Equity prices have been falling since March 2000. How far can they fall before they reach bottom? The current bear market differs from the mid-1970s plunge in equity prices in terms of the causes and, consequently, the factors that should be monitored to test its progress. In the 1970s, the bear...

Introduction -- Origins of the Great Recession -- The theoretical framework that underpins the origins of the Great Recession -- Too much liquidity : the source of the trouble -- Anaemic recovery : the US housing market and the consumer -- Anaemic recovery : the vicious circle of consumption and...

The consumer has been on a tightrope since the bursting of the "new economy" bubble, as losses in equity markets have been partly offset by gains in real estate and fiscal support and mortgage refinancing have partly offset increased consumer cautiousness. The consumer will remain on a tightrope...