This document discusses the results of a survey conducted in 7 European countries regarding how 50-70 year old investors have been impacted by and reacted to the Euro debt crisis. Some key findings:
- Italians and French reported the most negative personal financial impacts, while Germans and Swiss reported little impact.
- Over half of Italian respondents save less than before the crisis, while most others did not change savings.
- Main change in investments was reducing risk and choosing shorter-term investments, while UK investors did not largely change behavior.
- Germans, Austrians and Italians largely trust the Euro, while skepticism is highest in France, Netherlands, and UK.
- Majorities in all countries expect tax hikes and
In January–June, the return on Elo’s investments was −4.1 per cent (7.2 per cent). The market value of the investments was EUR 24.0 billion. In the second quarter, return on investments was positive at 5.9 per cent (1.9 per cent). The solvency ratio was 119.4 per cent and solvency capital was 1.4 times the solvency limit.
Investment led Growth: Expectations vs RealityIlias Lekkos
The aim of our study is twofold: first we intend to investigate the factors that drive the most dynamic and productive part of gross fixed capital formation, namely the “private non-residential” investments in the short and medium –term. Secondly looking to the long-term we attempt to estimate the equilibrium level of investment activity that is in line with the new long-term potential GDP growth of the Greek Economy.
Fitch affirms AAA credit ratings for 12 countries including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The AAA rating indicates the highest possible credit quality and lowest risk of default. Fitch provides details on why each of these countries maintains a AAA rating, citing factors such as strong macroeconomic policies, low government debt, and robust banking systems.
- The document discusses the outlook for 2012 following a volatile 2011 marked by events like the Japanese earthquake, Arab Spring, US credit downgrade, and ongoing European debt crisis.
- It summarizes the views of Horacio Valeiras, CIO of Allianz Global Investors Capital, on risks and opportunities in 2012, including expectations for slow growth in Europe, political gridlock in the US, and stronger growth in emerging markets compared to developed nations.
- Valeiras expects global monetary policy alignment to continue in 2012, with risks of higher long-term inflation, and sees China avoiding a hard landing despite property market risks.
The article discusses the opportunities and challenges for foreign asset managers in the pension markets of eight Central and Eastern European countries that joined the EU on May 1, 2004. While the potential for growth is large, early entrants have faced significant regulatory, distribution, and cultural barriers. The Polish pension market is the largest and most promising but still restricts foreign investment and third-party management. Overall distribution challenges and a need for local infrastructure make it difficult for foreign firms to penetrate these emerging markets.
This document discusses different types of fiscal risk that governments face. It identifies three main types - economic, technical, and political risks. Economic risks relate to forecast errors in macroeconomic variables, while technical risks arise from errors in revenue and spending forecasts. The document further classifies risks as specific, general, or systemic. Specific risks include contingent liabilities from government guarantees. General risks stem from errors in macroeconomic and demographic forecasts. Systemic risks threaten the stability of the entire fiscal system. The document reviews country practices for estimating and managing fiscal risks, and identifies lessons for improving transparency, risk assessment, and mitigation.
In January–June, the return on Elo’s investments was −4.1 per cent (7.2 per cent). The market value of the investments was EUR 24.0 billion. In the second quarter, return on investments was positive at 5.9 per cent (1.9 per cent). The solvency ratio was 119.4 per cent and solvency capital was 1.4 times the solvency limit.
Investment led Growth: Expectations vs RealityIlias Lekkos
The aim of our study is twofold: first we intend to investigate the factors that drive the most dynamic and productive part of gross fixed capital formation, namely the “private non-residential” investments in the short and medium –term. Secondly looking to the long-term we attempt to estimate the equilibrium level of investment activity that is in line with the new long-term potential GDP growth of the Greek Economy.
Fitch affirms AAA credit ratings for 12 countries including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The AAA rating indicates the highest possible credit quality and lowest risk of default. Fitch provides details on why each of these countries maintains a AAA rating, citing factors such as strong macroeconomic policies, low government debt, and robust banking systems.
- The document discusses the outlook for 2012 following a volatile 2011 marked by events like the Japanese earthquake, Arab Spring, US credit downgrade, and ongoing European debt crisis.
- It summarizes the views of Horacio Valeiras, CIO of Allianz Global Investors Capital, on risks and opportunities in 2012, including expectations for slow growth in Europe, political gridlock in the US, and stronger growth in emerging markets compared to developed nations.
- Valeiras expects global monetary policy alignment to continue in 2012, with risks of higher long-term inflation, and sees China avoiding a hard landing despite property market risks.
The article discusses the opportunities and challenges for foreign asset managers in the pension markets of eight Central and Eastern European countries that joined the EU on May 1, 2004. While the potential for growth is large, early entrants have faced significant regulatory, distribution, and cultural barriers. The Polish pension market is the largest and most promising but still restricts foreign investment and third-party management. Overall distribution challenges and a need for local infrastructure make it difficult for foreign firms to penetrate these emerging markets.
This document discusses different types of fiscal risk that governments face. It identifies three main types - economic, technical, and political risks. Economic risks relate to forecast errors in macroeconomic variables, while technical risks arise from errors in revenue and spending forecasts. The document further classifies risks as specific, general, or systemic. Specific risks include contingent liabilities from government guarantees. General risks stem from errors in macroeconomic and demographic forecasts. Systemic risks threaten the stability of the entire fiscal system. The document reviews country practices for estimating and managing fiscal risks, and identifies lessons for improving transparency, risk assessment, and mitigation.
Leszek Balcerowicz. Euro: problems and solutionsEesti Pank
This document summarizes a presentation on problems and solutions related to the Euro. It discusses economic growth in the EU from 2008-2013, reasons for deep recessions in some Eurozone countries including financial and fiscal crises, policy responses and their impact on GDP growth, issues related to the Eurozone crisis, and necessary solutions. The presentation contains graphs and tables displaying economic indicators for various countries.
This document is a student project analyzing the impacts of the Eurozone debt crisis on developing countries. It discusses the evolution of the crisis, global forces behind it, and potential short-term and long-term impacts on developing economies through falling market capitalization, commodity exports, remittances, and long-term manufacturing declines. The conclusion calls for stronger financial cooperation between developing countries to help them weather global financial crises stemming from issues in wealthy nations.
The IMF staff report provides an assessment of the Italian economy following discussions with government officials in June 2014. Key points include:
- Italy's economy is struggling to emerge from a prolonged recession, with GDP contracting in the first half of 2014 and investment continuing to decline. Unemployment remains high at 12.3% while inflation has dropped to 0.4%.
- Financial conditions have eased due to reduced sovereign spreads but remain tight, with high real lending rates continuing to weigh on domestic demand and investment.
- Deep-rooted structural reforms are needed to boost productivity and potential growth, including reforms to the labor market, judicial system, and measures to strengthen the business environment and combat corruption.
- Re
1) The study examines whether high levels of corporate debt and short-term debt held back private corporate investment in Europe during the crisis.
2) The findings show that investment was linked to higher leverage, increased debt service costs, and relationships with weak banks. Firms with more long-term debt, which lowers rollover risk, increased investment more, especially if linked to weak banks.
