Global Capital. Clear Intelligence.
We are in the throes of a third wave. Instead of buying and selling assets one way (as tangibles) or the other (as symbols) – we increasingly trade in expectations (in other words, we transfer risks). The markets in derivatives (options, futures, indices, swaps, collateralized instruments, and so on) are flourishing. Economies revolve around and … Read more
World in 2020 image via Wikipedia None can foretell the future, and yet the shape of what we face can be shrewdly estimated with enough attention to historical trends; with broad contextual understanding; and with sufficient insight into the character of leaders, their societies, and the structures which define their basis. These estimates will be … Read more
Financial Advisers can have great opportunities and be real assets to their communities, but they can fall prey to avoidable mistakes. Mistakes 1 through 6 cover ethical concerns and 7 through ten cover business strategy and personal concerns. 1) Making uninformed judgements. In order to stop mistakes, be sure to double check appropriate rates and … Read more
One way to diversify your investment portfolio and potentially see bigger returns on your investments is to invest offshore. When choosing to invest offshore you are gaining access to untapped and potentially lucrative markets in countries that many investors would not even consider investing in. There are a number of directions to go when considering … Read more
‘The Importance of Being Long-term’: Vanguard’s William McNabb on What’s Ahead for Investors William McNabb became chief executive officer of The Vanguard Group on August 31, 2008 — two weeks before the financial world went into free fall. On the evening of Sunday, September 14, the day Lehman Bros. declared bankruptcy, he was in Washington, … Read more
Currency, like all forms of abstract value, is based on trust. And trust itself is based – except among the most naïve – on experience, and the repetitive demonstration of fidelity, whether positive or negative. At present, the US dollar, which had experienced a gradual rise during the 20th Century to the position gained well … Read more
The Dow has closed above 11,000, the European Union is bailing out Greece and the U.S. economy seems to be perking up. Is the future as bright as it looks? In fact, it looks pretty good, says Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel. While the Dow’s 11,000 close doesn’t mean much to professional market watchers, it … Read more
SandRidge Energy’s agreement this week to acquire Arena Resources, a producer of conventional oil in West Texas, for $1.6 billion is the latest example of natural gas companies seeking to balance their portfolios with more oil as the two resources decouple in price. Natural gas prices have fallen more than 25% this year to below … Read more
The Monfort Plan (Wiley Finance, April 2010) presents the new architecture of a redefined capitalism. This summary piece introduces the five year action plan and explains why a new architecture may be needed in today’s environment. Today’s capitalism is based on a vintage architecture that dates back to the 1940s and the American effort to … Read more