Asking the Right Questions
Paying for Negative Externalities
It is not every day you come across an article entitled “Warren Buffett is Everything That’s Wrong With America”. It is a thought provoking piece that I would highly recommend you read, forcing you to think more philosophically about the mass produced, advertising driven…
Loyalty is subjective, but definitely in short supply in football
Like valuation in financial markets, loyalty is also subjective. There are those who believe they prescribe to the ideal of loyalty, only to be found wanting when their character is tested. It is something that is at the heart of all relationships, but of…
Beggar-my-neighbour policies
There seems to be an increasing sense of uncertainty developing on how the US Federal Reserve will manage policy over the next six months. The narrative emerging is that the Fed have backed themselves into a corner on a rate hike, something that is…
Football, People and Decision Making
For any of the football fans who read my commentary, you may have been wondering if I took a convenient sick day yesterday after Sunday’s defeat to Manchester United. Thankfully, my client meeting in Kerry spared me the smugness (deserved) of the Manchester United fans…
Rising Inequality: The Side Effect of Monetary Policy
The wealth effect theory – where rising asset prices makes consumers feel wealthier, causing them to spend more – has been the prime driver behind the expansionary monetary policy pursued by the world’s major central banks in their efforts to stimulate an economic recovery….
The Marriage Effect
“By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you’ll become happy; if you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher.” Socrates (469 BC – 399 BC) Greek Philosopher Who should be allowed marry? That is the question currently being debated in…
Thoughts on the mortgage arrears crisis; the great contradiction
Last Friday the Central Bank of Ireland released the Residential Mortgage Arrears and Repossessions Statistics, updated to December 31st 2014. The report is particularly timely given the huge increase in repossession orders being lodged with the courts and as more high profile cases garner…
Thoughts from Japan
Last week, Japan’s Nikkei 225 equity index hit a 15-year high. As I received the usual mobile Bloomberg update about this development, it was interesting to actually be in the country since the world of economics and finance has really been the context for…
Wisdom from Warren Buffett
On Saturday Warren Buffett released his annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders. These letters have become famous over the years, filled with wisdom from one of the most iconoclastic active investment managers ever known. This year marks the 50th anniversary of when Warren Buffett…
Germany V Greece: “eureka moment” needed…..
All eyes will be on the meeting of the Euro area finance ministers today and whether some agreement can be reached on the path forward for Greece. Markets will continue to be sensitive to any news flow, in what is really a battle between…
