article thumbnail

Shockingly Bad Fiscal Health of Chicago (and the Financial Engineering Chicago Uses to Hide that Fact)

MishTalk

Chicago finances are even worse than I thought which is saying quite a bit because I have written about the sorry state of Chicago finances on numerous occasion. Many of these uses of bond proceeds are not eligible for tax-exempt financing under the federal tax code." Not just financed, but financed with long-term debt.

article thumbnail

Blockchain Could Make the Insurance Industry Much More Transparent

Harvard Business

In effect, they all had skin in the game, which remains one of the most elusive elements of modern finance. Without this utmost good faith backed by hundreds of years of successful, albeit somewhat slow, claim payments, the global insurance industry would pale in comparison to the more than $5 trillion in premiums it garners today.

article thumbnail

Reflections on 2013; What's Important, What's Not? What's Ahead?

MishTalk

Had I suggested in 2007 that the Fed balance sheet expansion of $75 billion a month would have been considered "tightening" people would have thought I was nuts. Total credit in the economy (total social financing) showed a 40 per cent rise in November over the prior month and is on course for growth this year of almost 20 per cent.