What happens if US interest rates continue to rise?
Since October 2010 the interest rates on long term US treasury bills have risen by a full percentage point to around 3.3 percent. While these rates are low by historical standards, what will happen to...
View ArticleThe Strange Death of QE2
The second round of Quantitative Easing (QE2) by the United States Federal Reserve, whose launch was heralded with much fanfare in the third quarter of 2010, faces termination at the end of this month....
View ArticleWhen will Greece finally default?
From time to time European policymaking descends into evasion and double talk. This is such a time as steps are taken to stave off Greece’s inevitable default. No one should be fooled. The financial...
View ArticleThe Washington Debt Fiasco: Financial Markets Think Again, Should You?
Financial market sentiment has shifted perceptibly over the past 36 hours. No longer are the markets so sure that politicians in Washington DC will bite the bullet and come up with a deal to raise the...
View ArticleCan the Swiss National Bank tame the Strong Swiss Franc? If so, is it worth it?
Last week the Swiss National Bank (SNB) announced–much to the surprise of financial markets–that it would take all necessary measures to ensure that the Swiss Franc traded at no less than 1.2 to the...
View ArticleTwo more mantras now in trouble
Major economic crises don’t just claim the reputations of the odd banker, finance minister, or two. Part of the ensuing blame game also discredits certain widely held mantras that guide policymaking....
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