The rise of the money cranks
byIt’s official: global economic policy is now firmly in the hands of money cranks. The lesson from the events of 2007-2008 should have been…
Central Banking
Is the Fed likely to alter its easy stance soon?
byOn Thursday April 4 the Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Janet Yellen said in Washington the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) should be prepared to…
Someone has to pay – will it be you?
byThe Cyprus banking kerfuffle has ignited a blogosphere storm debating the likelihood that depositors elsewhere, perhaps even ‘guaranteed’ ones, may find themselves on the…
Assume the brace position
byOn rare occasions I make specific, near-term market predictions, most recently in Q3 last year, when I called for a modest equity market correction….
Intervening in bankers’ pay
byI attended a lecture recently given by Dr. John Thanassoulis from Oxford University. His objective in this lecture was to explore the question of…
The madness of contemporary economists
byThe Bank of England is considering negative interest rates to “stimulate” the economy, together with more QE. It’s one thing to pay a bank…
The Central Bank Revolution I (well ‘nominally’ so)
by“The Checklist Manifesto – How to get things right”, is a masterful book for its narrative and practical application. Written by Atul Gawande, an…
Incredible confusions Part 1: ‘Positive Money’ and the fallacy of the need for a state money producer
byI am usually inclined to encourage the inquiry of the fundamental aspects of money and banking. This is because I tend to believe that…
The continued wealth divide
byLuxury carmaker Rolls-Royce’s 2012 financial results must have brought new worries to those concerned with the growing wealth divide. Rolls-Royce reported a third consecutive…
The true significance of the $1 trillion coin
byUnder President Obama the debt of the United States government has grown by about 50%, and now stands at close to $16 trillion. Every…