Monthly Archives: August 2013

(Originally published here.) Tim Harford has a gift for explaining complex economic concepts in plain language. It’s therefore regrettable to see him suggest in his latest column in the Financial Times that regulators encourage the adoption of a new financial instrument that … Continue reading →

(Originally published here.) Every year, the Federal Reserve releases the financial information of the men and women serving on its Board of Governors. Yesterday, the Washington Post’s Neil Irwin pointed out a few fun facts such as the value of Janet Yellen’s … Continue reading →

(Originally published here.) Emerging markets have been among the biggest victims of bets that the U.S. Federal Reserve is getting ready to take away the monetary punch bowl. This has led to a lot of whining from people who ought to know … Continue reading →

(Originally published here.) Microsoft’s decline from technology superpower to office utility has many causes, but none has received more focus than the management technique known inside the company as “stack ranking.” Everyone on every team is divided into three groups. A few … Continue reading →

(Originally published here.) Stanford economist Robert Hall presented the first paper at this morning’s monetary policy confab in Jackson, Wyoming, and while he touched on a number of topics, one stood out because it reflects deep misunderstandings about the banking system. Hall … Continue reading →

(Originally published here.) So now we know that Microsoft’s Chief Executive Officer, Steve Ballmer, plans to retire within the next year. “Huzzah!” said the markets, as the stock price jumped on the news in what also must have been just … Continue reading →

(Originally published here.) Central banking is a weird business: Small groups of unelected officials affect the fates of billions. One particular concern is that policies meant to benefit everyone might help some more than others. It’s a topic that occupied … Continue reading →

(Originally published here.) On Saturday, a helicopter flying over the small beach town of Lewes, Delaware dropped $10,000 in small bills over a mesmerized populace. The event was one of the last wishes of Leonard Maull, the former proprietor of a bait-and-tackle … Continue reading →

(Originally published here.) Since the beginning of June, bonds with lower credit ratings have done better than ones with higher ratings. This supports the view that interest rates are rising because the U.S. economy’s prospects are improving. While those who worry … Continue reading →

(Originally published here.) Bloomberg News reports that investors in SAC Capital, the $14 billion hedge fund recently indicted for encouraging insider trading, want to get their money out as soon as possible. They are worried that their funds might be seized by … Continue reading →