HYD (and on heavy volume too) would have sold more of my open end.

I would worry some of these less friendly business candidates would change the exemptions for municipal bonds. The munis have done well in 2016 albeit not like the Treasuries. The junk munis not as well. HYD, the ETF for junk munis is having one of its worst days in many a moon. If that continues throughout the day will sell a very large slug of my open end junk muni fund

NHMAX up .04 and HYD down .03 today - munis still looking good.

I would worry some of these less friendly business candidates would change the exemptions for municipal bonds. The munis have done well in 2016 albeit not like the Treasuries. The junk munis not as well. HYD, the ETF for junk munis is having one of its worst days in many a moon. If that continues throughout the day will sell a very large slug of my open end junk muni fund

...Just came upon this: I LIKE it.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/obama-budget-taxpayers-stadiums_us_56ba3d4ee4b0c3c5504f0dc7

I would worry some of these less friendly business candidates would change the exemptions for municipal bonds. The munis have done well in 2016 albeit not like the Treasuries. The junk munis not as well. HYD, the ETF for junk munis is having one of its worst days in many a moon. If that continues throughout the day will sell a very large slug of my open end junk muni fund

I think NHMAX might be a better indicator as to the direction of HY munis.

This can't be another 2008 - right?

You meant to ask "This can't be another 1929 - right?"

FYI: When pitching investors, you normally don’t want “hedge fund" and “earthquake” in the same sentence. But Bill Miller, already known for quirky investing methods, is starting a hedge fund that will make bets based in part on a computer model designed to predict natural disasters.
Called Seismic Value Partners 1, the hedge fund marks Miller’s first foray in that business after decades managing mutual funds at Legg Mason. He won approval last month from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to open Miller Value Partners, a money management firm that will oversee his hedge funds.
Regards,
Ted
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-11/bill-miller-s-a-hedge-fund-guy-now-with-a-funky-model-to-try-out

I would worry some of these less friendly business candidates would change the exemptions for municipal bonds. The munis have done well in 2016 albeit not like the Treasuries. The junk munis not as well. HYD, the ETF for junk munis is having one of its worst days in many a moon. If that continues throughout the day will sell a very large slug of my open end junk muni fund

Hi guys!
I've read this thread and I also agree with DlphcOracl and the FIBO numbers. I started following them about a year ago. Beware! They have creedence, and I don't mean Clearwater Revival! '08? I think not. It's just pre-election jitters. Nobody wants to be wrong, so they wait. I have been saying since 2014.....where I work, we have been slowing....things are bad right now.....layoffs are coming.....a 6-week shutdown this summer.......
I do think after the elections things will pick up again. It's just your average bear.....Yogi!!!!! That's all. Relax, boys. In a year, we'll party again.
God bless
the Pudd

One of the few redeeming features of our campaigns is in the humor generated.
A 3-4 minute SNL skit (preceded by a 30-sec advertisement). Good if you like Larry David or Bernie.
http://www.breitbart.com/video/2016/02/06/watch-bernie-sanders-appears-in-snl-skit-alongside-larry-david-talks-democratic-socialism/

Thank you for the lead-in, Hank. Here is that other comment:
The thing with the Bern is that even if we tax the 1% into street-peopledom, the numbers still don't work. I'm all for doing whatever is possible to re-equalize the national wealth to a more reasonable historic level, but that still won't solve all of our "entitlement" issues.
And I now add: As much as I empathize with the basic positions of Mr. Sanders, there is no way that he is going to win a general election. If he is the Democratic candidate, we will have a Republican president.

read and learn
http://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/the-life-cycles-of-empires-lessons-for-america-today
http://www.nairaland.com/1494266/fate-empires-sir-john-glubb

*******************************************
UCG. You must be joking.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Church_of_God
You aren't thirsty?

