Yup, May is definitely shaping up to be full of spirit – whether it’s spirit as in a spirited set of circumstances for us all to do business or spirits as in the ghosts of economies past that may come to haunt us. Heck, maybe it’s the spirits we might need to quaff to get […]
Tag: CAPITAL
How About Some Reading… A Roadmap for the Future
I am an economist by education and that means I can point lots of directions simultaneously. Candidly, they call it “the dismal science” for a simple reason: The term “the dismal science” is based on the pessimistic predictions of Thomas Malthus, (granted 1834 is a long time ago), who believed that population growth would always outpace food […]
It’s A New Day
It’s -6°F as I write this on January 20th in Denver with about 2” of new snow on my driveway. Those of us who have lived in Denver all our lives call this “Stock Show Weather” – that frigid time during our National Western Stock Show and yes, it’s cold! And yes, it’s a new year and a […]
It’s always interest rates…the cost of money!
The cost of money drives everything. It ultimately determines the price of your home mortgage and that complex inverted lease funding your next solar project. It can accelerate growth and employment on to the Rocketship Inflation or crush them into dust. These are unassailable facts. What is not so clear is where those rates are going under President Trump’s […]
What to do when you really need your project approved!
Getting your next project approved is a bit like dating: You need to present yourself positively and professionally at the first night out ‘cuz you do not get a second chance to make a first impression. Candidly, this rule of thumb applies to the full range of project applications we see from the $30 Million transaction we’re […]
Forecasting the Economy v. Ski Season
I live in Colorado and ski season accounts for $4.8 billion of our state’s annual economy. It supports more than 46,000 year-round jobs and generates $1.9 billion in labor income so it’s darned important to us – including my aging knees that have been skiing since I was a kid. So, when I get it in […]
Will it be a Crash Landing or a Greaser?
Many of you know I’m a recreational pilot proudly holding a license since 1979 and with the emphasis on “recreational”, I fly on severe clear days: No clouds for me! Now the joke in flying is any landing you walk away from is a good landing…and I disagree: I’ve always worked hard to let the wheels of my Piper […]
Evaluating Hard Equity Loans: The Importance of Hurdle Rates in Equipment Financing
I have a good friend in Denver that makes “hard equity” loans on commercial real estate – something like 50% loan to value and at fairly high rates. It’s a tool that investors and developers can use when they’re in a hurry or have a deal outside the scope of a bank. And he always looks the […]
The Election Year Blues
George Soros once said “Markets are constantly in a state of uncertainty and flux and money is made by discounting the obvious and betting on the unexpected.” and there are few things in life more uncertain than an election. George went to the London School of Economics, a nice pedigree and it’s widely known the wealthiest […]
The Dog Days of Summer
The internet is full of myth and mystery – fact and fiction so you need to take your own grain of salt to this origin to “The Dog Days of Summer”: Ancient Greeks noticed that Sirus—which they dubbed the “dog star” as it is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major—appears to rise alongside the […]