Mitt Romney Archives - the patient investor %

By JOSH BOAK, The Fiscal Times

August 11, 2012

Bowing to pressure from the conservative wing of his party, Republican Mitt Romney has picked House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan as his vice presidential running mate, and ensured that the congressman’s controversial plan to transform Medicare into a voucher-type program will become a central issue in the presidential race.

via Romney’s VP: Paul Ryan—A Bold Choice, a Big Risk.

Colin Twiggs

Colin Twiggs is a former investment banker with almost 40 years of experience in financial markets. He founded PVT Capital (AFSL number 546090), which provides income and growth strategies to wholesale clients.

Colin also co-founded Incredible Charts and writes the popular Patient Investor newsletter.

Using a top-down approach, Colin identifies macro trends in the global economy and then combines fundamental and technical analysis to evaluate opportunities in sectors that stand to benefit.

Focusing on interest rates and financial market liquidity as primary drivers of the economic cycle, he warned of the 2008/2009 and 2020 bear markets well ahead of actual events.

I enjoyed this comment on the NYtimes website by A Man from Poland in response to Paul Krugman’s criticism of Mitt Romney lavishing praise on the Polish economy. Especially because Krugman concludes: “Doesn’t anyone tell Romney to do his homework?”

Mr Krugman,

I see that you don’t know too much about situation in Poland.

Of course I agree that currency depreciation was one of main reasons of Poland’s relative resilience in the crisis.

But there were second very important reason – income tax cuts in 2008.

In 2008, the first time from 10 years we had income tax cut in Poland.

Till 2007 we had 19%, 30% and 40% progressive income tax rates. In 2008 19% tax rate was decreased to 18%, 30% was decreased to 18% and 40% tax rate (for the richest taxpayers) was reduced to 32%. So, we changed 19%-30%-40% progressive system into less progressive, lower income tax system 18%-32%.

In 2008 there was also social security tax reduction which additionally decreased labour cost in Poland.

So, thanks to income tax cuts and social security tax cuts we have maintained (roughly) employment rate and consumption level in Poland and it was second important reason of quite good situation in Poland.

via Poles Apart – NYTimes.com.

Colin Twiggs

Colin also co-founded Incredible Charts and writes the popular Patient Investor newsletter.

Using a top-down approach, Colin identifies macro trends in the global economy and then combines fundamental and technical analysis to evaluate opportunities in sectors that stand to benefit.

Focusing on interest rates and financial market liquidity as primary drivers of the economic cycle, he warned of the 2008/2009 and 2020 bear markets well ahead of actual events.