AUTHOR

Adrian Ash

Is Japan's recovery faltering?
Economy

Is Japan's recovery faltering?

One significant Japanese economic indicator has fallen to 22-year lows. And that means recovery could be a lot further off than many people expect, sa…
16 Jul 2009
The true cost of negative interest rates
Economy

The true cost of negative interest rates

Sweden's deposit rate recently turned negative. Some analysts say that's just what we need to stall the depression. But that's dangerous talk, says Ad…
13 Jul 2009
Inflation: what the Fed really wants
Economy

Inflation: what the Fed really wants

The US Federal Reserve wants us to believe hyper-inflation is looming. And analysts predicting it are doing Bernanke's dirty work for him, argues Adri…
3 Jul 2009
The real price of gold
Gold

The real price of gold

A good indicator of gold's anti-inflation value is its worth versus the world's currencies. And the world's top ten currencies have lost nearly two-th…
5 Jun 2009
Gold investment has more room for growth
Gold

Gold investment has more room for growth

Gold is attracting new buyers fast, writes Adrian Ash. But compared to the 1930s depression or the inflationary panic of the late 1970s, the world’s w…
22 May 2009
Three sound reasons to own gold
Gold

Three sound reasons to own gold

Gold's bull-run continues. But it's an expensive, largely useless metal and costs money just to hold. So why do people persist in buying the stuff? Ad…
18 May 2009
What the price of gold says about Britain's house prices
Property

What the price of gold says about Britain's house prices

When measured against the price of gold, UK house prices still have a very long way to fall. As Adrian Ash explains, we may only be half way to the bo…
1 May 2009
The real story of gold, inflation and deflation
Gold

The real story of gold, inflation and deflation

Many investors see gold as a defence against inflation, but the reality is different, says Adrian Ash. The real function of gold in times like these i…
26 Feb 2009
What's the point of gold?
Gold

What's the point of gold?

Gold doesn't give you any income, isn't much of a hedge against inflation and its purchasing power is much the same as it was 2,500 years ago. It has …
13 Feb 2009
The race to the bottom in currencies
Gold

The race to the bottom in currencies

Recent action on the foreign exchanges has been perverse. The lower a central bank's interest rate, the better it was for its currency. Adrian Ash exp…
10 Feb 2009
What the real price of gold should be
Gold

What the real price of gold should be

Some analysts say gold should now be over $2,000 an ounce, based on its 1980 peak. But that’s too simplistic, says Adrian Ash. Here’s why.
30 Jan 2009
How the bailouts could bankrupt us all
Economy

How the bailouts could bankrupt us all

The logical consequence of the banking bailouts is full nationalisation, says Adrian Ash. But where are governments going to get the money to pay for …
29 Jan 2009
Is it still worth buying gold?
Gold

Is it still worth buying gold?

Since Gordon Brown sold off Britain's gold in 1999, the price has shot up to record levels. So, with the price of gold so high, is it still worth buyi…
13 Jan 2009
The end of the line for credit
Economy

The end of the line for credit

The current mess we're in is partly a natural consequence of abandoning the gold standard, argues Adrian Ash. Money was printed wantonly, and so, to s…
17 Dec 2008
Gold investors cash in as rates tumble
Gold

Gold investors cash in as rates tumble

In the last two months alone, the Bank of England has slashed the returns paid to savers quicker than at any time since 1858. Those investors holding …
12 Dec 2008
How more cheap money will lead us deeper into trouble
Economy

How more cheap money will lead us deeper into trouble

The Bank of England has been throwing money at the economy since it was made independent. But right now, rock-bottom interest rates and 2007-style len…
11 Nov 2008
Why paper money systems all fail
Currencies

Why paper money systems all fail

Paper money is nothing new. But every culture to use paper money has eventually abandoned it. Will our own money system go the same way, or can we avo…
29 Oct 2008
How a strong dollar could destroy the world economy
Economy

How a strong dollar could destroy the world economy

US politicians say a strong dollar is in their nation's interests. But, says Adrian Ash, with the absence of credit, the strength of the dollar's boun…
27 Oct 2008
How a lack of credit sent markets tumbling
Stockmarkets

