Cullen Roche: Pragmatic Capitalism

Our lead story: Lately we've heard a lot about price fixing scandals coming out of London. And now there are formal allegations of market makers rigging the price of gold! Twenty hedge fund, private citizen, and public investor have filed a lawsuit in Manhattan's Federal District Court contending that the banks have used their privileged positions as market-makers to rig the price of gold to their benefit. Then Erin speaks to David Henderson, a professor of economics at the Naval...

Our lead story: Lately we've heard a lot about price fixing scandals coming out of London. And now there are formal allegations of market makers rigging the price of gold! Twenty hedge fund, private citizen, and public investor have filed a lawsuit in Manhattan's Federal District Court contending that the banks have used their privileged positions as market-makers to rig the price of gold to their benefit. Then Erin speaks to David Henderson, a professor of economics at the Naval...

Our lead story: According to investment bank Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, institutional investors have spent over $20 billion acquiring more than 130,000 homes nationwide. One of the bigger players in this market is Blackstone. The massive multi-national financial services firm has bet billions on the housing recovery. So what is Blackstone like as a landlord? Erin takes a look. Then we explore the themes of endogenous money, the banking system, and the Eurozone with Cullen Roche and Frances...

Our lead story: According to investment bank Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, institutional investors have spent over $20 billion acquiring more than 130,000 homes nationwide. One of the bigger players in this market is Blackstone. The massive multi-national financial services firm has bet billions on the housing recovery. So what is Blackstone like as a landlord? Erin takes a look. Then we explore the themes of endogenous money, the banking system, and the Eurozone with Cullen Roche and...

Our lead story: Here's an interesting matter for you to ponder as you head into your weekend: Why is the internet in the US so darn slow? In short, it's because telecommunication companies have divvied up the market in such a way that Comcast, Time Warner, Verizon, and AT&T are all in a position to operate with virtually no competition. Erin gives you the details. For our interview today, we invite "Junkyard Planet" author Adam Minter to come on and talk trash. He gives some...

Our lead story: Ukraine faces a potential default and needs money. But where will it get the money from? The IMF? EU? Russia? The acting Ukrainian president Olkesander Turchinov says that Ukraine would need $35 billion dollars over the next two years, or the economy would head "into the abyss." That means default and depression. In the past, Ukraine has received aid both from Russia and the IMF. Erin looks at the Ukrainian government's situation and examines the impact on emerging markets....

Our lead story: Ukraine faces a potential default and needs money. But where will it get the money from? The IMF? EU? Russia? The acting Ukrainian president Olkesander Turchinov says that Ukraine would need $35 billion dollars over the next two years, or the economy would head "into the abyss." That means default and depression. In the past, Ukraine has received aid both from Russia and the IMF. Erin looks at the Ukrainian government's situation and examines the impact on emerging...

After the financial crisis entered its most acute phase following the demise of Lehman Brothers in October 2008, central banks around the world - led by the US Federal Reserve - began a program of Quantitative Easing. QE -- whereby a central bank buys private-sector assets with newly printed reserve money -- is said to have helped overcome the financial crisis. The question is... at what cost? Writer and blogger Gonzalo Lira believes that the cost of ultra-easy monetary policy is high - and...

After the financial crisis entered its most acute phase following the demise of Lehman Brothers in October 2008, central banks around the world - led by the US Federal Reserve - began a program of Quantitative Easing. QE -- whereby a central bank buys private-sector assets with newly printed reserve money -- is said to have helped overcome the financial crisis. The question is... at what cost? Writer and blogger Gonzalo Lira believes that the cost of ultra-easy monetary policy is high - and...