Description: Gold has been one of the worst performing investment assets of the last two decades due to the steady to low inflation. In the future, if the US economic environment takes a turn for the worst or inflation reemerges, gold will once again be a high performing investment.

Description: Feature article discussing the too big to fail principle and whether or not strong competition is ideal in terms of the banking industry.

Description: Presented at May 1996 Spring Meeting. Panelists discuss the accounting, tax, internal control, and regulatory issues associated with derivative securities and provides an update on recent developments.

Description: A review of changes in the last two years with respect to investing, geopolitical risks and the markets.

Description: Hedge funds have grown tremendously over the last few years and will continue to grow, with invested assets currently being estimated at well over $1 trillion worldwide. The author concludes “I do strongly believe that the contradictory philosophies of traditional investment management versus hedge funds have to be carefully considered, reflected upon and evaluated ...”

Description: The purpose of the article is to highlight how a person or organization can excel in both a highly-competitive expert-driven environment and one where the environment is less so. One should focus on what can be done well and delegate the remaining tasks to those who are better at performing them. One should understand the environment they are operating in, how it impacts them, and how it may change through time. The principles have application to investment management, investment performance, organizational performance, business development, career progression and economics.

Description: In this article the author concludes that “terrorism may foster a sense of conservatism that we may now need in the marketplace. Now that policy may have to be changed. In the process, risk will become better understood, common sense can replace, to some extent, the irrational behavior or excessive risk taking of the past and we will all appreciate our financial situation much more, and won’t expose ourselves to unrealistic expectations as much Hopefully the actuarial profession can respond to the challenge, since we are the best qualified to quantify such risks in the marketplace.”

Description: Describes how the mantra of 'tax cuts will pay for themselves" along with the political unwillingness to cut spending (extant since the 1980s), has led to this increasing debt problem in the U.S., reaching $17 trillion at time of writing. Other countries are behaving in a similar fashion, and it can be only a matter of time before the globe may reach another crisis, this time based on excessive government debt coupled with fewer interested investors.

Description: A discussion on how, as some have worried, we are entering uncharted territory for countries such as the United States and the Eurozone, as large amounts of money are being expended to stave off major global financial crises.