During my entire life (which commenced in 1959), I have only ever known economic growth. Since the early 1960s, world economic growth has averaged 3.8% per annum. Those fortunate enough to be living in the developed world have enjoyed the lion’s share of the world’s economic bounty. However, will the generations coming after us boomers be able to say they’ve had a lifetime of continuous growth in the decades to come? Read on…
Debt Ceiling or Trap Door?
Watching President Biden and Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy’s charade of acting responsibly, while giving the green light to another two years of unfettered and wasteful spending, was nauseating. All that Biden and McCarthy have done is buy (or, should that be, borrowed) more time. The massive debt problem is NOT going away, just deferred. Read on…
Back to Earth with a Thud
The fates of Virgin Galactic and Virgin Orbit come as no surprise to those who understand that economic reality will always end up being priced in. There are countless examples of overpromising and under-delivery in the stock market. And that is why you should beware of the hype around AI…
An Era of Low Returns Awaits…Are You Prepared?
The 20th century was one of great changes and advancement…especially from 1950 onwards. In the history of human progress, there was never a better time to be alive. A rising tide of prosperity lifted all boats. Sadly, we’re witnessing the demise of the middle class. In view of strong headwinds — technology and increased competition from the Asian economies — it’s unlikely we’ll see a return to the stellar growth rates of yesteryear…
The Real Wealth in Family Wealth
For me, the most treasured gifts our children can inherit are good values, manners, self-respect, being appreciative, gratitude and personal responsibility. These intangible qualities are genuine wealth. Don’t get me wrong, money is important. But it is not the be-all and end-all. However, the greatest asset bubble in the history of money is in the very early stages of deflating. Unfortunately for many families, money that was easy to ‘come’ by, is now going to ‘go’. Relationships are going to be tested. Difficult times are when true character is revealed. Will there be enough emotional glue to hold families together?
BitCON…It’s All in the Narrative
Today’s topic is BitCON…no, that’s not a spelling mistake. The fraudsters who set-up the crypto scam were very clever in their word choice…cryptocurrency. This stuff was not and NEVER, EVER will be a medium of exchange. If you want to buy groceries, pay taxes, make a loan repayment, fill up your car, pay your power bill etc. — all the things we do in the real world — you need a medium of exchange the government agencies and service providers will accept. Cryptos ain’t it…
Don’t Be Fooled by a World of Deception
Oh, how the world wants to be deceived. And when it comes to deception, there’s none better at it than Wall Street. If you believe the hype, there is never a bad time to invest. Shares always go up in the long term. But very few stop to ask: What’s propelling those prices higher, and can it be sustained? Fortunately, there are some in the investment business who are real thinkers and want to share their wisdom with the investing public…
Society, to Its Own Peril, Is Missing the Big Picture — Part Two
Quick Summary: The interlocking cycles — political, welfare, interest rates, market, inflation — are all moving in a direction that, depending upon your age, could seriously impact your life cycle. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the vast majority of society, to their own peril, are missing the Big Picture…
Society, to Its Own Peril, Is Missing the Big Picture — Part One
From birth to death, our lives are subject to the constant force of change. Events occur that are beyond our individual control. Like whether the RBA will or won’t raise or lower rates. Or whether the economically challenged Greens will hold the balance of power.
The Voice — Another Thin Edge to Say No to
Governments are ‘problem creators’, not ‘solution providers’. Experience overwhelmingly shows us government ‘reforms’ are invariably the ‘thin edge of an ever-expanding wedge’. Once introduced, these schemes — no matter how well intended — only increase in size and expense…becoming costly problems for future taxpayers. The latest one — the Voice — is no exception…
