This Is An Inter-yen-tion

This Is An Inter-yen-tion

Many of us know the chain of events set in motion, when you tell a toddler in very specific terms what they should NOT do. Sometimes financial markets act in the same way. In this year’s yen episodes, the grown-up is the Japanese top foreign-exchange official, Masato...
Conscious Uncoupling

Conscious Uncoupling

Yes, I am that old.* Sometimes, when a group of big economies have been through some tough times together, but then find they are recovering at different speeds, they might have to start lowering their interest rates before the biggest one is ready. That doesn’t mean...
Whisk the Risk Away

Whisk the Risk Away

A bank has a credit card portfolio. It is happy about that. Fees are good and higher rates mean more interest coming in. There is just one little bummer, and that is the capital it has to hold in reserve incase any cardholders default. A private credit firm has a...
The Broccoli Is Starting to Bite

The Broccoli Is Starting to Bite

It’s unfair to always pick on broccoli because it is healthy and (with copious amounts of cheese) also delicious, but for the sake of the example, please let it slide this time. Say that we have all been promised dessert (interest rate cuts) if we finish that pesky...