Post your comments and questions for March, 2015.

Click here to see previous comments and questions.

31 Comments

  2. Mark Armstrong predicts a sovereign debt crisis which might begin in Sept/October 2015. On a practical level what
    is sovereign debt?…Government bonds, Treasuries, FDIC, bank CD’s, Money markets? Government bond money markets?

    ..what exactly is he referring to and how would one hedge against such a prediction?

    1. Elinor:

      Take a look at the McKinsey study I posted last week on the blog. This will be part of the discussion that Dr. Farrell and I have in Planet Debt at the end of the month.

      Catherine

  3. Will the new blog support a podcast feed for Solari audio reports? This would make it easier to automatically sync the latest MP3 audio report to a mobile phone, for convenient listening in a car or on headphones during commutes.

    A small VC is experimenting with an instrument called “Cashflow Notes” which combines debt and equity, developed by Cooley:
    http://pando.com/2015/02/17/while-other-vcs-seek-unicorns-indie-vc-is-all-about-that-cashflow/
    http://bryce.vc/post/110818407170/an-update-on-indie-vc
    http://bryce.vc/post/112803622220/how-indie-vc-cash-distributions-work

    “[It’s an] instrument that has elements of both debt and equity. Debt in that we will not be purchasing equity initially, but, unlike debt, there is no maturity date, no collateralization of assets and no recourse if it’s never paid back. The equity element will only become a factor if the participating company chooses to raise a round of financing or sell out to an acquiring company.”

    A couple of stories from Minnesota and Alberta on neighbors buying and developing unwanted buildings:
    http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/neighbors-got-together-buy-vacant-buildings-renting-bike-shop-brewer

    “NEIC created a structure where any Minnesota resident could join the co-op for $1,000, and invest more through the purchase of different classes of nonvoting stock… One year later, NEIC had enough members to buy the two buildings on Central Avenue for cash… Today, NEIC’s impact spreads beyond the intersection of Central and Lowry. It’s catalyzed the creation of new jobs, engaged its more than 200 members in reimagining their neighborhood, and given residents a way to put their capital to work in their local economy. “Collectively, that wealth will stay in our community,” says Watson. “If you want to take the long view, that’s the goal.”

    1. Rich:

      Will check into podcast feed.

      Posting the other articles. Good stuff!

      Catherine

  4. Hello Catherine,
    I think the idea of a basic income promoted in the link below is worthy of debate. We have some serious problems with the amount of resources that are removed from public lands and the resulting profits that are disseminated amongst resource companies and the government with almost nothing going directly to the citizens. It seems that the way our current system operates, the majority of the monies find their way to the plutocracy, via dividends and interest and stock price appreciation. Alaska’s model is a start, but could be improved.

    Chad

    https://realcurrencies.wordpress.com/2014/12/05/the-basic-income/

    1. Excellent point. Look at the post we did on the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund. If Louisiana had treated its natural resources the way Norway did, the people of Louisiana would be healthy and safe today – and the environment as well.

  5. In federal laws crowd sourcing is only available to the wealthiest investors. 13 states have passed laws allowing all investors. Is this important? Goto http://Www.mnvest.org for more info.

Comments are closed.