3) Having a relationship with a weak bank negatively impacted investment, but this effect disappeared once demand shocks were controlled for. Debt overhang and rollover risk explained about 60% of the actual decline in aggregate corporate investment during the crisis period.
Emerging market economies were major beneficiaries of the economic boom before 2007. More recently, they have become victims of the global financial crisis. Their future development depends, to a large extent, on global economic prospects. Today the global economy and the European economy are much more integrated and interdependent than they were ten or twenty years ago. Every country must recognize its limited economic sovereignty and must be prepared to deal with the consequences of global macroeconomic fluctuations.
The statistical data for 2009 provides a mixed picture with respect to the impact of the crisison various groups of countries and individual economies. On average, Central and Eastern Europe experienced a smaller output decline than the Euro area and the entire EU while the CIS, especially its European part, contracted more dramatically. However, there was a deep differentiation within each country group. Looking globally, richer countries, which are more open to trade and in which the banking sector plays a larger role and which rely more on external financing, suffered more than less sophisticated economies, which are less dependent on trade and credit (especially from external sources). With some exceptions, the previous good growth performance helped rather than handicapped countries in the CEE and CIS regions in the crisis year of 2009.
The post-crisis recovery has been rather modest and incomplete. It remains vulnerable to new shocks (like the Greek Fiscal crisis), the danger of sovereign default and other uncertainties. Full post-crisis recovery and increasing potential growth will require far going economic and institutional reforms on both national, regional (e.g., EU) and global levels.
Authored by: Marek Dąbrowski
Published in 2010
Toward answering a complicated question of considering financial low-risk and fixed income instruments a safe haven for rentier economies, this study investigates the perspectives and perceptions of policy makers and non- policy makers of a rentier economy of Saudi Arabia, the largest oil producer, towards investing its financial reserves, initially, in the financial sector and, particularly fixed-income securities. Furthermore, the study explores experts’ views in regard to the optimal alternative to the investment in an financial sector. The outcomes of this research methods: interview and questionnaire, show that, despite the uncertainty and instability featured the present financial investment scene, manifested by the current economic slowdown and financial crisis: balance sheet recession, market crunches and banking collapse in different parts of the world, the majority of the participants, trusted the financial sector as a shelter for the reserves of Saudi Arabia. They believed that government bonds and T-bills are the most secure financial instruments to invest the accumulated revenues from oil returns. Thus, from the participants responses, the financial investment sector represents the acceptability framework that can be a safe channel to maximize income for the national economy.
In January–September, the return on Elo’s investments was –1.6 per cent (9.4 per cent). The market value of the investments was EUR 24.6 billion at the end of September. In the third quarter, return on investments was 2.6 per cent (2.0 per cent). The solvency ratio was 120.6 per cent and solvency capital was 1.4 times the solvency limit.
When Fiscal consolidation meets private deleveragingADEMU_Project
This document summarizes a model that analyzes the interaction between public and private deleveraging in a small open economy. The model shows that larger and front-loaded fiscal consolidations entail larger output and welfare losses by postponing the end of the private deleveraging process. The model finds that deleveraging-friendly fiscal consolidations that are more gradual in nature minimize these losses.
This document analyzes the extent to which privatization can help alleviate Greece's debt crisis in 2011. It discusses previous privatizations in Greece and their outcomes. It also compares Greece's privatization plan in 2011 to the UK's privatization experience and challenges. The research examines issues that may arise during implementation of the Greek plan and whether privatization or private ownership is the answer to Greece's debt crisis. The document outlines the methodology, literature review, findings, and conclusions of the research study on Greece's privatization plan.
1. The document discusses the impact of the debt crisis in European countries that use the euro. It led to higher growth initially but also rising current account imbalances.
2. Two potential solutions are discussed: further integrating policies and governments in the EU, and reducing peripheral debt through tools like Eurobonds or other mechanisms.
3. The methodology section outlines that the research will use both primary and secondary data sources to examine the issues and develop understanding of the impacts in different eurozone countries. A deductive or inductive approach may be taken.
The document provides an analysis of the impact of the global financial crisis of 2007-2009 from an international business perspective. It begins with an introduction to the crisis and its causes such as subprime lending and the growth of the housing bubble. It then analyzes the effects on financial markets, the global economy, and the US economic effects including declines in GDP, wealth, and economic projections. The crisis spread from the US to Europe and impacted stock markets, financial institutions, credit markets and the shadow banking system. While governments took action to intervene and prevent further deterioration, the crisis remained one of the most devastating since the Great Depression.
The document discusses the role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Greece's 2015 bailout. It provides background on Greece's economic troubles since 2008 and details the multiple bailout packages provided by the IMF and European institutions between 2010-2015. The bailouts aimed to support Greece's austerity reforms but impacted citizens through wage freezes and tax increases. The IMF wanted to see debt relief for Greece and sustainable reforms before committing further funds, as Greece struggled with unsustainable debt levels over 175% of GDP.
Breaking the common fate of banks and governments by Daniel Gros and Cinzia A...Círculo de Empresarios
The document discusses the eurozone debt crisis and proposals for addressing it. It argues that while policymakers have focused on fiscal discipline, the crisis has deeper roots in inconsistencies in the eurozone's financial market regulation. The fiscal compact will not solve the crisis on its own because it fails to address the tight linkage between governments and banks, which is at the core of their common fate. Breaking this linkage is key to overcoming the crisis.
The document discusses the retirement challenges facing baby boomers around the world as people are living longer and responsibility for retirement savings has shifted to individuals. It notes that the United States is currently facing these issues first as a "laboratory" for these trends. Other regions like Europe and Asia will see these challenges emerge in the next couple decades as their populations also age. A survey referenced in the document found that over 90% of Americans believe there is currently a retirement crisis in the United States due to concerns about preparedness and adequacy of savings for retirement.
'Protecting Your Home from Wildfire' - Fireman's Fund Insurance CompanyOpen Knowledge
The document discusses ways for homeowners to protect their homes from wildfires. It notes that wildfires have increased in recent years due to factors like drought and climate change. Homeowners located near wildland areas are especially at risk. The key recommendations are to create defensible space around the home by removing flammable vegetation and debris within 100 feet, use fire-resistant building materials like a Class A roof, and seal any openings where embers could enter. Proactively preparing the home is emphasized as the most effective approach compared to reactive techniques like privatized firefighting crews.
Doing Good by Investing Well? Pension Funds and Socially Responsible InvestmentOpen Knowledge
Socially responsible investment became an approach that matches investments to ethical values. Thanks to their long-term horizon and asset size, pension funds are one of the main drivers of socially responsible investments.
Leszek Balcerowicz. Euro: problems and solutionsEesti Pank
This document summarizes a presentation on problems and solutions related to the Euro. It discusses economic growth in the EU from 2008-2013, reasons for deep recessions in some Eurozone countries including financial and fiscal crises, policy responses and their impact on GDP growth, issues related to the Eurozone crisis, and necessary solutions. The presentation contains graphs and tables displaying economic indicators for various countries.
This document is a student project analyzing the impacts of the Eurozone debt crisis on developing countries. It discusses the evolution of the crisis, global forces behind it, and potential short-term and long-term impacts on developing economies through falling market capitalization, commodity exports, remittances, and long-term manufacturing declines. The conclusion calls for stronger financial cooperation between developing countries to help them weather global financial crises stemming from issues in wealthy nations.
