audio by year 2008

12:21 minutes (11.31 MB)

For the past few months,America's subprime mortgage drama has dominated the news,but its threat to the overall economy puzzles some people.

8:29 minutes (7.78 MB)

Last month we mentioned that the sub-prime mortgage collapse left many banks scrambling to meet minimum capitalization requirements. Some stopped issuing loans to refill their coffers. Others managed to get large infusions of cash.

9:59 minutes (9.15 MB)

We may be witnessing a worldwide economic shift of historic proportions. In the second half of the twentieth century, America's industrial and manufacturing economy evolved into an information and service economy. Today,a new source of wealth and productivity appears to be emerging:the eco-economy.

Click to play
13:39 minutes (12.5 MB)

Do you remember your first summer job? In retrospect,it's easy to see that summer employment builds character,reinforces social skills,and helps teach the value of a dollar. It's hard to not benefit from the experience,but the additional lessons gained from entrepreneurialism can mean the difference between long-term financial uncertainty and personal independence.

14:06 minutes (12.91 MB)

Entrepreneurial investors have a low tolerance for broad generalizations and so-called “conventional wisdom.”The frequent and sometimes fanatical debate over the pros and cons of dividends perfectly illustrates the reasons for our disgust with the passionately argued nonsense that so often passes for investment advice.

13:53 minutes (12.72 MB)

Any experienced investor knows that no one can predict the
future. Nevertheless, one should try to imagine many possible
futures. Such mental agility helps an entrepreneurial investor
develop contingency plans, as contingencies are the reality of
every tomorrow.

15:02 minutes (13.77 MB)

Audiences loved the knife-fight scene in Butch Cassidy and the
Sundance Kid (1969,Campanile Productions).Smooth-talking
Butch Cassidy faces huge,ugly Harvey Logan,who holds a
gigantic Bowie knife.Butch says the fight cannot start until he
and Harvey agree on the rules.

Click to play
13:38 minutes (12.49 MB)

Congress learned from the Great Depression that allowing banks to enter the investment business risked destabilizing them. In 1933 the Glass-Steagall act prohibited bank holding companies from owning other types of financial services, asking banks to stick to banking business only. But 66 years later the lesson was forgotten, and in 1999 this provision was repealed.

21:39 minutes (19.82 MB)

...and some days the bear eats you.This saying represents an old western philosophy that fate is fickle, life has its ups and downs - you win some and you lose some. Ultimately, how you manage life’s travails determines whether you win in the long run, and the long run is what matters.

16:28 minutes (15.09 MB)

What a year. Some say we are facing the greatest economic crisis in a century, but the situation is so complex, no one can really be sure. Some predict another Great Depression. Others warn of the potential for hyper-inflation as the Federal Reserve's printing presses shift into overdrive.