The Federal Open Market Committee’s notes from their November 1 meeting caused a stir on Wall Street yesterday. macroblog and the Big Picture both have interesting takes on the report.

InstitutionalInvestor.com has a article on the difficulty smaller firms are having in introducing new exchange-traded funds to the marketplace. Well-established firms like Barclays Global Investors and State Street Global Advisors dominate the marketplace and have some advantages when it comes to speed to market. Upstarts are at a legal disadvantage and need to be more creative in the design and marketing of their ETFs.

It’s not often that you get a lesson in behavioral economics and politics. However Holman W. Jenkins Jr. in the Wall Street Journal introduces the concept of “availability cascadeâ€? in regards to the recent political furor over oil company profits. Worth a look for those interested in the intersection of psychology, politics and the markets.

If you have not already entered, you can read about our book giveaway here.

Blogging will be limited the rest of the week. We hope you and your family have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.