How a lack of credit sent markets tumbling

If you play the same trades as highly-leveraged investors, you're in for a fall. But get your hands on assets that don't suffer such 'demand destructi…
17 Oct 2008
Tap in to gold's yearly cycle
Gold

Tap in to gold's yearly cycle

Each year for the last ten years gold has followed a remarkably consistent pattern. It rises in spring, slips back over summer and climbs sharply agai…
21 Aug 2008
Fund of the week: Venture into spicier investments
Funds

Fund of the week: Venture into spicier investments

The SVM Global Opportunities fund of funds gives investors access to areas that can be hard to invest in, such as hedge funds, derivatives and structu…
18 Jul 2008
How to ensure your money doesn't just fly away
Investment strategy

How to ensure your money doesn't just fly away

With shares falling, inflation soaring and banks shaky, what should you do with your money if you want to hang on to it? As Adrian Ash explains, about…
15 Jul 2008
Crisis over, the old crisis returns
Gold

Crisis over, the old crisis returns

America relies heavily on foreign buyers of US government debt, in the form of Treasury bonds. But these buyers are starting to disappear, just when t…
1 May 2008
Zen and the art of monetary mayhem
Economy

Zen and the art of monetary mayhem

In the West’s inflation-free dream world, the idea of central banks targeting the supply and quantity of money has lost out to controlling its outcome…
30 Apr 2008
Bank bailouts: helping or hindering?
Economy

Bank bailouts: helping or hindering?

If only the G7 would sit back and let the failed banks fail. A report from the World Bank suggests that the Fed, the ECB and the Bank of England are a…
14 Mar 2008
Expect more government meddling with banks
Economy

Expect more government meddling with banks

If only Alistair Darling and fellow chief policy wonks would stick to talking gibberish, rather than actually trying to put it into practice, says Adr…
22 Feb 2008
Who can save the troubled banks?
Stockmarkets

Who can save the troubled banks?

Neither the sovereign wealth funds, nor the central bankers nor the politicians - not even Warren Buffett - can save us from the credit crisis alone. …
18 Feb 2008
Why a recession won't push down the cost of living
Economy

Why a recession won't push down the cost of living

With growth slowing in Europe and the US, can we expect inflation to ease? Unlikely, says Adrian Ash. Stock and house prices may be falling, but money…
13 Feb 2008
The Bank of England's real inflation target
Economy

The Bank of England's real inflation target

The BoE's sole purpose in life is to target inflation. But what's really driving today's decision: the fact that CPI has edged above the 2% mark, or h…
7 Feb 2008
After the equity bubble - the litigation bubble?
Stockmarkets

After the equity bubble - the litigation bubble?

The New York Times guesses that the number of post-housing lawsuits could dwarf what followed the Enron collapse. Who to sue first: central bankers, r…
25 Jan 2008
What's going on with the gold price?
Gold

What's going on with the gold price?

Stocks and bonds are going down at the same time. The dollar has bounced despite some very dodgy fundamentals. And 'safe haven' gold sank to a two-wee…
20 Dec 2007
Why is the US prolonging subprime misery?
Property

Why is the US prolonging subprime misery?

Hope Now has ostensibly been set up to support US subprime borrowers facing a huge jump in mortgage repayments. It looks more like a misguided policy …
7 Dec 2007
Why central bankers can't have it both ways
Economy

Why central bankers can't have it both ways

History has shown that you can either bail out the big banks with a flood of cheap money, or you can keep a lid on inflation. But right now, central b…
30 Nov 2007
The gold price indicator you should be watching now
Gold

The gold price indicator you should be watching now

Gold investors are often accused of being ghoulish as they wait to cash in on stock market upsets. But history has proven that it isn't necessarily st…
26 Nov 2007
South Sea bubble, Northern Rock bust
Economy

South Sea bubble, Northern Rock bust

In 1720, the Bank of England's attempts to rescue the overstretched South Sea Company nearly brought it to its knees. History has much to teach us, sa…
23 Nov 2007
Has the banking sector purged the subprime poison?
Stockmarkets

Has the banking sector purged the subprime poison?

A frightening array of Q3 results will have taught banks a valuable lesson: don't lend to people with no income. But is this earnings season the final…
24 Oct 2007