Have CEO's messed with the CDO's?

While the world economy still tries to recover from the severe financial crisis of the last year, an

important discussion among economists has been erupted about who has made the biggest mistake. Many of them are not realizing that it

was the free market system that has made this large market failure possible. Let’s take a closer look at this market system, and especially the Collateralised Debt Obligations, also known as CDO’s.

Michiel Rabaeys

The treasury on fire

Problems for the US dollar, because, if interest rates stay around 3 percent, it seems that it will take 10 years to pay back the debt obligationsof the US. To even reach this goal, the US will have to stop spending money completely and the tax income has to keep level. The problem, the US is facing now, is an increase of the price levels, while the interest rates stays low. As a result, the investors start to loose money, ass the Dollar loses value against other currencies.

Glenn Saelens

Financial education in the classroom

In Scotland, the government has stated that every child should be taught basic financial skills integrated in regular lessons at school, as opposed to rare education through special events or as a part of other subjects. A survey revealed that especially secondary schools do not teach financial and money managing skills as a subject on its own, while in primary schools financial education is more coherent and planned. Also special schools place more importance on finance courses in their curriculum, because it's a necessary aspect of independent living. Scottish ministers and representatives from the financial services are now working out a plan that may already be introduced next year, so that all Scottish children are thought the basic financial knowledge they need in life.

Marlies Seynaeve

Bye buy hype

During the last two years, BEL20 companies have been buying back a vast quantity of their own shares, but the financial and economic downturn made this hype crash.
The BEL20 corporations used to purchase a great deal of their own shares to remunerate their staff or simply to destroy afterwards. At the moment, companies are only focusing on optimizing their cash levels in order to compensate their debts and survive the economic crisis. Apparently, cash is king during times of severe economic and financial recession and shares will be out on the market for everyone.

Astrid Thienpont

And finally.. We found a Winner!

Due the lack of economic growth, the Interantional Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that the worldwide emission of CO2 in 2009 will fall down by 3%. The economic crisis and governmental support for a cleaner environment have stopped the increasing emission of greenhouse gases for the first time in modern human history. Researchers who have calculated this significant decline, are saying that it only has meaning if we can make use of this unique "window of opportunities" and come to a deal in Copenhagen, at the UN climate change conference in December. However, it's not clear whether 2009 will become a real turning point in the battle against global warming or not...

Joris Jelle Ost

Belgians have 2 piggies!

Fifty percent of the Belgian people have more than one saving account.
These accounts are a safe place to keep their money and to gain something extra in the form of an interest rate. A main disadvantage of saving accounts is that their money is often tied up for a specific time, which means they can’t use it without paying large penalties. The fact that Belgians place their savings on several accounts is remarkable: but they only move a part of the first saving account to a second one, which is mostly a saving account from a little bank where they can take advantage of a temporary action.

Tine Vandekerckhove

Saving For Dummies

People who are overloaded by bills and do not have a clue how to start saving money, quite often wonder how other people manage to save three times their salary, the amount saving experts advise for emergency costs.

To begin with, you can save a certain amount of money by choosing the right bank and adjusted type of account with the highest interest rates and lowest taxes to deposit your monthly or weekly spared money.
However, some people are, despite the crisis, more likely to invest in the stock market by choosing a fund whose manager will pick the best stocks to maximize the invested money or by contacting a stockbroker and asset manager who will provide better value and performance while helping you to choose the right investment.
Although saving can become more difficult owing to the current crisis, you better look for a saving planner on the internet than cutting your own hair or making your own clothes, because these last two options are number seven and ten in the list of ten dumbest credit crunch tips.

Lisa Popelier