What’s Behind the World’s Debt Crisis?

On one spring day in late April 2014, the world’s debt clock checked in at a staggering $60, 656, 668, 640,014. That number changes by the minute, as do the totals for interest accrued – over $1,000 every minute. The world is deep in debt – and becoming more indebted...

The US: World’s #1 Tax Haven?

The phrase “tax haven: conjures up images of shady money being squirreled away in chilly Swiss banks or sunny tropical ones –a way for businesses and people to hide their dealings from the authorities at home. Switzerland and the Cayman Islands top the list of the...

Can Apple Turn Gold Into Profits?

Gold – that ancient standard for wealth and beauty – has had a roller coaster ride in the world’s money markets lately, trading down from last year and struggling against other commodities in global investing. But a new maneuver from Apple Corp is poised to change all...

The Dollar Becomes a Crowded Trade

The US dollar continues to trade strong in world markets. But as it continues its climb, some market watchers worry that it might be time to put on the brakes. According to a recent article from Business Insider, the dollar has become what’s known as a “crowded trade”...

Will Deflation Derail World Economies?

Low prices delight consumers. But those falling prices may signal darker days ahead in the form of deflation, which flattens economies and leads to long-term recession. As prices drop and sales flatten in many of the world’s leading economies, experts fear a global...

Bitcoin Ponzi Scheme: New Coin, Old Scam?

The Bitcoin is looking more and more like traditional money every day. In just a few short years, the upstart digital currency has gone from a mere novelty to a multimillion dollar trading commodity subject to many of the ills that plague “real” money backed by...

Swiss Franc Fallout Ripples Round the World

Fallout continues from the Swiss National Bank’s recent decision to drop it cap on the Swiss franc’s value in trading against the euro. This latest salvo in what’s being called the new currency wars is having some surprising effects not just in Switzerland’s European...

Can a Strong Dollar Stifle Profits?

Can anything stop Apple? The computer giant posted record earnings for its most recent quarter, fueled by sales of its flagship device, the iPhone. Though it looks as if nothing can make a dent in Apple’s performance, one thing might: the performance of the dollar in...

US Banks Hit By Swiss Franc Fallout

In the tightly knit world of global finance, what happens halfway around the world can have devastating effects at home. Case in point: the fallout from the recent Swiss bank decision to drop its cap on the franc, which is hitting even US banks and the sturdy dollar....

Who’s Winning the Currency Wars?

It sounds like the plot of a bad science fiction movie. A mysterious, invisible war is going on behind the scenes of the world’s major banks, with cutthroat brinkmanship and dirty strategies to get the upper hand in the global currency markets. It’s not the plot of a...