August 23, 2007
While politicians and inside analysts are attempting to put a brave face on the current turmoil on the financial markets, commentators are likening the current subprime mortgage crisis to a pyramid scheme.
In a recent CNN interview, Nouriel Roubini pointed out that current Federal Reserve estimates of the problem may be extraordinarily undervalued at $100 billion.
Instead, he points out that minority ...
Subprime Credit Bubble Yet to Burst
by Brian Turner
August 22, 2007
When I first set up in business a few years ago, I had no idea what my annual income would be.
Tax Credits were still relatively new, but they wouldn't take an estimate of my income.
And I couldn't give an exact income figure until my accounts were finished at the end of the tax year.
Which meant being able to provide an income figure that the ...
Tax credits overpayment
by Brian Turner
August 18, 2007
The HSBC offers a Premier Banking service, like a number of other high street banks.
Benefits offered include free travel insurance, preferential lending rates, and improved customer service.
Unfortunately, it's difficult to relate in what way the customer service is actually improved.
True, you may find yourself able to avoid queues in high street branches by being ushered to a more private area, where your banking ...
HSBC Premier Banking - not the best service around
by Brian Turner
August 10, 2007
Today we've seen the FTSE 100 and other major stock indices tumble as the shockwaves from the housing and subprime mortgage market collapse in the USA.
These shockwaves are likely to impact the ordinary UK consumer in a number of ways - there's a danger of pension funds being adversely affected at best, and a threat of recession at worse.
Either way, the effects ...
Bank charge cases a bigger threat to UK than stock falls
by Brian Turner
FTSE falls as Morgan Stanley warning coming true
by Brian Turner
World banks continue to try to avert credit crunch
by Brian Turner
July 31, 2007
The UK faces extra inflationary pressures, and further interest rate rises, later in the year, due to a combination of flood damage to crops and increasing fuel prices.
The severe flooding across June and July has seriously damaged the UK's farming production, with extensive damage to crops such as potatoes, peas, sprouts, wheat, barley and various garden vegetables.
According to farmers, this has seriously ...
Farm floods to fuel UK inflation
by Brian Turner
July 26, 2007
It's six weeks now since Morgan Stanley issued a stark pronouncement - European equities markets were about to take a big hit, predicting as much as 15% wiped out from equity value.
World markets were already aware that the days of cheap loans were over, and even before the warning we saw the US market slumping, warnings of over-valuation ...
The end of the Bull Market?
by Brian Turner
May 16, 2007
Home owners insurance is a valuable investment, especially given the rising weather related claims.
Over the last several months, insurance claims have been on a steady rise due to gusting winds, severe storms, and tornado weather across the mainland. Even with the ravages of recent storms, 36% of homes are not insured.
Experts are predicting that 2007 will ...
Weather damage highlights need for home insurance
by Kathyrn Lang
April 20, 2007
For a few years all the warning signs have been present - that the UK was moving out of a booming economic cycle, and that recession could threaten the UK.
Now the problem looming appears even worse - that of global stagflation.
I was speaking with a friend who runs a company providing overseas property investment opportunities. I asked which regions are ...
Global Stagflation: for every investor
by Brian Turner
April 6, 2007
You may have heard of the DJ DAX and EURO STOXX and you're wondering what these are. Contrary to what you might expect, they're not stores in SoHo or slim geeks dueling on the wheels of steel. These are both equity futures contracts traded at Eurex, which is the second largest derivatives exchange in the world ...
Trading the Global Markets: Dow Jones DAX and EURO STOXX 50
by Khurram Naik
March 21, 2007
The battle for the CBOT between CME and ICE is illustrative of the future of futures. Futures exchanges are no longer simply markets, but for-profit businesses, and unlike most for-profit businesses or even most exchanges special considerations must be made. Futures contracts are not like stocks, which can be bought at one exchange and sold at another. Most futures contracts are not fungible ...
The heat over ICE
by Khurram Naik
March 9, 2007
In most people's minds finance and economics are the domains of clear, quantitative thinking. Economists merely uncover financial truth one after another as they develop new mathematical tools for modeling capital and how wealth is created. Markets, likewise, are ethereal natural forces tapped into rather than created. In truth, the assumptions that underly the pricing models used for the past three decades are ...
Behavioral Economics: A Primer
by Khurram Naik
Futures Trading: A few examples
by Khurram Naik
March 1, 2007
India banned futures trading in wheat and rice yesterday. According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, India is the world's second largest producer of wheat. India just began importing wheat after 6 years and recently banned exports. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is facing unrest as inflation rises. India is also potentially faced with lowering import duties on commodities.
Wheat futures surged ...
The Future of Futures in India
by Khurram Naik
Alternative Rock and Alternative Investment
by Khurram Naik
February 23, 2007
The housing market is booming - is continuing to boom - and with estate agents reporting invigorated increases for Jan 2007, there's no slowdown in sight.
This should be an ideal time for property investment - while house prices continue to rise, there are profits to be made.
And why shouldn't they keep rising? After all, it's commonly reported that there's ...
Property statistics investors needs to watch
by Brian Turner
Refund Loans - Don’t Go There
by Kathyrn LangAs if the traditional loans, the credit cards, and the banks weren’t taking enough of the average man’s wages – now tax preparers are popping up to take the tax refund even before it makes it to the people’s hands. It’s not “interest rates” that are eating up the tax refunds. Instead, companies are calling it an advancement fee or extra fee. Basically, the company that does ...
February 21, 2007
I recently read an article about investing in gold. It’s just beyond my ability to fathom. What do you do with a great big old gold bar any way? For me, investments are a bit of a mystery. I tried mutual funds. I sat down with the investment office expert. I asked questions, and I thought I understood what she was saying and what I was ...
Investing Is Making Me Dizzy
by Kathyrn LangI recently read an article about investing in gold. It’s just beyond my ability to fathom. What do you do with a great big old gold bar any way? For me, investments are a bit of a mystery. I tried mutual funds. I sat down with the investment office expert. I asked questions, and I thought I understood what she was saying and what I was ...
February 20, 2007
Writing a business plan can be as simple as ABC. A – Action Plan. You need to devise a step by step guide on what you are going to do and when. B – Budget. Know the cost of different aspects of the future business. Set up a system for dealing with those costs. C – Current Situation. List the factors that are in line at present, include market ...
Business Plan ABC’s – Getting Started
by Kathyrn LangWriting a business plan can be as simple as ABC. A – Action Plan. You need to devise a step by step guide on what you are going to do and when. B – Budget. Know the cost of different aspects of the future business. Set up a system for dealing with those costs. C – Current Situation. List the factors that are in line at present, include market ...