How the Wall Street Government Rules

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Larry H. Summers, one of Obama’s top economic advisers among other White House staff, recently released a personal financial disclosure form. The Obama White House is making thousands of millions dollars from Wall Street for themselves. Simmers earned US$5.2 million as compensation from D.E. Shaw in 2008, US$2.7 million as speaking fees for several Wall Street firms, US$45,000 for an appearance in meetings, US$135,000 to visit Goldman Sachs for a day, and many such entries in the disclosure form accumulate to stupendous figures for a single year. When Obama’s White House is called a Wall Street government, there are reasons.

Most of these payments made were made to Summers in around April last year when either Obama or Clinton were expected to be in the White House this year. If any of the two would win the election, it was expected that Larry H. Summers would be in the very same position he is in now, the single most influential financial position in the US government. Some of the remittances indicated in the disclosure form (like the US$45, 000) were received only 8 days to Obama’s election. While it is wrong and illegal to receive a bribe so as to influence government decisions, what the Obama administration did was to receive the bribe in advance, before assuming office.

Obama first considered Larry H. Summers for the post of Treasury Secretary just before naming him as his topmost economics advisers. This change of heart ensured that

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Emerging Facts on the Latin finance world

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Some time in September 2008, Brazil’s president, Luiz Ignácio Lula da Silva was asked by journalists what he thought about the global economic crises we are going through. He replied by saying, “When people ask me about an economic crisis in the world, I tell them, go ask George Bush. After all, it is his crisis and not mine.” Such has been more or less the attitude of the Latin finance world to contemporary issues and developments. Whether described as indifference or whatever else, Latin finance has had a hands-off policy of administrating growth and development for a long time now.

It is easy to understand why this delusion has been perpetrated in the region about the non-volatile status of their financial institutions. Policymakers and key economists on the world stage have been full of praise for Latin America’s increasing financial independence and industrial maturity. Of repute has been the fiscal discipline, sustained economic growth, reducing external debt and aid levels, high commodity prices, growing international and national reserves, strengthened governance, and the national and corporate balance sheets health. These developments are amiable and deserving of praise indeed. They are indeed very promising in the race to place Latin America on a firm economic footing by and by. The only problem is that without a change of approach and policy, Latin markets might find themselves irrelevant, and very soon at that, in the face of new developments in the world finance circles.

An instance of this myopic indifference was experienced immediately the credit crisis hit the U.S. financial markets. Most experts and public officials expressed confidence that

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Contextualizing the Risks of Money Markets

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Over the years, money market funds have been the safest means of investing some cash for a long term portfolio entry or for those who want a safe place to hold their money. But recent global developments, with the world economy sagging on its knees, experts have started to point out that there are risks in money markets too. This has shed the previous thoughtline that money markets are a risk-free investment avenue. You can no longer hold it for granted that your investment is safe, just because you are in the money markets. In fact, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) decrees that while investor losses entrusted to money market funds are rare, they are very possible.

However, just as they have become risky to an extent, they have also gained on the rate of interests and profits over the last one decade. Contemporary money markets can triple your initial capital within a few years, and give an impetus to real wealth. Similarly though, just as they are profitable, they can wreck you financially in just a few hours of mishap. It is wise therefore, that before you load your cash into money markets you ensure that you know not only what they are but also how they work. This will facilitate you to know which money market risks to take and which ones are too dear or foolish to take.

Let us begin by understanding what money markets refer to, as a concept. Simply said, money market funds are

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Introduction to The International Monetary Fund

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In a way, the IMF has been successful since it was established back in July, 1944. From its genesis, it has consistently worked to foster optimal global monetary cooperation for the general good of member states. The aim has been to secure the financial stability of world nations and facilitate a mutually benefiting international trade among these nations. This in return could boost both poverty reduction measures and promote high employment. With criticism to the institution considered, the International Monetary Fund has helped instigate a sustainable economic growth in most member states, apart from the third world countries which continue to trade in complete dependence of the international market.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was a Bretton-Woods brainchild as an international organization that regulated economic policies in member countries that impact on both the exchange rates in the global market and the balance of payments. In playing this role, the International Monetary Fund was charged with the responsibility of stabilizing international exchange rates in a way that could facilitate development in the world economy. Besides that, the IMF became a facility that offered highly leveraged loans to third world countries to aid them in establishing economic independence.

From the original 44 member states, the monetary fund has grown in membership to subscribe 186 nations to date. Kosovo was the last state to gain membership. Most of the nations under the United Nations Charter have

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Critical Advice for Beginners in Forex Trading

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Globalization has resulted in the ease of conducting business across national boundaries. Whether you are seated somewhere in New York or Sidney, you can engage in forex trading on an international platform and build your portfolio by capitalizing on any currency pair of your choice.

Foreign currency trading is also referred to as forex trading. The only commodity that is exchanged in this market is money. This has become the biggest financial market today. Every day, 3 trillion USD is traded. Majority of the participants in the markets are individual traders and corporate investors who are quick in identifying opportunities in this trade.

Forex trade operates for 24 hours a day so as to give traders all over the world an opportunity of taking advantage of opportunities immediately they arise. Traders use the internet in order to learn about and respond to all the opportunities that arise on an international platform. The trade goes on regardless of the barriers of time zones, country boundaries and market hours.

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