Links 19 February 2014

Global Macro / Markets:

• The Best and Worst Thing About Investing – The Reformed Broker

North America:

• The Stimulus Success – Calculated Risk
• Who’s Borrowing Now? – New York Fed
• Worsening U.S. Divorce Rate Points to Improving Economy – Bloomberg
• The Effects of a Minimum-Wage Increase on Employment and Family Income – CBO
• Student debt may hurt housing recovery – Washington Post

Europe:

• Euro area balance of payments (December 2013 and preliminary results for 2013 as a whole) – ECB
• Swiss voters’ decision to curb immigration is credit negative for Switzerland and Swiss banks – Moodys
• German Home Prices Rose Most in Decade on Cheap Finance – Bloomberg
• Gordon Brown warns Scots independence means losing British state pension – The Telegraph

Asia:

• Run on a Thai bank points to strain on economy – Wall Street Journal

Local:

• China cools on Australian FTA – The AFR
• FTA falls short of G20 challenge – The AFR
• Abbott urged to limit PPL, fund childcare costs – The AFR
• Hockey’s G20 growth mission – The Australian
• Hockey: Australian economy still fragile – The Australian
• Old Aged pensioners join the middle class – The Australian
• Alcoa local job losses fuel political tensions – The Age
• Buy local produce, SPC owner pleads – The Guardian
• Wealthy Chinese buyers are making Sydney’s property problems worse – The Guardian

Other:

• Venezuela Hit By Toilet Paper Shortage Crisis – Sky.com