Linkuri pe scurt

Revenim azi la problemele economice. Pentru ca din pacate economia inca mai are relevanta in viata noastra. A unora dintre noi cel putin... :-)

Incep cu un articol excelent al lui Matt Taibbi despre ingineriile financiare ale marilor jucatori. Puteti afla acolo diverse "scheme" precum The Jamaican Switch sau The Rumanian Box jucate la scara planetara. Articolul are vreo sapte pagini, dar merita deranjul.

Wall Street's Bailout Hustle

After all, according to the terms of the bailout deal struck when AIG was taken over by the state in September 2008, Goldman was paid 100 cents on the dollar on an additional $12.9 billion it was owed by AIG — again, money it almost certainly would not have seen a fraction of had AIG proceeded to a normal bankruptcy. Along with the collateral it pocketed, that's $19 billion in pure cash that Goldman would not have "earned" without massive state intervention. How's that $13.4 billion in 2009 profits looking now? And that doesn't even include the direct bailouts of Goldman Sachs and other big banks, which began in earnest after the collapse of AIG.

Unele banci au inceput sa limiteze tot mai puternic retragerile de bani, pregatindu-se din ce in ce mai fervent pentru viitoare evenimente gen bank run:

Citigroup Warns Customers It May Refuse To Allow Withdrawals

"Effective April 1, 2010, we reserve the right to require (7) days advance notice before permitting a withdrawal from all checking accounts. While we do not currently exercise this right and have not exercised it in the past, we are required by law to notify you of this change,"

Vedeti si comentariile lui Denninger pe aceasta tema:

Citibank: No More DDA Accounts

What is "DDA"? It stands for DEMAND DEPOSIT ACCOUNT. What this "quiet" little change means is that Citibank has changed the character of all of its checking accounts. They no longer offer a "DDA" account, whether they did before or not.

The importance of this cannot be overstated. Without a "DDA" account the bank could at its sole discretion dishonor any check at any time, thereby hitting you with an overdraft fee as you didn't give them the requisite seven days notice. It could also prevent you from removing your funds to a more appropriate (for you) institution for that seven days, entirely at their whim and sole discretion.

ALL time deposits (savings accounts included, which have always contained this requirement) effectively are a loan of funds from you to the bank. That is, you don't "deposit" money there, you loan it to the bank which then charges other people to borrow it. This relationship isn't taught in our Goebbels Government Education System (not even in college!) but it is nonetheless true.

This is NOT a trivial change in terms. I would never do business with an institution for my business or personal checking accounts that did not offer a true demand account, and you should not either. This sort of change is outrageously destructive to your rights as the funds you have on deposit in a checking account are not intended to be loaned to the bank to do with as they wish, but rather to be held for your immediate (if necessary or desired) use.

La randul lor, grecii devin din ce in ce mai simpatici:

Greek FinMin unveils tax reform, wage policy

ATHENS, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Greece outlined on Tuesday its public sector incomes policy and a tax reform bill, as part of an EU-endorsed plan to increase state revenues and reduce its huge deficit.

"From 1. Jan. 2011, every transaction above 1,500 euros between natural persons and businesses, or between businesses, will not be considered legal if it is done in cash. Transactions will have to be done through debit or credit cards"

Mda, lucrurile sunt tot mai interesante. Probleme demografice sau probleme economice. Nu doar la greci sau tarile PIIGS. Ci si la englezi si chiar nemti. Sau chinezi. Nu uitam nici de americani. De la state precum Washington, Illinois la cele cu datorii mai mici gen North Carolina, South Carolina. Asta ca sa nu mai vorbim de "campionii" deja cunoscuti gen California.

Si pentru ca e saptamana filmelor inchei cu un filmulet. Stiu ca e cam vechi si poate cam prea siropos pentru gustul unora, dar demonstreaza ceea ce spuneam in recomandarile mele gen aur, ferme si combustibili. Anume ca fermele pot reprezenta generic orice de la o simpla casuta la tara cu o sera de legume si cateva gaini pana la o adevarata ferma cu utilaje si dotari de ultima ora. Fiecare dupa buget, dupa posibilitati si dupa dorinta de a face o mica asigurare pentru el, familia lui sau pentru a oferi un sprijin si altora:




P.S. Rog luati in considerare ceea ce spuneam AICI inainte de adaugarea unor eventuale comentarii. Va multumesc.