Market Commentary Highlights...

• Europe’s Greece fire has been burning for well over a year despite attempts by the ECB and IMF to put it out. Investors are feeling the heat of the Greece fire, as it has added to the pressures on markets in recent weeks. However, after having spilled over into some European banks, it is highly unlikely to spread to the rest of the world in a dangerous fashion and trigger another global financial crisis.
  

• While the events of 2008 are fresh in market participants’ minds, and it is often easy to draw comparisons to that financial crisis, there are other historical parallels — such as Argentina’s default in late 2001 — that present much less dire comparisons.

• Many factors are likely to avoid a financial crisis stemming from Greece’s financial problems. European banks have already cut their exposure to the troubled peripheral European nations in half, a rescue package is emerging that avoids restructuring until banks are further braced for it, and money market funds are insignificantly exposed to European lenders most at risk of losses on Greek debt.

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Lincoln Savings Bank and LSB Financial are pleased to provide the above Economic Commentary for the week of June 20, 2011. The commentary is prepared by LPL FINANCIAL RESEARCH, the broker-dealer partner for Lincoln Savings Bank and LSB Financial. The above commentary and others like it can be found at www.mylsb.com/investments/commentary.aspx

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This information is being provided by Lincoln Savings Bank (LSB) / LSB Financial, an Iowa-based institution devoted to providing complete financial services since 1902. www.mylsb.com