Sep 01
AMERICA is used to making the economic weather. It has the world’s largest economy, its most influential central bank and it issues the main global reserve currency. In recent months, however, some rich-world economies (notably Germany’s) have basked in the sunshine even as the clouds gathered over America.
On August 27th America’s second-quarter GDP growth was revised down to an annualised 1.6%. That looked moribund compared with the 9% rate confirmed in Germany a few days earlier. America’s jobless rate was 9.5% in July (figures for August were released on September 3rd, after The Economist went to press). But in Germany the unemployment rate is lower even than before the downturn. Other r
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Aug 31
Starting at 9am ET (2pm UK), Bernanke will be questioned by a bipartisan panel chaired by Phil Angelides, a former Democratic state treasurer of California, as part of a series of evidentiary sessions entitled “too big to fail: expectations and impact of extraordinary government intervention and the role of systemic risk in the financial crisis”.
Following up from yesterday’s appearance by the former Lehman Brothers boss Dick Fuld, the panel are sure to ask Bernanke about the US government’s controversial path in allowing Lehman to file for bankruptcy – despite putting together rescue packages for other banks including Bears Stearns, Wachovia and Washington Mutual.
A cerebral figure, Bernanke has a habit of speaking in tortuously lengthy sentences.
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Aug 30
As the economy progressively gets worse and worse, even the collection industry is feeling the heat. Every company seems to be looking for new techniques they can utilize to work smarter. There are a few ways that they can improve their business.
The first step is to online networking. In a business world, connections are crucial, and new technologies have helped us to do just that. Always be on the lookout for the next big trend. Improve your team. It is key to make strategic hires in the new year. This represents a serious commitment of money and time. To hire the best candidates, look into interviewing techniques that can assist you with gaining insights into an interviewees real potential.
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Aug 27
How often do you stop and think about your investment portfolio and then feel gluttonous or greedy once you turn to read the latest article on the earthquake in Central America or the floods in Pakistan? How about if you’re checking your stocks on the iPhone and then you walk past someone sitting on the street asking for change? I know I have. I briefly wonder if I’m doing something deeply wrong.
It can only be a human reaction, but the fact is that we all must help ourselves, and then we must try to help others, too. You know, make sure your own oxygen mask is on before trying to help others with theirs. Is this not a transferable analogy?
Philanthropy When You’re Still Poor
. I’ll use t
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