The IMF staff report provides an assessment of the Italian economy following discussions with government officials in June 2014. Key points include:
- Italy's economy is struggling to emerge from a prolonged recession, with GDP contracting in the first half of 2014 and investment continuing to decline. Unemployment remains high at 12.3% while inflation has dropped to 0.4%.
- Financial conditions have eased due to reduced sovereign spreads but remain tight, with high real lending rates continuing to weigh on domestic demand and investment.
- Deep-rooted structural reforms are needed to boost productivity and potential growth, including reforms to the labor market, judicial system, and measures to strengthen the business environment and combat corruption.
- Re
1) The study examines whether high levels of corporate debt and short-term debt held back private corporate investment in Europe during the crisis.
2) The findings show that investment was linked to higher leverage, increased debt service costs, and relationships with weak banks. Firms with more long-term debt, which lowers rollover risk, increased investment more, especially if linked to weak banks.
3) Having a relationship with a weak bank negatively impacted investment, but this effect disappeared once demand shocks were controlled for. Debt overhang and rollover risk explained about 60% of the actual decline in aggregate corporate investment during the crisis period.
Emerging market economies were major beneficiaries of the economic boom before 2007. More recently, they have become victims of the global financial crisis. Their future development depends, to a large extent, on global economic prospects. Today the global economy and the European economy are much more integrated and interdependent than they were ten or twenty years ago. Every country must recognize its limited economic sovereignty and must be prepared to deal with the consequences of global macroeconomic fluctuations.
The statistical data for 2009 provides a mixed picture with respect to the impact of the crisison various groups of countries and individual economies. On average, Central and Eastern Europe experienced a smaller output decline than the Euro area and the entire EU while the CIS, especially its European part, contracted more dramatically. However, there was a deep differentiation within each country group. Looking globally, richer countries, which are more open to trade and in which the banking sector plays a larger role and which rely more on external financing, suffered more than less sophisticated economies, which are less dependent on trade and credit (especially from external sources). With some exceptions, the previous good growth performance helped rather than handicapped countries in the CEE and CIS regions in the crisis year of 2009.
The post-crisis recovery has been rather modest and incomplete. It remains vulnerable to new shocks (like the Greek Fiscal crisis), the danger of sovereign default and other uncertainties. Full post-crisis recovery and increasing potential growth will require far going economic and institutional reforms on both national, regional (e.g., EU) and global levels.
Authored by: Marek Dąbrowski
Published in 2010
Toward answering a complicated question of considering financial low-risk and fixed income instruments a safe haven for rentier economies, this study investigates the perspectives and perceptions of policy makers and non- policy makers of a rentier economy of Saudi Arabia, the largest oil producer, towards investing its financial reserves, initially, in the financial sector and, particularly fixed-income securities. Furthermore, the study explores experts’ views in regard to the optimal alternative to the investment in an financial sector. The outcomes of this research methods: interview and questionnaire, show that, despite the uncertainty and instability featured the present financial investment scene, manifested by the current economic slowdown and financial crisis: balance sheet recession, market crunches and banking collapse in different parts of the world, the majority of the participants, trusted the financial sector as a shelter for the reserves of Saudi Arabia. They believed that government bonds and T-bills are the most secure financial instruments to invest the accumulated revenues from oil returns. Thus, from the participants responses, the financial investment sector represents the acceptability framework that can be a safe channel to maximize income for the national economy.
In January–September, the return on Elo’s investments was –1.6 per cent (9.4 per cent). The market value of the investments was EUR 24.6 billion at the end of September. In the third quarter, return on investments was 2.6 per cent (2.0 per cent). The solvency ratio was 120.6 per cent and solvency capital was 1.4 times the solvency limit.
When Fiscal consolidation meets private deleveragingADEMU_Project
This document summarizes a model that analyzes the interaction between public and private deleveraging in a small open economy. The model shows that larger and front-loaded fiscal consolidations entail larger output and welfare losses by postponing the end of the private deleveraging process. The model finds that deleveraging-friendly fiscal consolidations that are more gradual in nature minimize these losses.
This document analyzes the extent to which privatization can help alleviate Greece's debt crisis in 2011. It discusses previous privatizations in Greece and their outcomes. It also compares Greece's privatization plan in 2011 to the UK's privatization experience and challenges. The research examines issues that may arise during implementation of the Greek plan and whether privatization or private ownership is the answer to Greece's debt crisis. The document outlines the methodology, literature review, findings, and conclusions of the research study on Greece's privatization plan.
1. The document discusses the impact of the debt crisis in European countries that use the euro. It led to higher growth initially but also rising current account imbalances.
2. Two potential solutions are discussed: further integrating policies and governments in the EU, and reducing peripheral debt through tools like Eurobonds or other mechanisms.
3. The methodology section outlines that the research will use both primary and secondary data sources to examine the issues and develop understanding of the impacts in different eurozone countries. A deductive or inductive approach may be taken.
The document provides an analysis of the impact of the global financial crisis of 2007-2009 from an international business perspective. It begins with an introduction to the crisis and its causes such as subprime lending and the growth of the housing bubble. It then analyzes the effects on financial markets, the global economy, and the US economic effects including declines in GDP, wealth, and economic projections. The crisis spread from the US to Europe and impacted stock markets, financial institutions, credit markets and the shadow banking system. While governments took action to intervene and prevent further deterioration, the crisis remained one of the most devastating since the Great Depression.
The document discusses the role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Greece's 2015 bailout. It provides background on Greece's economic troubles since 2008 and details the multiple bailout packages provided by the IMF and European institutions between 2010-2015. The bailouts aimed to support Greece's austerity reforms but impacted citizens through wage freezes and tax increases. The IMF wanted to see debt relief for Greece and sustainable reforms before committing further funds, as Greece struggled with unsustainable debt levels over 175% of GDP.
Breaking the common fate of banks and governments by Daniel Gros and Cinzia A...Círculo de Empresarios
The document discusses the eurozone debt crisis and proposals for addressing it. It argues that while policymakers have focused on fiscal discipline, the crisis has deeper roots in inconsistencies in the eurozone's financial market regulation. The fiscal compact will not solve the crisis on its own because it fails to address the tight linkage between governments and banks, which is at the core of their common fate. Breaking this linkage is key to overcoming the crisis.
The document discusses the retirement challenges facing baby boomers around the world as people are living longer and responsibility for retirement savings has shifted to individuals. It notes that the United States is currently facing these issues first as a "laboratory" for these trends. Other regions like Europe and Asia will see these challenges emerge in the next couple decades as their populations also age. A survey referenced in the document found that over 90% of Americans believe there is currently a retirement crisis in the United States due to concerns about preparedness and adequacy of savings for retirement.
'Protecting Your Home from Wildfire' - Fireman's Fund Insurance CompanyOpen Knowledge
The document discusses ways for homeowners to protect their homes from wildfires. It notes that wildfires have increased in recent years due to factors like drought and climate change. Homeowners located near wildland areas are especially at risk. The key recommendations are to create defensible space around the home by removing flammable vegetation and debris within 100 feet, use fire-resistant building materials like a Class A roof, and seal any openings where embers could enter. Proactively preparing the home is emphasized as the most effective approach compared to reactive techniques like privatized firefighting crews.
