Best Approaches to Studying for Tests

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204644504576653004073453880.html

Population Trends, Financial Market Developments, etc

Global Population Trends

http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/sanyal3/English

Stocks versus Bonds

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-31/bonds-beating-u-s-stocks-over-30-years-for-first-time-since-19th-century.html

Here is a stunner from the above article:

“The biggest bond gains in almost a decade have pushed returns on Treasuries above stocks over the past 30 years, the first time that’s happened since before the Civil War.”

What went wrong with MF Global?

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/31/mf-global-good-bets-bad-timing/?pagemode=print

Economic Inequality Debate

Richard Epstein Argues for the Need for Inequality in Capitalist Economies

Watch Does U.S. Economic Inequality Have a Good Side? on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

Meanwhile N. Kristof of NYTIMES argues:

“But, in recent years, some financiers have chosen to live in a government-backed featherbed. Their platform seems to be socialism for tycoons and capitalism for the rest of us. They’re not evil at all. But when the system allows you more than your fair share, it’s human to grab. That’s what explains featherbedding by both unions and tycoons, and both are impediments to a well-functioning market economy.

…

Capitalism is so successful an economic system partly because of an internal discipline that allows for loss and even bankruptcy. It’s the possibility of failure that creates the opportunity for triumph. Yet many of America’s major banks are too big to fail, so they can privatize profits while socializing risk.

The upshot is that financial institutions boost leverage in search of supersize profits and bonuses. Banks pretend that risk is eliminated because it’s securitized. Rating agencies accept money to issue an imprimatur that turns out to be meaningless. The system teeters, and then the taxpayer rushes in to bail bankers out. Where’s the accountability?”

Interesting Economic Issues

College Education Trends – Men vs. Woman

http://www.clevelandfed.org/research/Commentary/2011/2011-21.pdf

Economist Meltzer takes on Keynesian Economics

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204777904576651532721267002.html

Regulations and Business Cycles

http://www.economist.com/node/21534767

Economic News

Cool Graphic on Top 1% (US Income Inequality):

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/10/26/nyregion/the-new-gilded-age.html

Greek Bond Haircut – 50% Writedown on Greek Debt

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-27/europe-leaders-set-50-greek-writedown-1-4-trillion-in-debt-crisis-fight.html

Mr. Hoenig Goes to Washington by Simon Johnson

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/27/mr-hoenig-goes-to-washington/?pagemode=print

Global Interconnectedness

A study by researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology found that 147 companies form the core of the global corporate system and control around 40% of the wealth:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21228354.500-revealed--the-capitalist-network-that-runs-the-world.html

The biggest risk is actually the instability created by so much concentration – contagion effects can lead to  financial meltdowns on a global scale rather easily in such settings.

The full paper can be found here:

http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/arxiv/pdf/1107/1107.5728v2.pdf

7 Billion and Counting

Global Population Reaches 7 Billion

http://www.economist.com/node/21533409