Economy

Economic imbalances and social inequality risk reversing the gains of globalization according to the findings of a survey of 469 experts and industry leaders, indicating a shift of concern from environmental risks to socioeconomic risks compared to a year ago. Respondents worry that further economic shocks and social upheaval could roll back the progress globalization has brought, and feel that the world’s institutions are ill-equipped to cope with today’s interconnected, rapidly evolving risks.

Most traders and some economists believe the Fed will step in with another round of Quantitative Easing (QE3) in the first half of 2012. This will pump up the stock market, particularly bank stocks, giving the impression that the US economy can’t be that bad, after all, [but in the process] debase the dollar and reduce purchasing power. [This, in turn, will result in higher]...inflation causing prudent investors to buy more gold. [Let me explain further what I see transpiring this quarter and why.] Words: 718

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) painted a stark picture of the global economy this week slashing the outlook for world growth while forecasting a damaging recession in Europe that will leave no country, including Canada and the U.S., unscathed. The report stated that financial conditions have deteriorated, growth prospects have dimmed, and downside risks have escalated and, as such, policymakers must immediately move forward together to save the world economy from falling into a 1930s-style death spiral because the longer corrective action is put off the worse it will actually get. Words: 640

There has been an alarming development for the obscure, yet instructive Baltic Dry Index...[which] tracks the cost of shipping major raw materials (iron ore, coal, grain, cement, copper, sand and gravel, fertilizer and even plastic granules)...It is down 48.4% in the last month...[and] down 54.4% in the last three months. [Let me explain why and how to invest accordingly.] Words: 200

One typically doesn’t look to government bureaucracies to receive hard-nosed, objective discussions on the economy so you can magine my surprise when the latest Financial System Review, published semi-annually by the Bank of Canada, landed in my inbox and I discovered that it contained a very sobering look at Canada’s economy and the many systemic risks the country is facing! It’s not surprising that this report was not picked up by the main stream news, because if they did the popular opinion of Canada’s invincible, recession-proof economy might begin to crumble. [Let me explain.] Words: 2400

Canada has the lowest total debt-to-GDP ratio of the world's 10 largest economies (Australia is 2nd best, Germany 3rd and the U.S 4th) while the U.K. and Japan are 9th and 10th but when such debt is broken down by sectors the findings are quite different. Let's take a look. Words: 800

Economists are telling central banks to accelerate monetary growth even faster...to avoid a bank balance sheet implosion with all the deflationary consequences that implies. [As such,] the prospects for 2012, and thereafter, are for Total Money Supply to continue its hyperbolic trend - and when such a trend becomes established it becomes almost impossible to stop because the whole debt-based economy and the banking system would collapse. [Let me explain further.] Words: 550

I recently wrote an article showing how US True Money Supply (TMS) appeared to be growing at a hyperbolic rate [see here], and that gold was also on a hyperbolic course...Hyperbolic growth in the quantity of money ends with hyperinflation... [and] both TMS and the dollar price of gold are pointing to a hyperinflationary outcome. This article explains why this might be so. Words: 764

Countries around the world, particularly in the West, are hopelessly in the red, with debt rising every day. Even worse, politicians seem paralyzed, unable -- or unwilling -- to do anything about it. It is a global disaster that threatens the immediate future... [Let me explain.] Words: 1132

This post initiates what I hope will become a multi-year tradition of listing what, according to munKNEE.com readers, were the most read articles from a longer term perspective which makes all of them still VERY relevent today. Interestingly, the 12 most popular articles as determined by you, the visitor, covered the full spectrum of what munKNEE.com covers, i.e. the Economy; the Financial Crisis; the U.S. Dollar and the future of Gold and Silver. Introductory paragraphs and links to each article are provided in descending order of popularity. Enjoy!