Financial crises happen time and again in post-industrial economies—and they are extraordinarily damaging. Building on insights gleaned from many years of work in the banking industry and drawing on a vast trove of data, Richard Vague argues that such crises follow a pattern that makes them both predictable and avoidable. A Brief History of Doom examines a series of major crises over the past 200 years in the United States, Great Britain, Germany, France, Japan, and China—including the Great Depression and the economic meltdown of 2008. Vague demonstrates that the over-accumulation of private debt does a better job than any other variable of explaining and predicting financial crises. In a series of clear and gripping chapters, he shows that in each case the rapid growth of loans produced widespread overcapacity, which then led to the spread of bad loans and bank failures. This cycle, according to Vague, is the essence of financial crises and the script they invariably follow. The story of financial crisis is fundamentally the story of private debt and runaway lending. Convinced that we have it within our power to break the cycle, Vague provides the tools to enable politicians, bankers, and private citizens to recognize and respond to the danger signs before it begins again.

Everything you need to get organized Do your loved ones know where to find your life insurance policies, online banking passwords, real estate deeds, or even your will? If you’re like a lot of people, you keep important information—from the whereabouts of family heirlooms to online passwords to automatic bill-pay details—in your head or stashed in the odd desk drawer. Unfortunately, this disorganization will likely cause hassles for those who someday take care of you or your estate. Get It Together provides an easy, straightforward method to help you and others keep track of: secured places and passwords employment records insurance policies real estate records tax records retirement accounts estate planning documents funeral arrangements letters to loved ones This book is organized to make the process straightforward. In the first half, you’ll find the pages to create your personal planner. In the second half, you’ll find step-by-step instructions and helpful resources.

First Published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.