Doing Good by Investing Well? Pension Funds and Socially Responsible InvestmentOpen Knowledge
Socially responsible investment became an approach that matches investments to ethical values. Thanks to their long-term horizon and asset size, pension funds are one of the main drivers of socially responsible investments.
Traditionally, the pension systems of most Western European countries were textbook examples for the dominance of public pay-as-you-go pensions. This has changed.
If no cure is found for dementia in the next few years, the number of people affected will continue to grow as a
result of rising life expectancy. Alzheimer’s Disease International predicts that the number of dementia patients
will more than treble by 2050 and reach over 115 million worldwide, equivalent to the combined populations of
Spain and France today.
Allianz Risk Pulse: Zukunft der indivduellen MobilitätOpen Knowledge
Neben dem technologischen Fortschritt wird auch das Konsumentenverhalten
die Mobilität grundlegend verändern. Das eigene Auto verliert seine Bedeutung als Statussymbol. Lesen Sie mehr im Allianz Risk Pulse: Zukunft der individuellen Mobilität.
2010 – Demographic Turning Point on the EU Labor MarketOpen Knowledge
For the first time fewer new entrants on the European labor market than people approaching or entering retiremen. Workforce deficit surpasses the 200,000 mark in 2010. The proportion of working older people has to be increased.
Demographic change is important to citizens and governments alike. AllianzGI International Pensions undertakes fundamental pension research on risks associated with aging.
How declining populations can effect productivity -- PROJECT MOpen Knowledge
How will Germany's declining population effect productivity? To maintain today's productivity, there are three options: increase the labor force through immigration and underemployed groups; increase the number of years or hours worked; embrace automation. Otherwise Germany could lose a 6th of its productivity by 2035.
In RiskMonitor, Allianz Global Investors (AllianzGI) together with Investment & Pensions Europe (IPE) magazine surveys European institutional investors’ perceptions of capital market, regulatory and governance risk.
.Introduction The European sovereign debt crisis was to a gr.docxmercysuttle
.
HST 337 Review essay questions
1. Comment fully on the origins and consequences of the Atlantic slave trade. Include a detailed comment on what you consider to have been the likely short and long term impact of the trade on African societies.
2. Migration is a major theme in the understanding of the African experience. Select and discuss at least four examples of migration in the African continent before 1870. Include comment on the objectives, accomplishments and failures of the migrants
3. Assume you visited and spent two months in either the Asanteland or Yorubaland or Hausaland or Igboland in 1825. Write a report of your observations there. Focus your attention on political, economic, social and cultural life. Conclude your essay by commenting on what you consider to be the African perception of what the advancement in civilization should entail
. 4. A knowledge of the shaping of the South African society to 1850 is critical to the understanding of that region's history in later years. Assume you were invited to give a lecture on "The Shaping of South African Society to 1850." Discuss at least four themes you will emphasize in your lecture. State why selected these themes and support your argument with historical data.
5. Select an African king/leader before 1870 and craft a biographical essay on him. Focus your attention on his rise to power, administrative style, economic policy, achievements, failures, weaknesses, and legacy. Include comment on what you consider to a unique characteristic of African leaders before 1870.
6. Select and discuss at least four examples of the role of long distance trade in the shaping of African society before 1870. Include on what you consider to be the most enduring impact of long distance trade in the continent.
...
Crisis and Trust in National and European Union institutions – Panel evidence...Wikiprogress_slides
Presentation by Felix Roth at the OECD Workshop on “Joint Learning for an OECD Trust Strategy” on 14 October 2013. Dr. Roth discusses the consequences of citizens declining trust and the driving factors of declining trust in Europe. He also provides an econometric analysis of trust and unemployment.
The global financial crisis was caused by a large increase in savings from 2000-2007 that sought higher yields than US Treasury bonds, generating asset bubbles around the world. When the bubbles burst, governments and banks faced questions about their solvency as asset prices fell but debt levels remained. This interconnected the global financial system and risk of default by one country threatened others through trade links and credit default swaps. The eurozone crisis emerged from these conditions and was exacerbated by fiscal issues in Greece and other countries that masked their debt levels. Rising government debt and loss of confidence in sovereign debt further drove the crisis.
Eurozone Crisis and Financial ContagionAnurag Verma
The document provides information on the Eurozone crisis and its impacts. It discusses the main causes of the Eurozone crisis as profligate government spending and weak economic growth in countries like Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain. It then outlines several impacts of the crisis on India, including depreciation of the rupee, lower exports, market volatility, and slowing manufacturing and services sectors. The document also defines financial contagion as the spread of financial crisis across markets, and explains how it can reduce business confidence by prompting investors to rearrange portfolios and calling in loans.
The document summarizes a report by The Economist Intelligence Unit on the global economic outlook for Q4 2020. It finds that advanced economies will enter a "new normal" characterized by slow growth, low inflation, and high debt due to the fiscal stimulus measures enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Central banks have taken on the new role of directly financing government spending, and low interest rates mean debt servicing costs are negligible. As a result, debt piles may simply disappear over time if growth outpaces interest rates. However, this situation also carries long-term risks for productivity, inflation, and financial stability.
Swedbank was founded in 1820, as Sweden’s first savings bank was established. Today, our heritage is visible in that we truly are a bank for each and every one and in that we still strive to contribute to a sustainable development of society and our environment. We are strongly committed to society as a whole and keen to help bring about a sustainable form of societal development. Our Swedish operations hold an ISO 14001 environmental certification, and environmental work is an integral part of our business activities.
Swedbank was founded in 1820, as Sweden’s first savings bank was established. Today, our heritage is visible in that we truly are a bank for each and every one and in that we still strive to contribute to a sustainable development of society and our environment. We are strongly committed to society as a whole and keen to help bring about a sustainable form of societal development. Our Swedish operations hold an ISO 14001 environmental certification, and environmental work is an integral part of our business activities.
The document summarizes several shocks that occurred on a single day in May 2012, including Greece potentially leaving the Eurozone, the eurozone nearing recession, troubles in the European commercial real estate market, losses for J.P. Morgan from speculative bets, an upcoming debt ceiling showdown in the U.S., and heightened currency market volatility. In response, the author's firm has positioned its portfolios to have little exposure to Greece, be underweight Europe and the euro, and underweight U.S. Treasuries. While continued challenges exist, the author believes diversification may benefit investors and that progress is being made in addressing issues plaguing the global banking sector and European economies.
The document provides a summary of consumer sentiment surveys in the UK and Europe conducted by McKinsey & Company in June 2022. The key findings include:
1) Rising prices have surpassed COVID-19 as the top concern for UK consumers, with over half citing it as their main worry. Pessimism about the economic recovery has doubled since last year.
2) Across Europe, nearly two-thirds of consumers have a negative view of their country's economy currently. UK consumers are the most pessimistic.
3) Younger generations in the UK (Gen Z and millennials) are most concerned about unemployment and have the lowest confidence in the country's future economic recovery.
