10 For 10: 10 Predictions For 2010

Every pundit puts out an annual list of what to look for in the upcoming year.  Most do so in either late December or very early January.  It's now this pundit's turn to give his "Take".

In no particular order of importance, I expect to see the following:

1.  The economy, currently in "recovery" mode, will start to sputter by no later than the middle of the second quarter, and will cascade lower into the end of the year (http://markostake.blogspot.com/2009/12/recovery-recession-or-depression.html).

2.  Residential home prices wll RISE through 2010 (http://markostake.blogspot.com/2010/01/bottom-in-real-estate.html).

3.  Commercial real estate collapses, led by closures of strip malls and the failure of small businesses (http://markostake.blogspot.com/2009/11/small-business-failures-leading.html).

4.  Stocks RISE in 2011 (http://markostake.blogspot.com/2010/01/why-does-stock-market-act-like.html).

5.  Republicans take the House and the Senate.

6.  Interest rates will remain low throughout the year (http://markostake.blogspot.com/2010/01/have-any-interest-in-future-direction.html).

7.  Some version of a "Windfall Profits Tax" gets enacted on oil companies.

8.  Obamacare does NOT pass in anything close to its current form, unless via executive mandate (http://markostake.blogspot.com/2009/12/obamacare-part-1-whos-fer-it-whos-agin.html), (http://markostake.blogspot.com/2009/12/obamacare-part-2-when-us-gets-involved.html),
(http://markostake.blogspot.com/2009/12/obamacare-part-3-economic-reality.html).

9.  Shortages of necessities such as food, water, gasoline and other staples will lead to unprecedented civil disobedience and riots.

10. Gold will reach something in the order of $5,000 and Silver $250 per ounce by the end of the year or early 2011.

11.  I will make an 11th prediction:  The U.S. Dollar will be virtually, if not entirely relegated to second-tier status.

As you can tell from the 11th prediction, at least one of my forecasts came true.  I did indeed make an 11th prediction! 

You didn't think I'd take a chance on going 0 for 10 did you?

Thanks for reading!  If you have some predictions of your own or think I missed mentioning one, you know what to do:  TAKE ME ON!

Marko's Take