LARRY DOWNING
How fewer trips to megamall could trigger the next crisis
Naked capitalism with some truly scary numbers on the over-supply of commerical real estate in the United States and its potential to spark the the next major financial meltdown, as aging boomers cut back on spending and deleverage their debt-fuelled lifestyles.
Maybe competition isn't always best
The Economist has a good summary of a study suggesting that increased competition in the financial industry leads to an increased incentive to take risks. It bases it's thesis on the rise of rating agency Fitch between the mid-1990s and the mid-2000s. The study found that the increased competition from Fitch was related to a deterioration in the quality of ratings issued by Moody's and S&P.
Going with the odds not a good bet
New Zealand-based trading company iPredict has set up a betting pool ahead of Monday's announcement of the winner of the Nobel prize in economics. However, as The Wall Street Journal points out, the favourite almost never wins.