MUST READS
Is the Fed an Enabler? – Cumberland Advisors
Bernanke flunked it – and we will all suffer – Telegraph
China Manufacturing Gauge Rises to Six-Month High – Bloomberg
World From Berlin: Triumph Confirms ‘Era of Merkelism’ – Spiegel
Bailed-Out Nations Get Another Four Years of Merkel – Bloomberg
Shutdown Showdown: Another Game of Political Chicken – Fiscal Times
ML-Implode Defeats Perpetrators of Outlawed FHA Downpayment Scheme – ML-Implode
Once Again, Do Not Pay Attention to that Man behind the Curtain – aucontrarian
Why $100,000 Salary May Yield Retirement Flipping Burgers – Bloomberg
U.S. disability rolls swell in a rough economy – Washington Post
Fidelity sued by employees over its own 401(k) plan – CNN/Money
Financial Conditions – Noland, Prudent Bear
Psychological Ether – Hussman Funds

MARKETS/INVESTING
Futures mixed in very light trading – AP
Fed speak, DC drama could rattle the market – CNBC
Stock market anxieties turn to debt ceiling – MarketWatch
Why Stock Markets May Be Lagging Indicators – Forbes
Fed’s underlying message a bad signal for U.S. profit growth – Reuters
Will The Winning US 60/40 Strategy Keep On Winning? – Capital Spectator
Gold edges lower on caution over U.S. policy outlook – Reuters
The Correlation Between Gold and the Fed Balance Sheet – Azizonomics
The Relationship Between Financial Assets, Time And Gold – GoldSilverWorlds
We are on a gold standard now, even though it is not recognized – RT News
Gold’s Lesson This Week: Ignore Short-Term News – Motley Fool

ECONOMY/WORLD/HOUSING/BANKING
Fear the Boom, Not the Bust – Mises
How a shutdown could affect the economy – CNN/Money
Poverty in a time of prosperity – Inside Story
Consumers’ inflation views diverge from market CPI – Sober Look
Asset Bubbles Found by Economist Inspired by Grandfather – Bloomberg
Greece resumes talks with creditors as strikes planned – BBC
Monte Paschi freezes coupon payments on hybrid debt – Reuters
U.S. Home Values Continue to Surge in August; Pace to Slow – Zillow
Eight Takeaways on Mortgages After the Housing Bust – WSJ
Rethinking Fannie, Freddie—and the 30-Year Mortgage – WSJ
The biggest economic news isn’t yet scheduled – MarketWatch
Monetary Policy In Every Major Economy In The World – BI
Fed tells markets: There is no certainty – Reuters