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Opportunity lost?
Investment decisions making needs to consider different options and trade-offs to ensure an efficient economy When you go into a supermarket, grab a trolley and shop around the store you have a lot to choose from. Which vegetables do I want? Shall we have steak tonight or is chicken more of a family favourite? Can I get away with spending our entire week's budget on chocolate or will my partner be mad? These types of questions are essential, as ultimately they help you leave the store with the
The costs and benefits of having a baby
Having a baby changes everything - an economists perspective on having kids. The new father in me is blending with the economist in this post to consider the costs and benefits of having a baby. To be clear - cost-benefit analysis (CBA) by itself is not a good way to decide whether to have a baby. There are far more human ways of determining that sort of life-changing event. Plus it is exceptionally difficult to understand what costs and benefits will actually occur for you and your child
Thank god I'll be dead by then
It's been way too easy to ignore those with the most to lose from climate change - future generations I can't be the only one who looks at estimates of global warming and feels a bit grateful that I won't be around when the planet boils. Having been born in the 1980s, some global warming is definitely happening in my lifetime, but I will probably be dead, or very old, by the time the worst effects are felt. Concern and guilt are in the mix too. I know that there will be people suffering, and
Never take an economist to yum cha
'Shall we split the bill then?' The economist asked with a cunning grin Have you ever tried to win at yum cha? No? Good for you. I promise there are those of us who do. You know who you are, you rational consumer you. What does it take to win at yum cha? Simple. Eat the most. At yum cha, the bill is usually split evenly between the people at the table. So there is the risk you end up subsidising somebody else's meal if you don't eat enough. Best to invite your smaller friends.
Governments should be wary of thinking they can solve everything
"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help" - Ronald Regan The recent Groundswell protests in New Zealand (NZ) have been fighting against regulations they perceive to be unworkable. Groundswell seeks a rewrite of difficult legislation, advocates for rural communities, tailored solutions to climate change and less cost from government rules. Whether or not you agree with Groundswell's message, it is an interesting example of people f
A forecast is your friend... until it isn't
“The best way to predict the future is to create it” - Abraham Lincoln Follow many equity indexes and one of the clear trends you will see is an ongoing increase in the index, and underlying assets (ie the actual shares). Not necessarily day-to-day, but over time. The Dow Jones index is a good example. An investor in the 1980s had a lot to look forward to. This leads people to suggest that long term you will come out on top if you invest in equity. It's not unreasonable. Over the time horizon
Seeds of their own destruction
The phrase, “complex systems can contain the seeds of their own destruction,” is a phrase that appears in Ted Lewis’ 2006 book Critical Infrastructure Protection in Homeland Security: Defending a Networked Nation; with this phrase, Lewis means these systems are self-destructing, “due to nonlinearities that become apparent only when the system is under stress”. In my view, what Lewis is getting at is that there are systems and methods that are utilized by governments to secure their infrastructur
With friends like these
Post the Obama presidency, international relations have become increasingly fraught. Starting with the trade war with China, initiated under President Trump, US-Sino relations have become tense. China’s assertiveness in various arenas, e.g. the South China Sea, have contributed to the tension. The growing rivalry between the two superpowers appears to be making it harder to adopt a neutral stance, and nations may increasingly be compelled to pick sides. The recent AUKUS pact adds to the complex