Swedbank was founded in 1820, as Sweden’s first savings bank was established. Today, our heritage is visible in that we truly are a bank for each and every one and in that we still strive to contribute to a sustainable development of society and our environment. We are strongly committed to society as a whole and keen to help bring about a sustainable form of societal development. Our Swedish operations hold an ISO 14001 environmental certification, and environmental work is an integral part of our business activities.
How are EMEA investors responding to changing macroeconomic and regulatory environments, stakeholder objectives and pressures, and market conditions? Based on a survey of 200 institutional investors in the region, this report takes a detailed look.
Sep 2011 Quarterly Report - WIOF Global Utilities FundKen Teale
- Performance is calculated before management fees of between 1.50% and 2.25% per annum. The fund's inception date is July 31, 2009. The benchmark is the UBS Developed Infrastructure & Utilities Index, which is USD hedged and total return.
- The fund's share price decreased 0.3% in the quarter compared to a 6.0% decrease in the benchmark index, due to avoiding large Italian, Spanish and French utilities and geographic allocation.
- The portfolio holds positions in regulated utilities (41%), semi-regulated utilities (38%), generation (2%), communications infrastructure (7%), rail (3%) and airports (1%). The largest geographic exposures are the US (46%),
Global Investment Returns Yearbook 2013Credit Suisse
Published: 1/2013
It is now over five years since the beginning of the global financial crisis and there is a sense that, following interruptions from the Eurozone crisis and, more recently, the fiscal cliff debate in the USA, the world economy is finally moving towards a meaningful recovery. In this context, the Credit Suisse Global Investment Returns Yearbook 2013 examines how stocks and bonds might perform in a world that is witnessing a resurgence in investor risk appetite and might soon see a rise in inflation expectations. With their analysis of data spanning 113 years of history across 25 countries, Elroy Dimson, Paul Marsh and Mike Staunton from the London Business School provide important research that helps guide investors as to what they might expect from market behavior in coming years.
With the improving business cycle in mind, Andrew Garthwaite and his team analyze whether inflation is good for equities. Drawing on the Yearbook dataset, they assess what type of inflation we may see in the future, and what equity sectors, industries and regions offer the best inflation exposure.
- Download the Global Investment Returns Yearbook 2013 (PDF): http://bit.ly/1pbjE7U
- Order the print version of the Global Investment Returns Yearbook 2013 http://bit.ly/1dvaRfh
Visit the Credit Suisse Research Institute website: http://bit.ly/18Cxa0p
Swedbank was founded in 1820, as Sweden’s first savings bank was established. Today, our heritage is visible in that we truly are a bank for each and every one and in that we still strive to contribute to a sustainable development of society and our environment. We are strongly committed to society as a whole and keen to help bring about a sustainable form of societal development. Our Swedish operations hold an ISO 14001 environmental certification, and environmental work is an integral part of our business activities.
German consumers are pessimistic about the economy. Rising prices and the invasion of Ukraine are top concerns, and we see a significant down-trade in shopping.
In Germany, consumers’ top concerns are rising prices and the invasion of Ukraine, followed by climate change and COVID-19. Pessimism about the current and future state of the economy has eased but remains at a level comparable to attitudes in the early months of the COVID-19-pandemic. As spend for groceries and gasoline soared, consumers reduced money directed to savings and spent less on non-essentials. Of the 70 percent of consumers who have assumed new shopping behaviors in the last three months, more than four out of ten tried private labels. Trade-down in stores visited and brands is clearly visible, with the key drivers of choice being prices and value for money. However, 46 percent of consumers say they plan to splurge in 2022.
Growth Forecast Errors and Fiscal Multipliers Marco Garoffolo
- Forecasters underestimated fiscal multipliers in advanced economies early in the crisis. A 1 percentage point increase in planned fiscal consolidation was associated with about 1 percentage point lower growth than forecasted.
- This relationship was stronger early in the crisis but weaker in more recent years, possibly due to learning by forecasters and smaller actual multipliers over time.
- The results suggest multipliers were underestimated for both spending cuts and tax increases, with slightly larger underestimation for spending cuts. Unemployment and private consumption/investment forecasts also underestimated the negative impact of fiscal consolidation.
- Forecasters underestimated fiscal multipliers in advanced economies early in the crisis. A 1 percentage point increase in planned fiscal consolidation was associated with about 1 percentage point lower growth than forecasted.
- This relationship was stronger early in the crisis but weaker in more recent years, possibly due to learning by forecasters and smaller actual multipliers over time.
- The results suggest multipliers were underestimated for both spending cuts and tax increases, with slightly larger underestimation for spending cuts. Unemployment and private consumption/investment forecasts also underestimated the negative impact of fiscal consolidation.
This document summarizes a research paper that analyzes the relationship between foreign aid disbursements and offshore bank deposits. The paper finds that aid disbursements to highly aid-dependent countries are associated with sharp increases in bank deposits in offshore financial centers known for secrecy, but not in other financial centers. Specifically, a 1% of GDP increase in aid is correlated with a 3.4% increase in offshore deposits. This pattern is consistent with some aid being diverted or captured by economic elites in recipient countries. The paper considers various alternative explanations but finds elite capture to be the most plausible. It estimates an average leakage rate of foreign aid into offshore accounts of around 7.5%, though this varies depending on country characteristics
Similar to Impact of the Euro debt crisis on the investment behavior of 50+ European Investors (20)
Allianz Risk Pulse: The Future of Individual MobilityOpen Knowledge
The document discusses trends that are changing mobility, including rising environmental consciousness, urbanization, and digitalization. New mobility concepts like driverless cars and car sharing have the potential to revolutionize transportation. Regulations and consumer attitudes are also shifting, with people showing less interest in car ownership and more interest in sustainability. Technological innovations will further enable new mobility solutions and business models. The future of mobility is uncertain but will be defined by interconnected changes in technology, consumer behavior, and policy.
Allianz Demographic Pulse | Retirement | March 2013Open Knowledge
After a decade of pension reforms in Western Europe and the establishment of new systems in Eastern Europe and Asia, the structure of a retirement income has begun to change. This paper summarizes the
driving forces behind this transformation and describes the new mix of sources of retirement income of households in selected countries.
Das Factbook zur Nachhaltigkeit zeigt die Aktivitäten der Allianz in den drei für das Kerngeschäft relevanten Bereichen: Zugang zu Finanzdienstleistungen, Klimawandel und demografischer Wandel.
As a global financial services provider, Allianz's business success is heavily affected by a variety of global, long-term issues. In this Sustainability Factbook, Allianz presents their ongoing activities relating to the three global issues that are most relevant to the core business: access to finance, climate change and demographic change.
The first of a series of investigations made by Allianz Global Investors deals with changes of the Dutch retirement system driven by fiscal pressure and the current low yield environment.
The document discusses upcoming changes to the Dutch pension system due to fiscal pressures and a low yield environment. The retirement entry age will increase to 67 in 2021 and be pegged to life expectancy going forward. Changes to tax advantages for pension savings will significantly lower accrual rates for occupational pensions. Current low yields have decreased pension fund funding levels, requiring emergency recovery plans that may include benefit cuts. The system is moving from a risk-based to a more regulated framework using an ultimate forward rate.
