The First Blog: Ratings Agency Downgrades Explained
Newspaper headlines this month have been all about ratings agencies downgrading the bonds of countries like Greece and Ireland. This article explains what this is all about, in plain English....
View ArticleThe second post: All About Quantitative Easing
Quantitative Easing hasn’t been in the news recently, but people are always asking about it. Here’s my explanation, WITH PICTURES! ………………………………………………………………………. What is quantitative easing? Tony McCoy...
View ArticleWhat is “Debt Servicing” and “Debt Recycling”?
The economics news is all about Greece’s debts at the moment, and other countries too, even the US. There are bailouts, in which Greece has been lent more money by the EU, and also mention of terms...
View ArticleThe Vickers Report: Big Changes For The Big Banks
The news has been talking excitedly about the Vickers Report from the Independent Commission on Banking and how it will make banking safer. This blog tells you all about it… with pictures! What’s the...
View ArticleThe Banking Crash: Who’s To Blame?
In Radio 4′s “Stephanomics” programme on 26/10/11, BBC Economics editor Stephanie Flanders led a fact-finding discussion with financier George Soros, ex-Bank of England committee member Diane Julius...
View ArticleHow Germany got into a jam with Europe
Germany, the industrial success of Europe, has created a problem for itself. All it did was perform well. In the years running up to the crash it has made lots of things the rest of the world wants....
View ArticleWhat is “sovereign debt”?
Sovereign this, sovereign that… anyone would think there are giant gold coins being buried on desert islands. Here’s the jargon explained, quickly and simply… “Sovereign debt” is just the all money a...
View ArticleNational Debt and Deficit Explained
George Osborne made some big announcements on Tuesday, but the news came with a load of jargon. What’s the difference between national debt and deficit? This and other jargon is explained here,...
View ArticleWhat is so special about the City of London?
David Cameron is keeping the UK out the new EU treaties, apparently because it does not give safeguards for the City of London. This “City of London” keeps popping up, but what is it? Here’s some...
View ArticleUnderlying Structural Deficit
My, they do love their jargon don’t they? Here’s one I’ve pulled out whilst I’m trying to figure out other things. In short, it just means “We’re spending too much!”. Well… not quite. Read on....
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