101 Things Everyone Should Know about Economics

2ND EDITION

From Securities and Derivatives to Interest Rates and Hedge Funds, the Basics of Economics and What They Mean for You

Peter Sander, MBA

AVON, MASSACHUSETTS

DEDICATION

101 Things Everyone Should Know about Economics, 2nd Edition is dedicated to you who are in charge of your finances today—or will be someday—who strive to make sense of the complex economic world around you. You want to understand how it all affects you, your family, and your future; you seek what you should know and why you should know it. This edition in particular is dedicated to making sense of the dismal years of the Great Recession, to learning its lessons, and to doing well for yourself and your family regardless of the current economic climate.

Contents

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1:

The Basics

CHAPTER 2:

Economy and Economic Cycles

1. INCOME

2. CONSUMPTION

3. SAVING AND INVESTMENT

4. GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP)

5. UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT RATES

6. RECESSIONS

7. DEPRESSIONS

8. BUSINESS CYCLE

9. DELEVERAGING

10. MISERY INDEX

11. CONSUMER CONFIDENCE

12. PRODUCTIVITY

13. ECONOMIC INDICATORS

14. DISTRIBUTION OF INCOME AND WEALTH

15. THE WEALTH EFFECT

CHAPTER 3:

Money, Prices, and Interest Rates

16. MONEY

17. MONEY SUPPLY

18. INFLATION

19. DEFLATION

20. STAGFLATION

21. INTEREST RATES

22. PRIME RATE

23. YIELD CURVE

24. RISK PREMIUM

25. BOND PRICES VERSUS INTEREST RATES

26. GOLD STANDARD

CHAPTER 4:

Banks and Central Banking

27. COMMERCIAL BANK

28. INVESTMENT BANK

29. CENTRAL BANK

30. FEDERAL RESERVE

31. TARGET INTEREST RATES

32. FED OPEN MARKET OPERATIONS

33. FRACTIONAL RESERVE BANKING

34. REFLATION

35. PARADOX OF THRIFT

36. RESERVE REQUIREMENTS

37. LOAN LOSS RESERVE

38. TIER 1 CAPITAL

39. DODD-FRANK WALL STREET REFORM AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT OF 2010

CHAPTER 5:

Government and Government Programs

40. U.S. TREASURY

41. FEDERAL BUDGET

42. FEDERAL DEFICITS AND DEBT

43. SECURITIES ACTS OF 1933, 1934, AND 1940

44. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (SEC)

45. FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION (FDIC)

46. GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED ENTERPRISES (GSES)

47. TAX POLICY AND INCOME TAXATION

48. CREDIT PROTECTION

49. BANKRUPTCY LAW

50. ENTITLEMENTS: SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE

51. RETIREMENT PLANS

52. UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

53. HEALTH INSURANCE PROTECTION: COBRA AND HIPAA

54. OBAMACARE

CHAPTER 6:

Economic Schools and Tools

55. FISCAL POLICY

56. MONETARY POLICY

57. KEYNESIAN SCHOOL

58. CHICAGO OR MONETARIST SCHOOL

59. AUSTRIAN SCHOOL

60. SUPPLY-SIDE ECONOMICS

61. TRICKLE-DOWN ECONOMICS

62. REAGANOMICS

63. BEHAVIORAL ECONOMICS

64. NEW DEAL

65. PLANNED ECONOMY/SOCIALISM

CHAPTER 7:

Finance and Financial Markets

66. DERIVATIVES AND DERIVATIVE TRADING

67. ASSET-BACKED SECURITY

68. COLLATERALIZED DEBT OBLIGATION (CDO)

69. CREDIT DEFAULT SWAP (CDS)

70. MUTUAL FUND

71. EXCHANGE-TRADED FUND (ETF)

72. HEDGE FUND

73. PRIVATE EQUITY

74. LEVERAGED BUYOUT (LBO)

75. INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS

76. MONEY MARKET FUND

77. CREDIT RATING AGENCY

78. STOCKS, STOCK MARKETS, AND STOCK EXCHANGES

79. BONDS AND BOND MARKETS

80. COMMODITIES, FUTURES, AND FUTURES MARKETS

81. CURRENCY MARKETS/FOREX

82. BROKERS, BROKER DEALERS, AND REGISTERED INVESTMENT ADVISERS

83. FINANCIAL ADVISERS

84. ELECTRONIC AND HIGH-FREQUENCY TRADING

85. INSIDER TRADING

86. MARGIN AND BUYING ON MARGIN

87. SHORT SELLING

88. MEDIAN HOME PRICE

89. HOUSING AFFORDABILITY

90. FORECLOSURE/SHORT SALE

CHAPTER 8:

Trade and International Economics

91. GLOBALIZATION

92. CURRENCY POLICY AND EXCHANGE RATES

93. CURRENCY DEVALUATION AND DEPRECIATION

94. FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT

95. BALANCE OF TRADE

96. BALANCE OF PAYMENTS AND CURRENT ACCOUNT

97. TRADE AGREEMENTS

98. PROTECTIONISM

99. INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF) AND WORLD BANK

100. WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION

101. G8 ECONOMIC SUMMITS

COPYRIGHT

Introduction

What is the world coming to?

You read the headlines. Two appeared recently on the front page of the same newspaper (for those of you who still read newspapers)or your favorite news portal:

Public Wary of Deficit, Economic Intervention

Historic Overhaul of Finance Rules

The public is wary of the deficit and economic intervention? I’m part of the public, so I guess I had better be wary too. And a big change in the rules? Better keep up with that one too. I earn, save, borrow, spend, and invest money, so I’d better find out about any changes in the rules.

Truth is, headlines like this have become part of daily life. Sure, a few years ago, headlines about GDP growth or trade deficits or interest rates were mostly background noise, to be ignored unless you were an economist. Things were going pretty well. We had money to spend, everything was growing just a little each year, our retirement accounts were growing steadily, our jobs were reasonably safe …

And then it happened.

It is the Great Recession, the economic crisis—that big crisis of 2008–2009, the effects of which have lasted well into 2013, after years of good times. Good times? Not for everyone, but for a lot of us. During those times (remember when?) our homes earned more than we did. Those of us who earned any income at all—and most retirees—could borrow money cheaply and almost without any questions asked. We used our homes as ATMs. We could buy anything we wanted, and who cared about the debt, or deficits, or inflation? That was covered too, because home prices and other investment prices were going up. But it all went “poof” starting in 2007. The speeding locomotive of real estate prices, supported by lax lending practices, suddenly went into reverse.