In the late 17th century, a series of advances were made in finance. Though originating in England, this period of increasing sophistication became known as the ‘Financial Revolution’ even outside Britain. Long-term government borrowing, central banks, and stock exchanges were each either born or developed into more recognizable forms in this period. It was a…
In 2006, authorities shut down the operations of two stamp dealing firms in Spain offering investment products that turned out to be fraudulent. The value of the products they sold to customers were overstated and the returns they offered could only be paid out of the investments made by new investors. This ponzi scheme was…
When the investor Warren Buffett finds a worthwhile investment, he rarely lacks commitment. Many of his holdings, either in the days of his old investment partnership or at his firm Berkshire Hathaway, are large relative to the total portfolio’s size. At odds with others’ guiding rules, Buffett has often eschewed diversification, at least when he…
In the early 1870s, the Rothschilds were an established banking family active across Europe. The Nobels were lesser known, at least in the financial capitals of the continent, engaged as they were in the armaments industry of distant Russia. Still, within thirty years, the Nobels and one branch of the Rothschild family would find themselves…
The first insurance companies were launched in the 18th century, the first reinsurance companies in the 19th, and the first insurance-linked securities in the 20th. This steady development in the insurance market helped make property and casualty insurance universally accessible and competitively priced. It has also reduced the riskiness of insurance operations, bringing stability and…
