Ten years ago, in another country, a man we’ll call Bill, died at 75. He left his wife, a lady we’ll call Betty, $50,000 and a house worth $350,000. Betty was 65, living on a government pension and no longer wanted the hassle of the house. So she sold it, but before leaving she asked […]
Economic Overview Divergent policy cycles remained a significant theme in 2015. US authorities responded to improving economic conditions by raising interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade, while central banks elsewhere opted for further stimulus. China continued to add stimulus to an economy whose growth rate in 2015 fell short of the […]
Being the end of the year, it’s the time when all the financial and economic predictions for the New Year are flying around. Take your pick, but they’ll mostly be wrong or revised mid-year by those who made them so they don’t look so bad. Or they’ll be mildly conflicted. One of the more interesting […]
When a share market has a poor year diversified investors generally have their pain quarantined for various reasons. Investors holding share funds aren’t likely to have their holdings limited to one share market. They’re also not likely to be holding only share based investments. Any portfolio worth its salt would include fixed interest, listed real […]
If there’s one constant about interest rates, it’s no matter where they sit someone will inevitably be grumbling about them. There’s always a belief from some people that they’re entitled to money at a cheaper rate or that they should be compensated better for having money stashed away. When interest rates are high, those who’ve […]