The world of money

The list with mistakes, a lot of people make their personal finances, is long. I picked 10 out of it. After the first five in the previous chapter, here are number 6 to 10 mistakes people often do: 6. Buying a new car Don’t get me wrong, I’m a car driver for 25 years and – outside Bucharest- enjoy to …

If you ever made a mistake, as outlined in the last two chapters, based on false expectations, it may help to know, that you’re in good company. 1. “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” Ken Olson, founder, Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC), 1977 • Reality: Total number of computers sold so far 4’187’000’000 2. “We …

Coffee-economics – or what you really pay for when ordering a cappuccino In London, over the last weekend, I spent on average £ 2.50 per cup of coffee in different places. So far, so normal. Later, while waiting in the hotel-lobby for my traveling companion, I overlooked a few newspapers and magazines the place offered for guests. And stumbled upon …

In the previous chapter, I questioned the ratio of costs when drinking a cappuccino – 8 pence for coffee and 37 cents for TVA. Well, that’s the reality in London, but I doubt there is much of a difference to Bucharest. TVA is with 700 billion EUR each year the first source of income in European states. Still, there are …

The marketing-world has just come up with a new way to select promising stocks. Landor, a strategy-company in San Francisco, views an ‘Agile Brand’ as an indicator of strength and financial success. Agile brand? According to Landor’s first ‘Global Agile Brand Study’, there are six qualities, that sets apart the 10 most agile brands from others: adaptive, global, multichannel, open, …

Rating agencies provide investment and credit opinions on the ability of companies and countries to meet their debt obligations – and their views are critical to investment decisions made by banks, pension funds and other financial institutions. Their views can wipe millions off bond and share prices, as well as make credit more expensive. The global credit-rating market is dominated …

In the good old days, miners did take a canary to work with them in coal mines. If dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide collected in the mine, they would kill the bird before killing the miners. Thus providing a warning to exit the mine immediately and stay alive. In an ideal world, the rating agencies would play the part …

China’s currency, the Yuan, got an upgrade by the IMF to a status of global reserve currency. Other ‘Reserve-Club’-members are the US-Dollar, Euro, Pound and Yen. The last change was made in 2000, when the Euro replaced the German Mark and the French Franc. One reason behind this IMF decision is obvious: China’s economic development. Today, the country accounts for …

Last year, on 1 December, the Romanian National Day, I came across an article containing ’30 things that make us proud of Romania’. Interesting, I thought, a good opportunity to learn more about romanian achievements and find out, what kind of success make people proud of their country. Well, I wasn’t surprised to find Hagi or Nadia Comaneci on the …

Recently, the USD lost 3 % vs the EUR in a single day. In forex markets, such a move is an earthquake, the biggest drop in 7 years. If you wondered, why the EUR became so strong that day, thanks to the net you could choose between hundreds of sites and read about it – free of charge. But I …