From This Collection

The root of Italy's problems

Nov 14, 2011
Berlusconi may be gone, but Italia's problems persists. Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains how Italy got into the mess it's in today.

Why seven percent may not be such a big deal

Nov 11, 2011
When you climb very high mountains, at about 26,000 feet you enter the Death Zone. At that altitude, there's simply not enough oxygen in the air to...

Haircut: More dangerous than it sounds

Nov 8, 2011
If Greece accepts the terms of a new aid package it's expected to get a haircut on its debt. But Sr. Editor Paddy Hirsch explain why that haircut...
Sr. editor Paddy Hirsch discusses the dangers of Greece getting a haircut on its debt.
Angela Kim/Marketplace

Beware overexposure to Greek bonds

Oct 26, 2011
Just like overexposure to the sun will get you burned, so will overexposure to Greek bonds. But normal exposure might not hurt.
Sr. Editor Paddy Hirsch explains why exposure isn't necessarily a bad thing in the latest Whiteboard video.
Angela Kim/Marketplace

WHITEBOARD: Exposure -- not necessarily a bad thing

Oct 21, 2011
Most people have dark thoughts when they hear the word exposure, but exposure can be beneficial -- if it's done in moderation, as I explain in this...

WHITEBOARD: What do companies do with all that cash?

Sep 30, 2011
Companies are hoarding cash -- to cushion themselves if the economy worsens. But where do they keep all that money? Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains

The difference between fiscal and monetary policy

Sep 14, 2011
A lot of suggestions are getting tossed around Washington on the best way to deal with the country's financial standstill. But what exactly is the difference between how Federal Reserve and Treasury can help?
Paddy Hirsch
Paddy Hirsch

For public good, not for profit.

WHITEBOARD: What is a yield curve?

Sep 12, 2011
If you've been following what the Federal Reserve is doing with the interest rate of late, you have probably heard them talk about the yield curve...

WHITEBOARD: Fiscal policy vs. monetary policy

Sep 5, 2011
Often conflated, often confused, fiscal and monetary policies take very different approaches to influence the economy. And they rely on two very ...

WHITEBOARD: The name's Bond. Eurobond.

Aug 17, 2011
James Bond is a weapon of last resort, the man you send in when diplomacy and threats have failed. Eurobond is a similar sort of chap......