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It took three speeding tickets in the south of France on the way from Monaco to Barcelona, but we made it to Spain late yesterday evening. I had forgotten how expensive it is to drive in France. Fuel is among the most expensive in Europe thanks to a series of extraordinarily high taxes.
I’m spending a few days in the Baltics to review how things have changed since I was last here over the summer. This region was among the hardest hit in the world, and as I have stated numerous times, I’m convinced it will end with a devaluation in Latvia. The big news of
It was a rare, cool evening in Bangkok, so we decided to take a tuk-tuk back to the hotel. You’ve probably seen them– they’re like open-air rickshaws attached to a lawn mower engine, and the drivers will take you anywhere in town for a buck or two. I was riding with my
Amazingly enough, Hugo Chavez is giving us a gift. Allow me to explain. World leaders are gathered today in Berlin, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain. What would have been the greatest armed conflict in the history of the world was successfully avoided… peace prevailed. Meanwhile, thousands of
I’m actually reporting tonight from bed-side in my hotel room; I managed to crash my $3/day motorcycle rental this afternoon, and between the cracked rib and other pleasantries, I’ve decided to call it an early evening. Fortunately for me, Thailand has some of the best healthcare in the world, at least if you’re
November 4, 2009 Thailand I arrived into Thailand at 3am this morning from Shenzhen, and instantly I felt a bit happier. China is undoubtedly a booming colossus full of opportunity, but culturally it can be a bit grating after a while. After a month on the mainland, I needed a break, and Thailand
What if they held a bond auction and nobody came? This is exactly what happened in Latvia a few weeks ago, as the country failed to receive a single bid for $16 million of debt, maturing in April 2010. In other words, investors were not willing to loan what amounts to international finance
It had to happen eventually. Nothing moves in a straight line in either direction, up or down… and when it does, there’s clearly room for a correction. In this case, I’m talking about the dollar, which has surged in the last week. What a roller coaster ride– we watched it continually slide for
I need to start off today’s missive with an important update. Last month I wrote a few articles about something that I believe is an absolute no-brainer if you have retirement savings– setting up a self-directed IRA. Most retirement savings plans are locked in to a handful of investment options– employees are forced
While I was en route to China, somewhere over the Sea of Japan, gold hit a record high on ‘concerns’ about the long-term value of the dollar. Frankly, 1974 was probably the time to be ‘concerned’ about the long-term value of the dollar. The remaining institutional investors who are only now finding reasons
Apparently I’ve been traveling too much, because I was recently caught out of the loop. On Wednesday I published an article about Panama’s Resolution 52; the law effectively makes it illegal for landlords to rent property in Panama for less than 1-year. I predicted in the letter that, based on the past track
Years ago, in my early 20s, I had my first taste of investment success. I wish I could dazzle you with a great story about a goldmine in the jungle or negotiating land rights with warlords… Unfortunately, no. All that would come later. Rather, my first deal was a set of very plain
Roughly $100 billion. Even in today’s world where politicians throw out the word ‘trillion’ as if it were a casual dinner garnish, $100 billion is still a lot of money… especially when you’re desperate to sustain glimmers of economic growth and trying to plug a budget shortfall that amounts to 13% of GDP.
Updated 9/23/2009 (thanks JES) People ask me this question a lot– what’s the best way to diversify US dollar holdings into other currencies? Well, ‘best’ is certainly relative… I prefer commodities and precious metals as a way to protect my savings, but I can’t exactly pay my American Express bill with the bullion
“Dear Simon- Jeff Clark from Growth Stock Wire recently wrote that ‘China is a fraud’ and that ‘If Americans aren’t buying big-screen TVs or $100 sneakers, Chinese stocks are ultimately headed for trouble.’ I would like your opinion on his view.” Great question. I like Jeff Clark and generally agree with his analysis…