Allianz Risk Pulse - Business Risks: Country InformationOpen Knowledge
This document provides an overview of the top business risks by region according to a survey conducted by Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty. It lists the top 10 risks for various regions including Europe, North and South America, Asia/Pacific, and specific European countries. For Europe overall, the top risks were business interruption, natural catastrophes, fire, and changes in legislation. The top risks varied by country but generally included business interruption, natural disasters, and fire. It also shows the top risks for large and mid-sized enterprises in some countries.
Learn about the expiring tax breaks and automatic spending cuts scheduled to take effect at the end of 2012 in the United States, including the forecasted economic impact and where Democrats and Republicans stand.
Fears of the U.S. economy falling off a “fiscal cliff” have been percolating among investors, conjuring up frightening images of a deep recession. But the chances of it actually happening in its entirety are slim, say Allianz experts.
The Allianz Center for Technology’s Risk Pulse report assesses the state of road safety worldwide and spells out the components of a culture of safety to reduce global accident risks.
PIMCO DC Dialogue - First Manage Your RiskOpen Knowledge
In this PIMCO DC Dialogue, Professor Zvi Bodie, Norman and Adele Barron Professor of Management at Boston University, discusses with global investment managers PIMCO the difficulties people in the United States have assessing risk accurately, the attitude to risk they should adopt when it comes to retirement planning, and investment strategies for professionals and individuals alike, beginning with low-risk assets such as Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities.
Global financial assets grew 1.6% in 2011 to surpass EUR 100 trillion for the first time, however this growth rate was the lowest since 2008. The euro crisis and stock market volatility negatively impacted household wealth, especially in southern Europe. Overall since 2000, global per capita financial assets have only grown at the average inflation rate due to recurring financial crises. Continued uncertainty and low interest rates have led savers to prioritize liquidity and security over returns. Meanwhile, the emerging markets catch-up process has continued despite challenges in developed nations.
Allianz Life North America – Reclaiming the FutureOpen Knowledge
In a comprehensive survey of U.S baby boomers, coupled with in-depth interviews with financial professionals, Allianz reveals the boomers’ attitudes to retirement planning, their expectations and strategies, and identifies five distinct financial “personalities”.
Reduced sources of income, greater longevity, and market volatility together present a major challenge to the baby boomer generation’s hopes and expectations for a comfortable retirement with guaranteed income, and are forcing them to rethink retirement
In this white paper, Allianz assesses this generation’s response and reveals several key findings which do provide some cause for optimism, in particular the many options Americans have at their disposal to address the three key challenges the baby boomers face.
Allianz Life North America – Rethinking What’s Ahead in RetirementOpen Knowledge
In this analysis of the United States’ retirement landscape, Gary C. Bhojwani, chairman of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America and member of the Board of Management, Allianz SE, Insurance USA, traces the evolution of retirement over the past 70 years and identifies a decisive shift in the financial mindset of all Americans from accumulation of assets to a focus on lifetime income and guarantees. Emphasizing that annuities are set to play a vital role, he highlights the opportunities presented by insured retirement solutions and suggests the demand for guaranteed lifetime income will only grow in coming years.
PIMCO DC Dialogue - It's Your Living StandardOpen Knowledge
In this PIMCO DC Dialogue, Professor Laurence Kotlikoff of Boston University discusses changes in retirement in the United States and the importance of defined contribution savings plans in a world where we are all on our own when it comes to saving for the future.
Space Risks: A new generation of challengesOpen Knowledge
Space debris poses serious risks to satellites through collisions. There are over 16,000 cataloged pieces of space debris larger than 10 cm orbiting Earth. Collisions between satellites and space debris can cause critical or catastrophic damage. The amount of space debris is increasing as objects collide, producing more fragments. Beyond collision risks, solar storms can also damage satellites by disrupting electronics with radiation. While risks exist, insurance helps support the space industry by covering satellites and launch vehicles.
Typisch Deutsch: Europas Wirtschaftsmacht ist den demografischen Wandel und die damit verbundenen Herausforderungen für sein Rentensystem schrittweise und sehr methodisch angegangen.
Why Saving on a Regular Basis Might Be WiseOpen Knowledge
A small step today can make a big difference in retirement. “People who save regularly for retirement tend to be happier with their retirement planning than those who do not,” says Kathrin Nies, author of 'Why Saving on a Regular Basis May be Wise', a study conducted by the Munich Center for the Economics of Aging and Allianz Global Investors.
When contemplating a comfortable retirement you’re better off being an Australian or a Swede than a Thai, an Indian or a Greek, according to the Allianz Global Investors’ 2011 Pension Sustainability Index that shows which pension systems are best prepared for the future.
5 Tips for Creating Standard Financial ReportsEasyReports
Well-crafted financial reports serve as vital tools for decision-making and transparency within an organization. By following the undermentioned tips, you can create standardized financial reports that effectively communicate your company's financial health and performance to stakeholders.
where can I find a legit pi merchant onlineDOT TECH
Yes. This is very easy what you need is a recommendation from someone who has successfully traded pi coins before with a merchant.
Who is a pi merchant?
A pi merchant is someone who buys pi network coins and resell them to Investors looking forward to hold thousands of pi coins before the open mainnet.
I will leave the what'sapp contact of my personal pi merchant to trade with
+12349014282
"Does Foreign Direct Investment Negatively Affect Preservation of Culture in the Global South? Case Studies in Thailand and Cambodia."
Do elements of globalization, such as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), negatively affect the ability of countries in the Global South to preserve their culture? This research aims to answer this question by employing a cross-sectional comparative case study analysis utilizing methods of difference. Thailand and Cambodia are compared as they are in the same region and have a similar culture. The metric of difference between Thailand and Cambodia is their ability to preserve their culture. This ability is operationalized by their respective attitudes towards FDI; Thailand imposes stringent regulations and limitations on FDI while Cambodia does not hesitate to accept most FDI and imposes fewer limitations. The evidence from this study suggests that FDI from globally influential countries with high gross domestic products (GDPs) (e.g. China, U.S.) challenges the ability of countries with lower GDPs (e.g. Cambodia) to protect their culture. Furthermore, the ability, or lack thereof, of the receiving countries to protect their culture is amplified by the existence and implementation of restrictive FDI policies imposed by their governments.
My study abroad in Bali, Indonesia, inspired this research topic as I noticed how globalization is changing the culture of its people. I learned their language and way of life which helped me understand the beauty and importance of cultural preservation. I believe we could all benefit from learning new perspectives as they could help us ideate solutions to contemporary issues and empathize with others.
how to sell pi coins effectively (from 50 - 100k pi)DOT TECH
Anywhere in the world, including Africa, America, and Europe, you can sell Pi Network Coins online and receive cash through online payment options.
Pi has not yet been launched on any exchange because we are currently using the confined Mainnet. The planned launch date for Pi is June 28, 2026.
Reselling to investors who want to hold until the mainnet launch in 2026 is currently the sole way to sell.
Consequently, right now. All you need to do is select the right pi network provider.
Who is a pi merchant?
An individual who buys coins from miners on the pi network and resells them to investors hoping to hang onto them until the mainnet is launched is known as a pi merchant.
debuts.
I'll provide you the what'sapp number.
+12349014282
2. Elemental Economics - Mineral demand.pdfNeal Brewster
After this second you should be able to: Explain the main determinants of demand for any mineral product, and their relative importance; recognise and explain how demand for any product is likely to change with economic activity; recognise and explain the roles of technology and relative prices in influencing demand; be able to explain the differences between the rates of growth of demand for different products.
