http://www.ft.com/ftfm/opinionhttp://www.ft.com/rss/ftfm/columnistsFT.com - FTfm: Columnistsen© Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2012. "FT" and "Financial Times" are trademarks of the Financial Times. See http://www.ft.com/servicestools/help/terms#legal1 for the terms and conditions of reuse.client.support@ft.com (Client Support)Sun, 12 Feb 2012 03:26:01 +0000Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:23:24 +0000Newspapers60http://news.ft.com/cms/d1f3ce1a-6bbe-11da-bb53-0000779e2340.gifhttp://www.ft.com/ftfm/opinion(PICS-1.1 "http://www.classify.org/safesurf/" L gen true for "http://www.ft.com/" r (SS~~000 1))http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/49030c1c-50cb-11e1-ab40-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rsshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/49030c1c-50cb-11e1-ab40-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rssIs this the beginning of a protracted period when correlations reduce, and security mispricings are steadily eliminated? John Authers suspects notSun, 12 Feb 2012 03:26:01 +000049030c1c-50cb-11e1-ab40-00144feabdc0http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7f580ae4-540c-11e1-bacb-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rsshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7f580ae4-540c-11e1-bacb-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rssWell known brands, boutiques and those offering low fees look to be the managers set to gain in the short term, but the only real certainty is there will be no return to business as usual, says Pauline SkypalaSun, 12 Feb 2012 03:24:55 +00007f580ae4-540c-11e1-bacb-00144feabdc0http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/46705188-24d6-11e1-ac4b-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rsshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/46705188-24d6-11e1-ac4b-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rssA law firm of any size that is ambitious is a suitable target for external investment, so long as its partners are willing to accept the consequencesSun, 12 Feb 2012 03:24:13 +000046705188-24d6-11e1-ac4b-00144feabdc0http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/85731f40-53c1-11e1-bacb-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rsshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/85731f40-53c1-11e1-bacb-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rssA contingency plan should be devised for exit from the euro and instead of making it secret it should be boring and based on tried and tested formulae, says John DizardSun, 12 Feb 2012 03:24:03 +000085731f40-53c1-11e1-bacb-00144feabdc0http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0652efe4-5252-11e1-9f55-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rsshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0652efe4-5252-11e1-9f55-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rssDespite Indonesia's strong outlook, EM debt managers think it is not given enough credit by ratings agenciesSun, 12 Feb 2012 03:23:23 +00000652efe4-5252-11e1-9f55-00144feabdc0http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f2e7ddc6-50ac-11e1-ab40-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rsshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f2e7ddc6-50ac-11e1-ab40-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rssStrength in the region's currencies at the beginning of 2012 may help to reassert belief in the longer term upward trend for Asian currencies and bonds Sun, 12 Feb 2012 03:22:55 +0000f2e7ddc6-50ac-11e1-ab40-00144feabdc0http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/af0f74ba-4d82-11e1-b96c-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rsshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/af0f74ba-4d82-11e1-b96c-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rssThe ECB's action has brought a liquidity crisis to an end, but it is unlikely to spur lending in the real economy, writes Edward Chancellor Sun, 5 Feb 2012 03:29:51 +0000af0f74ba-4d82-11e1-b96c-00144feabdc0http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f003263e-4e8a-11e1-ada2-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rsshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f003263e-4e8a-11e1-ada2-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rssThe finance industry is often tempted to line its own pockets at the expense of its customers. Here's hoping shadow banking by some asset managers does not turn out to be another such example, writes Pauline Skypala Sun, 5 Feb 2012 03:28:56 +0000f003263e-4e8a-11e1-ada2-00144feabdc0http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c6260c0c-4cb7-11e1-8b08-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rsshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c6260c0c-4cb7-11e1-8b08-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rssThe Occupy movement is right, says Jeremy Grantham, the system is set up to protect the wealth of those who are already wealthy – time to tax the rich and help the working poor Sun, 5 Feb 2012 03:28:48 +0000c6260c0c-4cb7-11e1-8b08-00144feabdc0http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9fa615c8-4d97-11e1-b96c-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rsshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9fa615c8-4d97-11e1-b96c-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rssAfter