Tag Archives: Money

The Big Mac Index: My Global Currency Reality Check

Posted on July 22, 2025 by macromon

As an international economist earlier in my career, I long appreciated The Economist‘s Big Mac Index, a deceptively simple yet revealing tool for assessing purchasing power parity (PPP) and currency under or overvaluation. In the Economist’s latest iteration, the Index … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Anatomy of a Bond and Currency Crisis

Posted on April 21, 2025 by macromon

It was the autumn of 1996 when I arrived in Sofia, Bulgaria.  I was working for a major Wall Street investment bank and had a clear and urgent mission to assess the sustainability of Bulgaria’s sovereign debt. The atmosphere in … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Strange Currencies and Barter 101

Posted on June 4, 2017 by macromon

Once upon a time, currencies had intrinsic value.  But now the dollar slouches towards Bethlehem  Wampum. Ever wonder where the term “buck” comes from? As in “Ray Nichols, you owe me 100 bucks for our bet the Golden State Warriors would … Continue reading →

Posted in Monetary Policy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Economics in crisis – FT

Posted on April 11, 2014 by macromon

Economics does not fit on a left-to-right political scale, says George Cooper, author of ‘Money, Blood and Revolution’. He tells John Authers that economics is a science in crisis, but at least there is agreement on one thing: markets are … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

How is Money Defined?

Posted on December 16, 2010 by macromon

Be sure to catch Krugman’s post, What is Money? We have issues with his extreme partisanship, but the economics of the piece is excellent.  He raises some very good points on how difficult it is even just to define money, … Continue reading →

Posted in Monetary Policy | Tagged | 4 Comments