Economics

...."The notion that these challenges are new -- that there was some golden era when Americans were prepared to kick up their feet and enjoy retirement in financial security -- is a myth. By some measures, retirees are in a better position today than at any other time in modern history"...

read more on The Motley Fool:

The Motley Fool: The Biggest Retirement Myth Ever Told, May 2,2013

Keywords: Retirement, Pension Funds

You find below selected feeds of think tanks, institutes and institutions which support the idea of liberty and free markets.

You find here comprehensive lists of libertarian think tanks around the globe:

List of libertarian think tanks (global list)

Stockholm Network (European)

Videos (on Youtube) of the Cato Institute (United States)

Podcast feed of the Cato Institute (United States)

The American Enterprise Institute (United States)

Mercatus Center (George Mason University, United States)

The Circle Bastiat(Mises, United States)

Videos (on Youtube) of The Adam Smith Institute (United Kingdom)

Institute of Economic Affairs IEA (United Kingdom)

Fondation pour L'Innovation Politique (France)

US public debt is skyrocketing. Future reduction due to economic improvement wishful thinking?

Keywords: US Employment, US Oil and Gas Extraction, Fracking

Great comparison of budget proposals:

Mercatus Center: FY2014 Budget Proposals In Perspective, April 11, 2013

With the recent release of President Obama’s FY 2014 budget, it is important to put the budget numbers from the various proposals into proper perspective. These charts compare the patterns of future spending projections from the Senate Democratic budget by Chairman Patty Murray, House Republican budget by Chairman Paul Ryan, Senator Rand Paul’s budget, and the president’s budget. read more on the homepage of Mercatus Center

Keywords: US 2014 Budget, US Deficit, US Spending

Agnew, Lauryn, Impact Investing for Small, Place-Based Fiduciaries: The Research Study Initiated by the United Way of the Bay Area (December 30, 2012). Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Working Paper No. 2012-05 . Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2222862

Abstract:

"This research discusses the process used to develop model equity and fixed income portfolios that could, if adopted by an organization, align 100% of the assets in its endowment fund with a mission to reduce poverty in the San Francisco Bay Area. Given that endowments funds must follow fiduciary standards of maximizing risk-adjusted performance, the model portfolios in the study were analyzed and tested against traditional, institutional non-impact benchmarks and portfolios and were found to provide similar risk and return expectations.

Keywords: Impact Investing, Micro Finance

Keywords: Reason, Rationality,Freedom, Libery

US public debt is skyrocketing. Future reduction due to economic improvement wishful thinking?

Keywords: US Debt, US Economy

Mercatus Center published a good article on the relationship between economic prosperity and freedom:

Mercatus Center: Economic Freedom and Economic Privilege, Matthew Mitchell, Jan. 10, 2013

Keywords: Freedom, Growth, Wealth, Prosperity

Related:

Previous MarketObservation posts, covering the subject of "economic freedom":

"Economic Freedom" on MarketObservation

The Daily Beast: Africa Is Rising: Inside the Continent’s Great Economic Leap, Jan. 6, 2013

Most of the globe may still be reeling from the great recession, but one continent is booming. Surprise—it’s Africa. Jake Bright on what’s driving the growth, and whether the opportunities are trickling down. read more in The Daily Beast

Keywords: Africa, Resources, African Institutions, Trade with Africa, Free Markets

Keywords: Megatrends, Re-Balancing, Economic Development

Keywords: Fiscal Cliff, US Deficit, Obama, Boehner

Source: Intel Free Press

Keywords: Technology, China

Highly relevant article of Megan McArdle on the demographic shift in the US - a problem which also other Western civilizations face:

The Daily Beast: Our Demographic Decline, by Megan McArdle, Dec. 4, 2012

Birthrates are falling. Will the economy follow

....... "Start with a simple equation: economic growth equals the growth in the workforce plus the growth in the productivity of that workforce. If the workforce shrinks, then productivity growth needs to be higher, in order to compensate; otherwise your economy shrinks. In theory, we can compensate for the coming demographic shift with higher productivity. A shrinking population, after all, means a higher capital to worker ratio.


But this doesn't quite work, because our population will not simply get smaller; it will also get older. If everyone was going to suddenly die at 45, we might be able to get the requisite productivity boost. But as the population ages, it will change dramatically, becoming less innovative, more risk averse, less physically capable. Just as we desperately need productivity to speed up, it is probably going to slow down.".... Source: Excerpt of Megan McArdle article

Keywords: Population, Western Economies, Economic Growth, Demographics

Keywords: US Economy, Regulation, Fiscal Uncertainty

Cullen O. Roche of Orcam Financial Group, LLC describes very well the Fiat monetary system, focusing on the US system. A must read for non financial experts to get a better understanding of the system.

Roche, Cullen O., Understanding the Modern Monetary System (August 5, 2011). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1905625 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1905625

Abstract:

"This paper provides a broad understanding of the workings of a modern fiat monetary system that is applicable to countries that are autonomous issuers of currency in a floating exchange rate system. The paper is broken down into 6 sections which I would recommend reading individually for ease of digestion and understanding." SSRN

Keywords: Monetary System, Fiat Money

Related:

National Bureau of Economic Research

Keywords: US Economy, Immigration

Keywords: US Economy, US Debt, US Indebtedness

Bloomberg: Most Americans in Decade Project Economy Will Get Better, Nov. 22, 2012

..."The share of households projecting the economy will get better rose to 37 percent in November, the highest since March 2002, according to a survey accompanying the Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index. That propelled the survey’s monthly consumer expectations gauge to 4 from minus 7. Jobless claims fell last week, while the index of leading economic indicators advanced in October, other reports showed"...read more

Keywords: US Economy, US Consumer Confidence, US Housing

Keywords: Monetary Policy, Fed, ECB