The Rise of Generative AI in Finance: Reshaping the Industry with Synthetic DataChampak Jhagmag
In this presentation, we will explore the rise of generative AI in finance and its potential to reshape the industry. We will discuss how generative AI can be used to develop new products, combat fraud, and revolutionize risk management. Finally, we will address some of the ethical considerations and challenges associated with this powerful technology.
The Rise of Generative AI in Finance: Reshaping the Industry with Synthetic Data
Impact of the Euro debt crisis on the investment behavior of 50+ European Investors
1. International Pensions Papers 1/2013
Impact of the Euro
debt crisis on the
investment behavior
of 50+ European
Investors
2. Allianz International Pension Papers 1/2013
2
Masthead
Publisher
Allianz SE
Koeniginstrasse 28
80802 Munich, Germany
Phone: +49 89 3800-0
Fax: +49 89 3800-3425
www.allianz.com
Editors
Dr. Renate Finke, Senior Economist
Renate.Finke@allianzam.com
International Pensions
International.Pensions@allianzam.com
Closing Date
Feb 8, 2013
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The statements contained herein may include statements
of future expectations and other forward-looking statements that
are based on management’s current views and assumptions and
involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from
those expressed or implied in such statements. In addition
to statements which are forward-looking by reason of context,
the words “may”, “will”, “should”, “expects”, “plans”, “intends”,
“anticipates”, “believes”, “estimates”, “predicts”, “potential”,
or “continue” and similar expressions identify forward-looking
statements. Actual results, performance or events may differ
materially from those in such statements due to, without limitation,
(i) general economic conditions, including in particular economic
conditions in the Allianz Group’s core business and core markets,
(ii) performance of financial markets, including emerging markets,
and including market volatility, liquidity and credit events (iii) the
frequency and severity of insured loss events, including from natural
catastrophes and including the development of loss expenses, (iv)
mortality and morbidity levels and trends, (v) persistency levels, (vi)
the extent of credit defaults, (vii) interest rate levels, (viii) currency
exchange rates including the Euro/U.S. Dollar exchange rate, (ix)
changing levels of competition, (x) changes in laws and regulations,
including monetary convergence and the European Monetary
Union, (xi) changes in the policies
of central banks and / or foreign governments, (xii) the impact
of acquisitions, including related integration issues, (xiii)
reorganization measures, and (xiv) general competitive factors,
in each case on a local, regional, national and / or global basis. Many
of these factors may be more likely to occur, or more pronounced,
as a result of terrorist activities and their consequences. The
company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking
statement.
No duty to update
The company assumes no obligation to update any information
contained herein.
Contents
03 Introduction
04 Key results
05 Impact of the euro crisis on the financial situation
05 Box: Survey sample and methodology
09 Trust in the euro
10 References
11 Recent Publications
3. Allianz International Pension Papers 1/2013
3
Allianz International Pension Papers 1/2013
One of the major challenges for private investors preparing for retirement is coping
with volatile financial markets. Whereas younger investors still have time to adapt and
compensate for investment decisions which might not prove favorable, or which were
influenced by negative market movements, people close to retirement do not have
that luxury. The struggle around the euro debt crisis has had a big impact on market
movements and performance of investments. It has increased uncertainty for investors,
made products formerly perceived as secure and attractive seem much less so and has
led to an investment landscape of financial repression. In this situation, it is interesting to
know how people react to these developments – particularly those close to retirement.
Allianz International Pensions conducted a survey in seven European countries among
wealthier people aged between 50 and 70. Countries included were Austria, France,
Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom (UK). The main objective
of the survey was to analyze the ideas of the 50+ generation about retirement income,
planning for retirement and financial topics most relevant to this clientele in a financial
environment characterized by uncertainty and volatility.1
In this report we focus on those
results which address the recent financial developments, namely the euro debt crisis.
Introduction
1 The results on retirement planning are
forthcoming, Q2 2013.
4. Allianz International Pension Papers 1/2013
4
• A negative impact of the euro crisis on the personal financial situation is perceived
especially in Italy and France. The majority of respondents in Germany and
Switzerland notice no impact at all.
• More than half of Italian respondents save less money than before the euro crisis.
But in the other countries surveyed the majority of respondents did not change their
savings amounts.
• The main change in investment behavior is to reduce the risk and choose rather
short-term investments. Respondents in the United Kingdom tend to maintain their
investment behavior as before the crisis.
• Although there is a great deal of uncertainty around financial markets and how to
invest in that environment, people in Austria, Germany and Italy largely trust the
euro, more skepticism in euro-zone countries is found in France and the Netherlands.
Though the largest skepticism is found in the UK.
• The vast majority of respondents across all countries surveyed think that there will be
tax hikes and increasing inflation rates in the follow up of the debt crisis.
Key results
5. Allianz International Pension Papers 1/2013
5
People close to retirement or in their early years of retirement, probably thought that they had
secured their retirement strategy and could rest on their laurels, but were instead faced with
severe volatility and financial crises during the last decade. The euro-zone debt crisis continued
this stream of uncertainty. Although it seemed the crisis had already peaked in the middle of 2012
when the president of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi released his statement to support
the euro, the crisis will have an ongoing impact on financial markets with low yields and even
negative real interest rates.
In such a situation of financial repression, investors lose money. Those nearing retirement age and
those who have recently reached retirement, who planned on using part of their financial assets
to generate an income stream for their retirement years, are faced with lower assets than
previously anticipated.
But to what extent has the crisis already impacted the investment decisions of wealthier people
aged 50 to 70? Among the five euro-zone countries, currently only Germans feel mostly
unaffected. A majority of 62% say the crisis has had no impact on their personal financial situation.
A similar result can be seen in Switzerland, which is not surprising as a non-European Union
member with its own currency and a country perceived as a safe haven during the crisis. In
contrast, the majority of French and Italian interviewees felt a negative impact from the euro crisis
on their personal financial situation while Austrian respondents were split. (Chart 1)
Survey sample and methodology
All in all, 1,400 respondents from Austria,France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands,
Switzerland and the United Kingdom (UK) took part in the survey. It should be understood
that this study is not representative of the entire 50-70-year-old population, but rather
targets the wealthiest 20% of this specific age group.
For the objectives of retirement planning and investment, this subset is particularly
interesting for two reasons. Firstly, given the low replacement rate of public pensions
compared with this segment’s current income and living standards in most countries,
financial planning is extremely critical. Secondly, since this group is likely to be more
educated, they are also more likely to have the ability to master their own retirement
strategy and investment decisions. The survey was conducted online in November 2012,
in Austria in January 2013.
Impact of the Euro crisis
on the financial situation
6. Allianz International Pension Papers 1/2013
6
2 See Allianz Global Wealth Report 2012,
Deutsche Bundesbank (2012a) and Banca
d‘Italia (2012)
These answers mirror the development of financial assets of private households in these
countries. In Switzerland and Germany, overall assets saw an increase between 2010 and 2011,
and again into 2012, whereas both France and the UK saw slight losses and Italian households
faced a larger loss of 3% between the end of 2010 and the middle of 2012. In Austria financial
assets remained unchanged.2
The picture in the Netherlands is mixed: although financial assets
as a whole performed well, half of the older Dutch people felt the crisis has had a negative impact
on their financial situation.
