Both candidates for president have been light on details about their vision for the next four years. We know who Obama’s economic advisors are, so we probably have a pretty good idea about their views on financial issues. But what about Romney?
Romney’s “Go-To Economist” is R. Glenn Hubbard. If his name sounds familiar, that may be because he is the dean of Columbia Business School.
He was also the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers for George W. Bush, and the architect of the Bush tax cuts. Subsequently, he has championed the cause of the mutual fund industry’s approach to charging fees, stating that it was essentially impossible for mutual fund advisers to overcharge on fees because the mutual fund business was so competitive. For his advice, this industry has paid him over $1 million.
He testified for Fidelity in a case where company employees sued for excessive fees to manage their 401(k) plan. He was paid $420,000 for that testimony, but Fidelity lost that case.
He has also worked for the insurance arm of the Investment Company Institute, a lobbying group that paid him $150,000 for an academic paper.
Hubbard co-wrote a recent position paper titled “The Romney Program for Economic Recovery, Growth and Jobs.” In this paper, he favors, reducing federal spending, cutting marginal tax rates 20% across the board, reducing Social Security and Medicare benefits for wealthy seniors, repealing Dodd-Frank financial regulation and repealing the Affordable Care Act, sometimes called “Obamacare.”
While on Bush’s economic advisory team, Hubbard supported reducing divident taxes to zero.
Other consulting/advisory positions held by Hubbard include Freddie Mac, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs. In one paper that he co-authored, he opined that “credit derivative(s) have become an important element that helped protect bank lending portfolios against loss.”
As Romney’s likely nominee for Treasury Secretary, Hubbard provides ample evidence of what voters may expect from his economic policies.
As always, I welcome your comments.
The key here is to begin making some decisions on your own. What is it you want to do? Sounds like you have the insurance thing figured out, are you seeking agreement? concensus? There are no "shoulds" only decisions based on rational/critical 
Oh my gosh! I felt your inner pain ... and I apologize for the fact that when I got to the part about setting your hair on fire, I laughed. I'm so glad you weren't hurt, and hair grows back. Perhaps a new hair-do would not only rectify the situation 
There is no such thing as a legal separation in my state..The only way I can get husband out of the house is to force him out..He refuses to leave..I would have to file for divorce and get temporary orders including a restraining order..
I feel so
doggiediva - I live in Florida which is a no fault divorce state. Everything that was accumulated during a marriage has to be divvied up 50/50. Unfortunately, he has nothing but the house to offer you. Because of your health situation he may not be e
KItty I wish you would come to my country and give the same unbiased advice. Most of us just don’t have the background or resources to investigate our politicians. Someone like you is a valuable source for the voters.
Thanks for your comment, Arden. The fact is that I spent my life in finance, and over the years was lucky enough to develop relationships with journalists and academians who valued knowledge over bias.
I appreciate your thoughts. May I ask what country you’re from?
I’m in Canada Kitty and we are following your election campaign closely because I guess that is what neighbours do. I have always considered myself a liberal conservative but now it appears that you have to be either a rabid conservative (republican in the states) or a rabid liberal ( democrats) or a pure socialist ( New Democrats) and I don’t want to be either. I want fiscal responsibility on the government’s part coupled with protection and support of both the working class and the under-privileged and there just does not seem to be a party that stands for that here anymore. Really causes some problems when there is an election for like minded people and there are a lot of us out there.
Hi arden, and thank you for your reply. Indeed we seem to have fallen to the extremes, but in reality, actual citizens of the US are mostly quite reasonable people.
I thought you might enjoy a post written by a friend of mine on this very subject. http://thelintscreen.com/2012/10/26/ohio-secedes-from-the-union/
Thanks again for your thoughts. As Churchill said, the US is likely to do the right thing. After we do everything else.