Martin Hutchinson
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Author Chat: Money Morning's Martin Hutchinson Talks About "Alchemists of Loss"
The Nobel Prize panel granted its top award to seven leading economists - whose theories went on to cost investors trillions of dollars in losses.
This story - as well as some of the other top financial fiascos through the ages - is detailed in the new book, "Alchemists of Loss: How Modern Finance and Government Intervention Crashed the Financial System," which was written by Martin Hutchinson, a former merchant banker and Money Morning columnist, and Kevin Dowd, an economist and respected academic.
Money Morning Executive Editor William Patalon III recently sat down with Hutchinson, to talk about the book. Here are some excerpts from that discussion.
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Money Morning Mailbag: Tobin Tax the Only Solution to Problems Posed by High Frequency Trading
An episode of the television news program "60 Minutes" that aired Oct. 10 highlighted investors' fears over the growing trend of high frequency trading (HFT) run by a world of "supercomputers."
The "60 Minutes" piece prompted this letter from a reader wondering if the technological shift means it's time to readjust investment strategy.
Sunday night on "60 Minutes" they had a story about high-speed computers that are out-trading humans. Is it time to refocus on the world stage and find tangible rather than paper investments to put your money in? A partnership in a retail or manufacturing venue surely is more transparent than the stock market.
--Roman
Money Morning has been examining the effects of high frequency trading for years. In August 2009 Contributing Editor Martin Hutchinson said high frequency trading systems were front-running the market.
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The Defeat of the "Shadow Shogun" Means it's Time to Buy Japanese Stocks
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan's narrow Tuesday victory over Ichiro Ozawa for the leadership of the Democratic Party of Japan wouldn't normally get investor pulses racing - after all Japan has had five prime ministers in four years.
However, the Bank of Japan's heavy intervention in the currency markets this week confirmed my view that this political twitch was really very different.
The upshot: As investors, we should pay attention ... and should look to increase our allocation to Japanese stocks.
To understand why it may be time to buy Japanese stocks (and to see what stocks to buy), please read on...
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Investing in Canada: The World's Safest Economy
I've said it once, and I'll doubtless say it a few dozen more times before the U.S. economy returns to health: Just because you have to endure recessionary conditions doesn't mean that your money has to.
That's the argument I make when I urge Americans to search for investments outside U.S. borders. Ironically, your money doesn't have to travel all that far: What's arguably the world's "safest economy" is actually located just north of the border.
I'm talking, of course, about investing in Canada.
For the five ways to profit from Canada, please read on...
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Money Morning Mailbag: There's No Way Around the Dangers of Municipal Bonds
Money Morning Contributing Editor Martin Hutchinson last month introduced readers to the dangers of municipal bonds. While many investors assumed munis offered a safe haven in turbulent times, the battered condition of state and local finances has left many munis running the risk of default.
"Brokers will tell you that particular state and municipal bond issues are 'safe,' meaning that they are rated highly by the rating agencies," said Hutchinson. "However, the rating agencies got it wrong on subprime mortgage instruments, and it seems pretty clear that they are getting it wrong on states and municipalities."
On the municipal level, local property taxes are the primary revenue source. Declining home prices and increased mortgage delinquencies are creating a housing market that offers little local revenue. Municipalities are then left struggling to make ends meet.
Hutchinson said the vicious cycle could send municipal-bond defaults soaring past 2009's $6.4 billion.
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The Tobin Tax: The Deficit-Busting Levy Wall Street Hates
After the Nov. 2 midterm elections, the Obama administration and Congress are going to have to scramble to fill a trillion-dollar hole in the U.S budget, and tax increases may be the only option.
A tax increase won't be good news for an already wheezing economic recovery that seems to get weaker with each new report or indicator that's issued. But the type of tax that's chosen will go a long way in determining just how much damage the U.S. economy will have to endure.
With a deficit in excess of $1 trillion, there aren't a lot of options. One possibility would be to allow the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts to expire, which would have a depressing effect on the economy and most people's pocketbooks.
But a better option would be to devise some new taxes that may prove less damaging. Indeed, there's even one possibility that might even do some economic good if it's implemented correctly.
It's called a "Tobin tax."
To see how a reasonably set "Tobin tax" could help U.S. leaders to fix the nation's finances, please read on... -
The Headline You Never Expected: Foreign Growth Could Bail Out the U.S. Economy
During a period of increasingly worrisome headlines about the U.S. economy, there is one bright spot.
The rest of the world appears to be doing much better than we are.
In the long run, that's good news for the United States. Rapid world growth will eventually rekindle the economic fires here, producing a growth that is more balanced than the bubbles of 1995-2008.
Still, getting to that point will be a challenge, since - economically speaking - the home fires don't appear to be burning all that brightly.
To see how foreign growth could bail out the U.S. economy, please read on...
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The Global Double-Dip Recession: Which Markets to Hold… And Which Ones May Fold
Last week's stock-market meltdown was a worldwide affair, and was touched off by trader fears of a global "double-dip" recession.
However, the truth is that the odds of a recessionary reprise are high in just a few countries - primarily those that have experienced excessive fiscal and monetary "stimulus," or that have real inflation problems.
The rest of the world is recovering just fine.
To find out which markets to hold - and which ones may fold - please read on...
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How to Profit From Europe's Stealthy Resurgence
European countries - both inside and outside the Eurozone - are slashing their budget deficits.
Greece, Portugal and Spain - three of the so-called "PIGS" - have to do so, of course. But Germany - generally reckoned to be in excellent shape - is also cutting its deficit, as is France, which hasn't run a budget surplus in 40 years. Britain, too, with no need to protect the euro (it's not a Eurozone member) just introduced a budget that cut the deficit by $140 billion over four years.
U.S. President Barack Obama and other Keynesians warn that Europe may push its own economy - or even the global economy - back into recession.
But here's the surprising reality: Europe may gain from its fiscal pain - and its deficit-trimming actions offer the best hope for a lengthy recovery.
To see which European countries are expected to rebound - and which ones to invest in - please read on...