Although the general results seem as if people are quite relaxed, a statement concerning the
euro tells a different story. In particular, French and Italian respondents fear for the safety of their
savings (69% and 60% respectively) followed by Germans (48%) and Austrians (38%) whereas
the Dutch seem more relaxed (32%).
Chart 1: Impact of euro crisis on financial situation
་
Question: Does the euro crisis have any impact on your financial situation so far?
Base: Top 20% of 50-70 year old people regarding investable assets
The euro crisis has no
impact on my financial
situation so far
The euro crisis has
negative impact on my
financial situation
The euro crisis has
positive impact on my
financial situation
Don’t know / no answer
62
34
48
33
15
Austria
(n=200)
France
(n=202)
Germany
(n=200)
Netherlands
(n=200)
Switzerland
(n=200)
UK
(n=199)
Italy
(n=201)
43
47
9
1
30
62
5
3
3
57
33
7
3
3
1
39
54
7
1
24
71
0
5
7. Allianz International Pension Papers 1/2013
7
One would expect people to adapt to a new situation. Therefore, it is not surprising that German
and Swiss people have not changed their savings behavior, as most of them did not feel any
impact of the euro crisis on their financial situation. However, the majority of those interviewed
in Austria, the Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom also did not change their habits.
(Chart 2) Only Italy is outstanding in that one out of every two respondents said that they now
save less. This might be due to the weaker economic situation in Italy and lower wages that result
in a reduced ability to save. On the other hand, we also have to note that the interviewees were
between the ages of 50 to 70, where people might not be so inclined to save so much.
Even if people do not change their behavior with regard to the amount they save, they do review
their investment attitudes. For most of the interviewees, the main reason for change in invest-
ment behavior is to reduce risk, for example the majority in France and Italy state that they take
care to ensure that their investments are not so risky. (Chart 3) They might pay more attention to
this issue as French and Italian households used to invest a higher portion of their financial assets
in capital market products than the average household in Western Europe. In the Netherlands,
Chart 2: Change of saving behavior due to euro crisis
Yes, I save more
than before
Yes, I save less
than before
No, my saving behavior
has not changed
Don’t know / no answer
Austria
(n=200)
France
(n=202)
Germany
(n=200)
Netherlands
(n=200)
Switzerland
(n=200)
UK
(n=199)
Italy
(n=201)
Question: Did you change your saving behavior due to euro crisis compared to the time before the crisis?
Base: Top 20% of 50-70 year old people regarding investable assets
7
14
79
0
8
18
70
4
6
90
2
312
23
64
1
15
51
31
3
9
8
80
3
18
11
69
3
8. Allianz International Pension Papers 1/2013
8
households have a very conservative asset structure, so risky investments are not a part of their
investment focus.3
Most of them have not changed their investment behavior.
A similar situation can be found in the United Kingdom, where 53% say that their investment
behavior did not change. In Austria as well as in Germany – besides avoiding risky assets – almost
half of interviewees invest their money somewhat short-term. In Germany this behavior could
already be observed a couple of years ago when volatility in financial markets began to increase
and uncertainty dominated due to financial and debt crises. Since then, Germans prefer to put
their money into accounts that are accessible at short notice.4
The risk aversion of the 50 to 70 year olds in our survey is also apparent in the low consent to the
statement “I invest more money in stock than before.”
Chart 3: Change of investment behavior due to euro crisis
I keep care that my investments
are not so risky
I invest money rather
short-term now
My investment behavior has not
changed
I bought real estate or plan
to buy one
I bought gold or precious metals
I invest more money in stock
than before
I start to invest with a higher
level of risk than before
I make investments not in euro
anymore, but in other currency
51
22
45
14
4
3
12
2
Austria
(n=200)
60
24
18
18
1
1
5
1
France
(n=202)
48
26
46
16
7
3
7
2
Germany
(n=200)
38
45
5
4
7
1
2
1
Netherlands
(n=200)
46
32
15
19
9
17
12
2
Switzerland
(n=200)
26
53
14
3
3
5
2
1
UK
(n=199)
54
14
38
13
8
6
6
4
Italy
(n=201)
Question: What about money investment. How has the euro crisis changed your money investment behavior?
Which of the following statements apply to you?
Base: Top 20% of 50-70 year old people regarding investable assets
3 Allianz Global Wealth Report 2012
4 See Deutsche Bundesbank (2012b)
and Allianz (2012)
9. Allianz International Pension Papers 1/2013
9
Although there is a great deal of uncertainty around financial markets and how to invest in that
environment,peopleintheeuro-zonelargelytrusttheeuro–particularlyinAustria,GermanyandItaly,
where50%,44%and36%(respectively)claimtobackthecurrency(Chart4).IntheNetherlands,only
29%claimtotrust theircurrency,whilst38%areundecided.Thelargestskepticismisfoundin France,
wherehardlyafifthofrespondentstrusttheeuroand42%remainsundecided.Butthisresultistopped
by people in the United Kingdom, where 75% of respondents do not trust the European currency.
Although the Netherlands are not so enthusiastic, the majority (65%) still admit that they benefit
from the euro and more than every second German and Italian see benefits, whilst half of the
respondents in UK do not see any benefits for their country.
Nevertheless, the reason for the euro crisis has still not been solved. Government debt levels are still
excessively high. The majority of around 80% of respondents think that there will be tax hikes and
this opinion is more or less equal across all survey countries. The same holds for expected inflation
development. Across all countries the majority of people see inflation increasing – 80% in Germany
and the UK, around 70% in Austria, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands, whilst only 56% of
Italians see inflation rates rising. Right now, in an environment with yields and interest rates below
inflation rates, it seems as if there is a “smooth” solution. But the results indicate that people fear
more “severe” ways out of the crisis.
Trust in the euro
Chart 4: Trust in the euro
Question: There is a lot of discussion about the euro crisis in public lately. Do you currently trust in the euro to be a strong currency?
Base: Top 20% of 50-70 year old people regarding investable assets
Yes, definitely
Rather yes
Partly
Rather not
No, definitely not
Don’t know / no answer
Austria
(n=200)
France
(n=202)
Germany
(n=200)
Netherlands
(n=200)
Switzerland
(n=200)
UK
(n=199)
Italy
(n=201)
11
39
40
24
23
14
18
11 15
1 0
4 8 8
15
28
21
18
42
24 38
24
16
26
22
16
31
32
11 16 13
21
44
3 3 4 3 4
3 3 3
10. Allianz International Pension Papers 1/2013
10
Allianz Global Wealth Report 2012, Economic Research & Corporate Development, 2012
Allianz (2012), Slight increase in gross financial assets, International Pension Issues 1/2012
Banca d’Italia (2012); Supplements to the Statistical Bulletin, Monetary and Financial Indicators,
Financial Accounts, Volume XXII – 6 November 2012 No. 57
Deutsche Bundesbank (2012a), Monthly Report, December 2012.
Deutsche Bundesbank (2012b), Acquisition of financial assets and financing in Germany
in the second quarter of 2012, October 2012.
References