the benign and deceptive years of the Great Moderation, investors face the challenge of operating in a world where muddling through is again the order of the day, writes Jonathan Davis Sun, 5 Feb 2012 03:28:37 +00009fa615c8-4d97-11e1-b96c-00144feabdc0http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b1bf2d90-4d82-11e1-b96c-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rsshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b1bf2d90-4d82-11e1-b96c-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rssThere will be a lot of trading opportunities created by a monetary policy that will be simultaneously too loose (Germany), and too tight (elsewhere in Europe), writes John Dizard Sun, 5 Feb 2012 03:27:23 +0000b1bf2d90-4d82-11e1-b96c-00144feabdc0http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a4fdc76c-4cbd-11e1-8b08-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rsshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a4fdc76c-4cbd-11e1-8b08-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rssSome complex investment products sold by managers in the run-up to 2008 saw customers nursing steep losses while the managers were unscathed. Claims have ensuedSun, 5 Feb 2012 03:25:24 +0000a4fdc76c-4cbd-11e1-8b08-00144feabdc0http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7e12cc24-45e2-11e1-9592-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rsshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7e12cc24-45e2-11e1-9592-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rssFor the privateers in private equity, the charge is now not just of privilege and profiteering but of arrogance, writes John Plender Sun, 29 Jan 2012 02:36:22 +00007e12cc24-45e2-11e1-9592-00144feabdc0http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/37eac4d4-490e-11e1-954a-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rsshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/37eac4d4-490e-11e1-954a-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rssPauline Skypala takes issue with the philosophy of 'Get them in, get them saving, then worry about charges' which could turn Nest into the biggest mis-selling scandal everSun, 29 Jan 2012 02:35:37 +000037eac4d4-490e-11e1-954a-00144feabdc0http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ca495c94-3c59-11e1-8d72-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rsshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ca495c94-3c59-11e1-8d72-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rssDavid Norman can envisage an 'iPot' – a simple, well-diversified online investment pool, with occasional and cheap rebalancing with social media-type communication and sharing of personal goals, linked to your bank account and mobile phone – a new form of shareholding democracySun, 29 Jan 2012 02:35:22 +0000ca495c94-3c59-11e1-8d72-00144feabdc0http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d9acc352-45ae-11e1-93f1-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rsshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d9acc352-45ae-11e1-93f1-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rssFund industry assets – or at least the large portion controlled by banks – are likely to shrink further, writes Diana Mackay Sun, 29 Jan 2012 02:34:27 +0000d9acc352-45ae-11e1-93f1-00144feabdc0http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2c45984c-483d-11e1-a4e5-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rsshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2c45984c-483d-11e1-a4e5-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rssThe gas industry's hopes for regulations that would boost demand for their product are fading. Instead, the implosion of the shale promoters' capital budgets will lead to prices rising, gradually, to the marginal cost of supply, writes John Dizard Sun, 29 Jan 2012 02:34:10 +00002c45984c-483d-11e1-a4e5-00144feabdc0http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5d471bbe-46b2-11e1-bc5f-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rsshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5d471bbe-46b2-11e1-bc5f-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rssPhil Milburn, manager of the £525m Kames Capital High Yield Bond fund, thinks the market is overestimating the potential default rate among high yield bond issuersSun, 29 Jan 2012 02:32:16 +00005d471bbe-46b2-11e1-bc5f-00144feabdc0http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/26ca9e80-42de-11e1-93ea-00144feab49a.html?ftcamp=rsshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/26ca9e80-42de-11e1-93ea-00144feab49a.html?ftcamp=rssEconomic theory, itself pretty unreliable, has little to say about the maximum debt load an economy can sustain, writes James Mackintosh, but even so, few believe US total or household debt can rise that far from here Sun, 22 Jan 2012 03:03:08 +000026ca9e80-42de-11e1-93ea-00144feab49ahttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7d9f1e0c-4388-11e1-adda-00144feab49a.html?ftcamp=rsshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7d9f1e0c-4388-11e1-adda-00144feab49a.html?ftcamp=rssIncreasing flows into passive funds pose a particular challenge for active managers who should try to have the courage of their convictionsSun, 22 Jan 2012 03:02:17 +00007d9f1e0c-4388-11e1-adda-00144feab49a