Economics

2008-12-10 An article about the follies of assuming the economy is linear. It just appears to be. (opens in a new window)

2008-12-08 Robert Peston - analysis of how we got here and where we're going (opens in a new window)

Latest posts

Fri 3rd Jul 2009:

Some insight into the Madoff hustle

Some insight into how Madoff managed to keep his scam going for a decade or more, courtesy of This World, BBC Two, 29/Jun/09. Narrated by Robert Vaughn of recent 'The Hustle' fame, the scam had a couple of interesting threads in there.

Sun 25th Jan 2009:

Peer to peer lending

I discovered Zopa today (http://uk.zopa.com) - a British company which is providing a peer to peer lending platform. Individuals use it to lend money to other individuals.

Sat 27th Dec 2008:

If possible, I buy British

With the Pound sliding and British jobs being lost, I'm focusing a little harder on where things are made. And its not as hard as you'd think to buy affordable British made stuff.

Sun 23rd Nov 2008:

I hope Darling doesn't cut VAT

The Guardian/Observer is reporting that Darling is going to cut VAT as his fiscal stimulus. The article includes quotes from someone they found who thought it was a good idea, but I think its deeply flawed for the following reasons:

Wed 29th Oct 2008:

Hedge fund traders maybe more inclined now to buy Lotus, Mercedes and BMW, etc. but not Porsche!

Porsche's unexpected announcement that it had options on enough shares in VW to increase its stake to 75% caught hedge funds napping, and cost them £18Bn from the total value of all the short positions on VW shares.

Sun 12th Oct 2008:

A nod towards responsible lending?

Checking current rates on the Skipton Building Society website, I notice that they're offering a 90-95% mortgage. Providing someone you know is prepared to put the balance above 75% into a Skipton savings account.

Sat 10th Nov 2007:

Northern Rock went broke 'cos of "balance transfer deals"

Northern Rock didn't go broke because people withdrew their savings, or because they built their success by borrowing money. No, they went broke because - in effect - their business was built on chasing balance transfer deals on credit cards.

Sun 23rd Sep 2007:

Reasons for doing business with Building Societies

The Northern Rock incident has highlighted some key distinctions between banks and building societies.

Mon 27th Aug 2007:

Personal debt crosses GDP threshold

Coverage of the ongoing issue of personal debt continues, with the prediction that the level of personal debt will this year equal or exceed the gross domestic product of the UK.

Sat 18th Aug 2007:

Cartoon-like gravity defiance

At least one astute observer compares the state of the markets to cartoon characters running off the edge of a cliff; only plummeting when they notice there's nothing beneath them.

Sun 5th Aug 2007:

State, governments, sovereignty.

Gordon Brown has scrapped regional assemblies. They formed the democratic wing of the regional 'Government Offices' which have to exist so they can attract EU funds. The comprised nominated Councillors from Councils within the area and were politically balanced to represent the region.

Sun 22nd Jul 2007:

Private equity imploding?

Forget milk or wine: the global finance system has a debt mountain of $100Bn waiting to be sold. And by the autumn, pending mergers and acquisitions will double this to $200Bn.

Earlier Stories

Complete archive on the official site