A Star Is Born | May 2023

“Look to the stars and from them learn” Albert Einstein Last month, we looked at the neutral rate of interest, which is also known as the natural rate, the equilibrium rate, or in its nerdier, variable form as r*.  This is the level for the overnight rate which...

The Tall Tale of Two Tails | April 2023

“The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true” James Branch Cabell After 19 years of pure pain and suffering, Maple Leaf fans finally had a modicum of playoff success to celebrate.  And celebrate they...

The Other March Madness | March 2023

“Like life, basketball is messy and unpredictable.” Phil Jackson It seems this year, March Madness was not restricted to college basketball, with the excitement and unpredictability of the tournament spilling off the courts and into financial markets.  As the NCAA’s...

Rate Expectations | February 2023

“Ask no questions, and you’ll be told no lies.” Charles Dickens Boring old bonds have been anything but lately.  Investors that were lured back into fixed income have been treated to some wild bouts of volatility, with the pendulum swinging from one extreme to...

What’s Love Got to Do with It? | January 2023

“What’s love but a secondhand emotion?” Tina Turner On the fourteenth day of this month, romantics across the globe will celebrate what Plato once called theia mania, the divine madness.  While the origins of Valentine’s Day lie in ancient Rome, the first...

The 2023 Forecast of Forecasts| December 2022

“An economist is an expert who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn’t happen today.” Evan Esar The passage of one year into the next is marked by some interesting customs and traditions.  Americans watch the ball drop, Spaniards eat...