QUESTION: Dear Sir, Following the decentralization and breaking downtrend in society (brexit, catalunia, EU and US probably in the future, etc), is there a chance to see that in consumers behaviour? Example: from individual small shops to malls and then online. Any possibility to see that inverse in the future? Thank you. SM ANSWER: This […]
The US economy is still holding up the entire world. The US 3rd quarter economic growth was unrevised at 2.1%. This is still rather strong in the world of global recession yet still down from the 3%+ levels of pre-2008. Meanwhile, confidence in the housing market has finally rebounded but much of this is due […]
QUESTION: Marty: In reading your blog about No Small Amount is Too Small, is it safe to say that the future of gift cards will be non-existent? Or will gift cards be the run-around? NO ANSWER: There seems to be a loophole right now with the gift cards. When I tried to buy an American […]
QUESTION: Why do nearly 40% of billionaires drop out of school? It seems like the most successful people are all dropouts. Would you explain why? Bill Gates Steve Jobs Mark Zuckerberg Rush Limbaugh Ralph Lauren Steve Madden Rachael Ray Coco Chanel ANSWER: Very simple. Formal education is incapable of teaching creativity. This is why there […]
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QUESTION: Can you elaborate on the Mother of all Financial Crises? HV ANSWER: Sorry, no. I have put this together in a special report. I really do not wish to discuss this publicly. I will only be blamed for starting a panic as they have done every time before. So best to keep confidential. Clients […]
QUESTION: Hi Mr. Armstrong. I’ve learned more reading your blog last 4 years than working in finance for 20 years. As you say, the average employee in finance hasn’t got a clue about what’s going on. Question: There’s one thing that has bothered me for a long time; uncertainty about numbers regarding GDP, unemployment and […]
QUESTION: Hi Mr. Armstrong. I’ve learned more reading your blog last 4 years than working in finance for 20 years. As you say, the average employee in finance hasn’t got a clue about what’s going on. Question: There’s one thing that has bothered me for a long time; uncertainty about numbers regarding GDP, unemployment and […]
QUESTION: The distinction between the Repo Crisis and Quantitative Easing is the duration and purpose as distinguished from 2007-2009? HS ANSWER: Yes. Under QE, the Fed was buying in 30-year bonds in hope of creating a shortage of long-term paper that would in theory lead to consideration of buying long-term mortgage paper. It was trying […]
QUESTION: Would you please explain exactly what government debt is and who receives the interest payment that governments make on borrowings? I thought that Governments borrowed from their respective central banks and paid the central bank interest on the debt. I never understood why a government would have to pay any interest. My brother tells […]
