4 April 2019 FT — Articles to Read

4 April 2019

 

Question: According to MSN: Money, how much are Americans planning to save in 2019?

 

Great Barrier Reef struggles to recover – Pg. 4

–          The damage caused to the Great Barrier Reef by global warming is severely compromising the ability of its corals to recover with a  near 90% slide in new coral growth last year, …

–          The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest living structure – stretching 2,300km along the east coast of Australia – ….

 

Trump stands by controversial Fed board pick – Pg. 4

–          In recent days Mr Moore’s prospects were further clouded by revelations in The Guardian that the potential Fed nominee had been held in contempt of court by a judge in Virginia for failing to pay $300,000 in child support to his former wife

–          Mr Moore’s appointment has reignited the debate around the White House’s commitment to the independence of the Fed…

 

European Economy – Pg. 7

–          Among rich, industrialized countries only Japan and South Korea have had larger increases in recent years than Finland.  While people over 85 represent just 1.5% of the population in 2000, today they are 2.7%, and by 2070 are expected to be close to 9%

–          Finland’s ageing population results from the baby boom that followed the 1939-40 Winter war with the Soviet Union and the second world war.  Life expectancy has steadily risen and now lies at about 79 for newborn boys and 84 for girls

–          Over 65s passed the under 14s as a bigger age group a few years ago and by 2070 they are expected to be about a third of the population – compared to just over half for people of working age and about 10% children

–          ….true old age starts at 80 – 85.  Before that, people could still be working and be consumers in the new so-called “silver economy”

–          Finland has switched from prioritizing institutional care of the elderly to trying to keep them at home for as long as possible

 

Hedge funds profit from economic glob with bets on falling bond yields – Pg. 19

–          Benchmark 10-year government bond yields in the US sank from about 2.7% at the end of last year to as low as 2.34% last week – a reflection of rising prices – as investors responded to increasingly cautious signals from the Federal Reserve and other main central banks

 

Answer: $26,098