QUESTION: I have a question, you wrote :
“Those in Europe who have a position in cash, it may be better to have shares or a private sector bond or US Treasury. Given the policy in Europe of no bailouts, leaving cash sitting in your account could expose you to risk in the months ahead.”
For example, if one has a trading account with a bank, is leaving cash in the bank’s trading account immune to potential seizure indicated in your comment?
Appreciate your clarification,
AP
ANSWER: The risk in Europe is that there is no true rule of law. On the one hand, there is this policy of no bailouts for that would mean money could cross borders. Then there is the rising socialism which is turning into real hatred of the rich.
There is no definitive answer. Europe will do whatever it has to do when the time comes shy of doing the right thing. I have written before when Italy could not meet its debts on short-term paper, they simply decreed that your 90-day paper was now a 10-year paper.
Governments can do whatever they desire. We have no recourse against governments. No private company could act in such a manner. This is one primary reason why I believe governments should be prohibited from borrowing. People are fools for buying their paper and always expecting that this time will be different.