There’s no fee for investing in the bank’s new Asia ex-Japan Protected Growth Plan 5. (We guess here at BullionVault that means there are already four in issue.) And with the exception of a transfer charge of £100 plus VAT (approx. $230), “all other charges are taken into account in setting the terms offered,” says the brochure. Nor could you ask for better timing…
July 7th, 2008 | Adrian Ash | 1 comment | ContinuedEurope
Commentary on European economics, politics and society by your Daily Reckoning editors in Melbourne, Australia. Still haven’t subscribed to the Daily Reckoning? What are you waiting for… sign up here, it’s free!
A chronological listing of articles is below.
Cattle Prices Have Risen Only 1% This Year
Yes, we are in the cattle business - in Argentina, no less. Cattle prices have risen only 1% this year. South of the Rio Plata, the cattle business is worse. Farmers have been getting rid of cattle so they can plant corn, soybeans and wheat.
June 27th, 2008 | Bill Bonner | 3 comments | Continued
The Anniversary of the “Esperanto Money”
We remember when it came out. The “Esperanto Money,” we called it, referring to the ersatz language that never quite caught on. The dollar is bad enough; at least it is supported by the full faith and credit of the United States of America, for whatever that is worth.
June 3rd, 2008 | Bill Bonner | 1 comment | Continued
Consumers are Suffering Because European Governments Boosted Spending
The biggest laugh I had all week was from Bloomberg.com reporting that “European consumers are ‘suffering as surging food and energy prices erode the value of their wages’, finance officials said” which is not itself funny, but the article immediately goes on that this is “urging governments to boost spending to help the poorest deal with the fastest inflation in 16 years.” Hahahaha!
May 27th, 2008 | Mogambo Guru | 1 comment | Continued
Pension System: A Conversation With Chile’s Former Labor Minister
We had dinner with a fellow who made a real change – Jose Pinera. As Chile’s Labor Minister in the ‘80s, he completely changed the system of public pension financing and provided a model for the rest of the world.
May 19th, 2008 | Bill Bonner | 2 comments | Continued
No Modern Government Policy is So Stupid that the Romans Didn’t Think of it First
As a business model, Rome’s strategy was obviously flawed; like a credit bubble, it required constant expansion. Still it was nice in the beginning. The early days of the Roman Empire were like the early days of the British Empire or the American Hegemony. Expansion opened up new markets and brought in new supplies of raw materials at better prices. Not only was there booty; there were also slaves.
May 8th, 2008 | Bill Bonner | 2 comments | Continued
Boris Johnson is the New Mayor of London
Boris Johnson is the new mayor of London. He’s also the former editor of the British magazine, The Spectator, for which we occasionally contribute an article. Our old friend, Sue Easton, writing in Human Events has this to say about Boris:
May 7th, 2008 | Bill Bonner | 1 comment | Continued
The Major Difference Between Rome and the U.S. – Electronic Transfers
Now we will ask you a question, dear reader: What is an electronic transfer? Or, in an electronic transfer, what is transferred? “Electrons,” you will answer. Or perhaps “information.” Or a “symbol of wealth”…something that represents money.
April 30th, 2008 | Bill Bonner | 2 comments | Continued
Farming Cattle is Out; Farming Soybeans is In
“There’s no money in cattle now. So my father sold our ranch over in Angustura. We’re buying a big farm in Bolivia. It’s about 7,500 acres. Very rich. And with lots of water…
April 11th, 2008 | Bill Bonner | 1 comment | Continued
The Market is Willing to Lend to Icelandic Banks Again
We mentioned Icelandic bonds the other day. They’re an intriguing investment because yields are exceptionally high. Obviously, wherever you get high rewards, it is a good idea to look around to find out why; there’s bound to be a reason.
April 7th, 2008 | Bill Bonner | 1 comment | Continued