Business/Economy
Shanghai World Expo – facts, figures, and its purpose
The Shanghai World Expo is in full gear right now, about halfway through its 184-day run. Yes, you read that right – 184 days! Ticket sales will likely exceed $1 billion USD, yet few Americans are probably even aware of its existence. Here’s a quick education: China put in the bid to host the 2010 [...]
Walking away from a mortgage, and why the rich don’t always get richer
In between your conversations about LeBron James this weekend, there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself in a talk about real estate, investments, or how you had a great idea but couldn’t capitalize on it because you didn’t have any money. The spork? That was my idea, I swear. Ditto for sleep pods, but I [...]
Rare Earth Elements – your iPhone depends on it!
So you’ve seen it in the headlines — the U.S. has uncovered an estimated $1 trillion worth of minerals in Afghanistan. Besides iron and copper (largest mineral deposits discovered), there are deposits of niobium, a soft metal used in producing superconducting steel, lithium, gold, copper, and rare earth elements (REEs).1 If your chemistry is as [...]
BP, NBA, PGA, and other acronyms in the news
It’s a busy Thursday for acronyms in the news. Let’s start with the important stuff you need to know and move on from there: BP CEO Tony Hayward is currently meeting with House Democrats to apologize for the spill and explain his future intentions. For a fascinating explanation of one potential solution, check out this [...]
How is the BP oil spill being cleaned up?
Many people are concerned about the efforts taken to clean up and stop the spread of the recent oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico. The fishing industry is unable to harvest seafood in the area, and the oil may harm the wildlife underwater and along the coastline. So how do British Petroleum and the [...]
What’s a Euro worth?
The euro has been in financial headlines for a while now thanks to its lowest levels in almost a decade. What does that mean to you exactly? Well, last week, the euro was at $1.2144 relative to the U.S. dollar. That means 1 euro is worth $1.2144, making the euro “stronger” than the dollar, but [...]
Goldman Sachs and the Market Maker Conundrum
The weekend is close at hand, which means after-work drinks, family get-togethers, and plenty of complaints about politicians and Wall Street bigwigs. This time around, the politicians and the financial world clashed on Tuesday when a Senate panel grilled several Goldman Sachs executives about questionable practices involving shorting investments that were offered to their clients. Most [...]
Basics of derivatives
The big news in Washington this week is the financial overhaul bill attempting to be debated in the Senate. Many Republicans still oppose some items of the bill, but a majority of the public and politicians are in favor of additional controls in the financial markets one way or another; the difficulty is in balancing control [...]
