“The Federal Reserve’s move to eliminate its monthly asset purchasing program will cause a ‘collapse in asset prices and a severe recession,’ according to economist Michael Pento.  It will be all part of the end of the so-called wealth effect touted by former central bank Chairman Ben Bernanke, who asserted that rising asset prices in the stock market and elsewhere would help boost confidence and generate economic activity, Pento charged in a blog post Monday.  The longtime Fed critic said the withdrawal of quantitative easing will cause a sharp decrease in housing prices and stocks despite consensus predictions that the effects will be minimal.”