Since the 1990s, when China entered the World Trade Organization, there has been a euphoric move towards outsourcing to cheaper countries for manufacture and labor services. Although this brings down pricing, and helps curb inflation rise, it means the emerging market countries benefit while the client countries reduce expenses, but adjust their labor force accordingly. In this episode I want to explore the current and future trends of de-globalization, when countries retreat to their own borders and what both causes this, and what impact it has for all of us going forward.
Remember 2008? Banksters created an illusion that housing prices could keep going up and up because they artificially fueled demand by creating a new customer base of people who got mortgages that previously would never have qualified.
In previous articles, I have stated that the concept of FI (Financial Independence) is flawed. Although the pursuit of it is admirable, the fact is that few FI followers have been able to do this through bear markets. Consequently putting yourself on that path has some dangers. I prefer to concept of "financial sustainability" and this article gives you tangible steps to take to achieve that.
A recent podcast discussion that I was a co-host on came up, in which the host asked the question, "Are Americans Rich?". The context was to do with whether we all shouldered the burden of charitable giving to other nations and whether that is something that should be done by the individual. The discussion brings up some very interesting dynamics, which I will attempt to give my opinion on in this article.