Lowest common denominator, eh? I mostly despair re: politics. It's a society of sheeple. "...If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." ---Thomas Jefferson. ..... It seems to me that the picture wasn't always so bleak. A renewed emphasis on excellence, rather than mere adequacy, must certainly be a big part of the solution.

read and learn
http://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/the-life-cycles-of-empires-lessons-for-america-today
http://www.nairaland.com/1494266/fate-empires-sir-john-glubb

*******************************************
UCG. You must be joking.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Church_of_God

p.3:

Despite the municipal bond CEFs dominance during the month, only one of the five top-performing individual CEFs in the fixed income universe was housed in Lipper’s General Municipal Bond CEFs macro-classification. At the top of the group was MFS Intermediate High Income Fund (NYSE: CIF, housed in the High Yield [Leveraged] CEFs classification), returning 5.04% and traded at a 12.75 discount on January 29. CIF was followed by DoubleLine Funds: DoubleLine Opportunistic Credit Fund (NYSE: DBL, warehoused in the General Bond CEFs classification), returning 3.07% and traded at a 7.94% discount at month end.

NO, DBL traded at a premium at month-end, as it has been for quite awhile, and that premium is now over 10%.

FYI: For the third consecutive month equity CEFs and fixed income CEFs on average suffered
downside performance on a NAV basis (-5.86% and -0.03%, respectively) for January,
while for the second month in a row equity CEFs posted a negative return on a market
basis (-6.69%) and fixed income CEFs (+0.15%) posted a plus-side market-based return.
Regards,
Ted
http://lipperalpha.financial.thomsonreuters.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/FMIR-US-CE-M-20160131-TR-JT.pdf

Lowest common denominator, eh? I mostly despair re: politics. It's a society of sheeple. "...If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." ---Thomas Jefferson. ..... It seems to me that the picture wasn't always so bleak. A renewed emphasis on excellence, rather than mere adequacy, must certainly be a big part of the solution.

read and learn
http://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/the-life-cycles-of-empires-lessons-for-america-today
http://www.nairaland.com/1494266/fate-empires-sir-john-glubb

Either, or both...depending on what you're looking for.
A lot of dividend payers have been bid up, but some are still attractive. JNJ under 100 is a buy....and HCN got whacked today along with all the other healthcare REITS. I haven't seen that stock in the 50s for awhile. And if PAYX dips below 46, that is also attractive.
As for "dating"? The FANG stocks are looking good if you have that mindset. Not really my cup of tea, as my "gambling" is done as I sit and wait on my one bio from 2 weeks ago.
And....I'm still sitting on cash from my 401K roll over....assiduity at work.

Off topic: I'll probably be voted off the island for writing this, but I think Sanders is a refreshing breath of fresh air to the national political debate. And, I'm a registered Republican that campaigned for Reagan at the Infinite Corridor in 1980 ... although a bit embarrassed to admit that given those in office and running recently ... Sarah Palin, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, etc. Fear the party as I/we once knew it is on verge of collapse.

You won't be voted off the island unless you bash every one equally. But I hear you. Here is my problem:
1. Bernie Sanders - Nice guy, has a good heart. Beat up Wall Street isn't going to grow economy. Will be too distracted with too many things to carry out his agenda against Wall Street and pro consumer things (not that these are necessarily bad things), to do the highest priority things needed. Has no clue of the future technology and how to accommodate/leverage it.
2. Hilary Clinton - Able to do what is needed to win but will be long on rhetoric short on action if elected. Too much politicking, not enough eye on the ball.
3. Donald Trump - Shrewd businessman but every deal he has made has only benefited himself and has crumbled soon after for others. Is the political equivalent of the financial engineering CEO. Not a team player. Ego can't share the stage with anybody so his team including the VP will be some airhead yes-men/women with him micromanaging. Most likely to send US into cultural or economic bankruptcy after window-dressing deals.
4. Ted Cruz - Is going to look like fish out of water when he realizes he has to deliver and can't just blame somebody or tear down things to get support. Will likely find polarizing things to rant against and distract people from his own inability to deliver. Immigrants, almost every other foreign country will be fair game.
Ugh. How did we get here on the greatest country on earth?

@Junkster.

Would it be from the fear of who is elected President later this year?

The market does seem to be inversely correlated to Bernie Sanders' standing in national polls.
Off topic: I'll probably be voted off the island for writing this, but I think Sanders is a refreshing breath of fresh air to the national political debate. And, I'm a registered Republican that campaigned for Reagan at the Infinite Corridor in 1980 ... although a bit embarrassed to admit that given those in office and running recently ... Sarah Palin, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, etc. Fear the party as I/we once knew it is on verge of collapse.