So….Who Is In Charge?

… Until recently, most studies just broke out the top 1% as a group. Data on net worth distributions within the top 1% indicate that one enters the top 0.5% with about $1.8M, the top 0.25% with $3.1M, the top 0.10% with $5.5M and the top 0.01% with $24.4M. Wealth distribution is highly skewed towards…

Details

Are We Broke Yet?

With the Yanks taking a leaf  out of the Robert Mugabe school of economics and demonstrating an inability to master simple household economics I found this neat little graphic regarding each countries rating. Although given the quality of ratings agencies I am not certain I would place too much faith in it. From  Reuters

Details

Overconfident Gibbons

Interesting piece on the evolution of overconfidence Confidence is an essential ingredient of success in a wide range of domains ranging from job performance and mental health, to sports, business, and combat. Some authors have suggested that not just confidence but overconfidence-believing you are better than you are in reality-is advantageous because it serves to…

Details

Soros Exits

George Soros, the billionaire best known for breaking the Bank of England, is returning money to outside investors in his $25.5 billion firm, ending a career as hedge-fund manager that spanned more than four decades. Soros, who turns 81 next month, will hand back the money, less than $1 billion, by the end of the…

Details

Hedge Fund Basics

Hedge funds have become a hot topic over the past decade or so, as the number of funds has grown seemingly exponentially along with the increased media attention they’ve received. While most people have a basic understanding of what they are, many investors are not familiar with the underlying types of hedge funds and their…

Details

The Folly Of Prediction

Following on from this post – Freakanomics Radio has an hour long special on the pointlessness of predictions. It’s impossible to predict the future, but humans can’t help themselves. From the economy to the presidency to the Super Bowl, educated and intelligent people promise insight and repeatedly fail by wide margins. These mistakes and misses…

Details