Since a U.S. dollar collapse is ranked as the greatest risk to the world, and dollar's fate is largely dependent on if the bond market has faith in Uncle Sam, it might be helpful to add five additional warning signs that the bond market is freaking out (see chart):
- Prices of bonds maturing start falling (i.e., investors start to demand higher interest rates to hold U.S. government debt).
- A narrower spread between rates on Treasury bills and other short-term credit or near substitutes, e.g. LIBOR - This would be a sign of waning faith in the U.S. government.
- A narrower spread between Treasuries and near substitutes - A sign of falling creditworthiness of Uncle Sam.
- Price spikes in U.S. CDS (credit default swaps, insuring against a U.S. debt default) - According to Markit, the most noticeable movement has occurred in 1-year spreads, which have converged closer to 5-year spreads, and is up about 430% since early April, while 5-year CDS also has risen about 46%.
- Higher volatility in the U.S. bond market - Another sign of lost confidence from bond investors.
(Click to enlarge) Chart Source: The Washington Post
So far, out of the 20 signs, there's one that's sending up a red signal flare - U.S. sovereign debt CDS, which is directly linked to the dollar (see chart above).
The U.S. does not have control over many of the indicators listed here, but at least the No. 1 risk factor -- the U.S. dollar -- is influenced by the national debt and by the monetary and fiscal policies set by the U.S. government and the Federal Reserve.
The longer the debt ceiling debate lingers, the more likely the bond market would start reacting and demanding higher interest rates. A sovereign credit downgrade as a result of missing the debt ceiling deadline would just translate into billions more in interest payments, piling on to the existing debt.
The United States is not like Iceland or Argentina, resorting to default as retorted by some could mean calamity not only to its citizens, but also to the rest of the world. Unless the government and this Congress get their act together, there will be no bailout, and instead of one lost generation to the Great Recession, there could be multi-generation missed in the next Grand Depression.
EconMatters.com
