_w_

If you can afford it and that is where you want to live then go for it! Be very mindful of affordability though. Although we've had a couple of decades of extraordinarily low inflation, 1970s style inflation _might_ make a come back in a few years time. That would mean interest rates in the teens as they were back then.

You worry too much.

What a load of codswallop! Savills...

Ooohhhh! But one must be a day trader.

Haven't seen this mentioned anywhere so here it is. http://www.cnbc.com/id/23483872 There's no doubt in my mind she belongs here.

No I think he said he was leaving before they moved the thread?

That was my understanding.

Agreed. I'm a newbie here so haven't read him long but putting aside his convictions about gold (that don't seem totally unreasonnable BTW) I've found his posts to be more insightful than not. And it does seem to be a bit cheap to throw mud at him now that he can't reply. Surely there are other goldbugs in here that can serve as fairer targets?

I'd say spot on :-)

Here's my take on it: Lowering IR does not work; I think that the accepted wisdom is: - it doesn't help the credit situation (mortgage rates in US are higher than they were before the rate cuts) - it hurts the dollar so much that it is starting to really p*ss off the rest of the world. IR cuts = all downside and no upside so Bernanke is looking for answers somewhere else. There is no tangible indication of future coordinated CB action or talk of the Fed hiking IR now AFAIK. IMO, although Bernanke will keep lowering rates (because the markets tell him that is what he is going to do) he will do so more and more reluctantly and might stop before 0 if the dollar's fall is out of control. If I am right this might be interesting as it would mean Bernanke can't use the inflationary policies he had in mind to kickstart the US economy.

I'd venture two ideas: - Some big operators are shaking the market to trigger all the small punters' stop losses, to buy the stuff on the cheap. - The Dow looks like a sick dog, the depression scenario might be coming back to the fore vs. the inflation scenario hence the fall in commodities. Maybe a combination of the two? Too much 'hot' money in the commodities markets anyway, I guess we can expect serious volatiliy and nervourness? Edit: just looked at the other markets, Dow down, $ down big time, bonds down, commodities down, it sounds like Mr Market is entering a depressive phase. Until the next bit of news...

begging for it!

Think of how bad he must feel now, and how many sleepless nights he's got ahead of him. And then with any luck his -ve equity will catch up with him and HE will be forced to forget the lessons of the 90s. One serious drawback to this scenario: he won't be able to retire anytime soon.

No he's not. He's telling the banks that if they can they should increase their capital rather than reduce credit on the grounds of balance sheet constraints. He's saying that a credit contraction would harm the rest of the economy. I don't think it's as gloomy as you think, just advice that is common sense to anyone who is not a banker. There is still a lot the Fed can do; unlike the ECB they haven't even begun the step of buying crap assets such as MBS from banks (or accepting them as collateral as they would say).

Try this. It's live. http://media.cnbc.com/i/CNBC/Sections/Video/CNBC_Live/player/cnbc_live.html?v=101

huh?

It's true if those movies on the net are anything to go by.

Amazing stuff. What an insight! http://www.google.com/trends?q=recession&a...=all&sort=0

Agreed with the latter but with houseprices who knows? In this country the housing market is just as speculative as the stock market.

Monday's outcome belongs to the japanese housewife If she freaks out about her next sushi going the way of the dollar, Tokyo will tank and so will Europe (it's got some catching up to do with the Dow anyway). The only thing I am fairly confident about is that short of a _proper_ crash, Helicopter Ben won't be able to lower rates before the next FOMC meet. The Dow is trading without the sort of instant Bernanke put it's enjoyed the past few months. Then again, the japanese housewife might have had great sex over the weekend, and everything will shoot up. What do I know?

All I know is some very smart money I've come across is betting on top of the market property going up and on the inflation scenario. But that same 'smart money' is also in the process of losing its shirt in the financial markets. Are they right, wrong? Can't say. But a lot of them won't be able to act on their prediction and generate HPI, they'll soon be too busy flipping burgers to worry about buying property.

I'll stick my neck out and propose that ... 'this time it's different' I'd say Helicopter Ben's wings are now being comprehensively clipped by the falling dollar. My guess is, if he repeats one of his frivolous rate cuts solely aimed at steming a stock market fall, the dollar will be slaughtered. Fell free to flame me when I'm proved wrong.

For something simple try Fidelity International. Among other things they have currency cash accounts with interest (I'm currently currently using their Euro cash account, 3% odd interest no risk). On top of that you pay no fees or spreads for currency transactions so its an ideal conduit to change large GBP sums into other currencies (or vice versa). http://www.fidelity.co.uk/direct/index.html

IO mortgages were unheard of in the 80s and 90s AFAIK. They're akin to speculation on margin (with not even a margin with 100% IOs )

Rule Britania ...