A somewhat related article in The Australian newspaper today:

“A SECRET database of suspect financial transactions by tens of thousands of Australians is being maintained by federal regulators.

The database is being shared with state and federal law enforcement agencies, privacy advocates claim. The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis…[Read more]

How Japan financed global reflation
FinanceAsia February 2005

In 2003 and the first quarter of 2004, Japan carried out a remarkable experiment in monetary policy – remarkable in the impact it had on the global economy and equally remarkable in that it went almost entirely unnoticed in the financial press. Over those 15 months, monetary auth…[Read more]

Originally posted by foundation:
Originally posted by munjy:
the central banks increasing liquidity would have to be a fairly way out idea.
With our gross domestic product growing at what, an average of around 4% pa and our broad money measures increasing by 10-14% pa over the last 6 or so years* do you not perhaps think this may already have been…[Read more]

I have read his previous book called “Growth Fetish” (published in 2003). I had a look at his latest book “Affluenza” in the bookstore but did not buy it as the contents appeared rather similar to his previous book.

Another book that explores similar issues is “Status Anxiety” written by Alain de Botton, which I read last year.

The extent of…[Read more]

There is an old joke about economists …. they predicted 10 out of the previous 3 recessions …[biggrin]

200 years of Economic History indicate that economic cycles do occur.

At some time in the future, there will an economic downturn. When it happens and how severe it will be; are questions that I do not believe anyone can say with any…[Read more]

Wow …. and I thought Nostradamus was overly pessimistic.

Bubbles come and bubbles go. Those of us who have lived through them would know they can be harmless if one lives in moderation.

Example, the tech boom and later tech bust, had no effect on me as I merely ignored it.

Previous corrections in property cycles and share market bubbles did…[Read more]

A previous colleaque I used to work with, lives like a miser, to pay for the 10 investment properties that he bought over the years.

To each, his or her own.

To me, we only get to live once and I prefer to enjoy life within reasonable boundaries. To live like a miser is not the way for me. What is the point of having millions of net worth and…[Read more]

During the last recession, declared in Nov. 1990 by Paul Keating, I was working in a bank and I saw forced sale values of residential property in Melb.(mortgagee auctions by the bank) that received around 20% to 30% of 1989 valuation (the peak of that cycle) figures held on file.

Commercial and industrial properties generally fell around 30% to…[Read more]

Hi Stargazer,

Ask your daughter whether she would like to read the following about the best investor the world has ever seen:

“Warren Edward Buffett was born on 30 August 1930. He jokingly says that he was conceived during the fall of the 1929 stock market crash because his stockbroker father had so little to do then.

At the age of six, he…[Read more]

I have found the following books to be useful:

1. Security Analysis (Graham and Dodd – recommended by Warren Buffett)
2. The Intelligent Investor (Graham – Buffett’s mentor)
3. The Essays of Warren Buffett (words of wisdom from the man himself)
4. Warren Buffett Speaks
5. The Winning Investment Habits of Warren Buffett and George Soros
6. Warren…[Read more]

Hi Stargazer,

Ask her to consider depositing the money into BankWest’s internet savings a/c for 6% p.a.

This is what my son does with his money ($25,000) until I teach him about shares when he is old enough.

This is probably a risk free return if she wants to avoid risk of losing money.

Investing into shares without any adequate knowledge can…[Read more]

To each, his or her own.

I watch ABC and SBS news most nights and watch Business Sunday and Alan Kohler’s business program on ABC on Sundays. Sometimes, I also watch documentaries like 4 Corners, The Cutting Edge, Foreign Correspondent and 60 minutes (depending on the issues – not the celebrities caption which I ignore and no, I did not follow…[Read more]

1. Getting older by the day – 43 now.
2. Recently “retired” from the workforce. Was a finance executive earning around $160K p.a. No longer needed the money due to income from investments.

I enjoy retirement. Not bored at all.

Live in Melbourne. I read a lot – subscribe to The Age, Herald Sun, Financial Review, BRW, Shares Magazine, The…[Read more]

The following was in The Australian newspaper today. It is interesting how The Age newspaper got caught in a loss of $595K by running a competition: (I am not involved in any way)

“MELBOURNE has suffered its most high-profile apartment project collapse as the inner city’s high-rise market continues to unravel.

The $120 million project, planned…[Read more]