Happy 2009!

We begin the new year with a new President of the United States and more and more promises for change. This year students and graduates who have been studying towards a career in banking and finance will find it increasingly competitive. The economy will continue to contract as the implications of a debt based economy manifest. Market volatility will continue to sky-rocket and produce new markets, new scenarios and new experiences for all. So in all my fields (employment in banking and finance, the economy and the need for monetary reform, and the markets) 2009 will be producing new surprises and experiences for us all.

Although I am not as optimistic about our economy as our politicians (since no real monetary reform has been mentioned yet), I remain extremely optimistic that only good can come from the painful destruction that people seem to be experiencing right now.

I write this article to remind us all where we are right now and where we ought to be heading towards as we move into 2010. I also include a list of upcoming events where I will be presenting in January and February. I will be publishing more events and keeping you all up to date, as the diary seems to be filling up very fast right now every day.

The current position is that, while farmers, factory workers, businessmen, inventors, house builders, students, teachers and hosts of others work together to make available the wealth of a country, they are not able to exchange the goods and services that they make without borrowing money into existence. This borrowing in early 2009 is becoming increasingly hard to come by. In fact the only borrowing that is keeping our economy going is from the government through national debt. We cannot eat, sleep, take shelter or obtain clothing for ourselves and our families without borrowing-to-buy. Despite the fact that the goods are available, the industries are desperate to sell them, the people of our nation are only granted access to the products of the economy if sufficient and increasing numbers of us first go into debt.

That this is an outrageous situation is beyond any dispute, but this is the current debt based system with which we begin 2009. To allow this arrangement to continue, indeed to worsen it by embroiling people ever deeper into debt via mortgages and loans as the government tries to increase debt and create another bubble, while all around us the economy is propelling people into a future they have not chosen and at a pace they cannot handle, is to usher in an era of such instability and tyranny, erected upon falsehood and confusion, that the very future of all civilisation and of life itself must be in serious doubt.

It is no exaggeration to claim that the reform of the debt-based monetary supply system is the single most important area of reform confronting us in 2009. Reforming the financial system is more important than war against poverty and starvation, more impotent than the movement to protect the environment, the struggle against pollution, the peace movement, the fight against drugs and racism, and the battle for social justice and welfare. Financial reform is more important than all these other problems for the simple reason that the current financial system is responsible, both directly and indirectly for creating, or at least contributing to them.

The debt-based financial system originated in Britain and was then copied throughout the world, but it has been ultimately consummated in modern America. I hear politicians in Britain offload the blame to the American sub-prime crisis everyday, if this makes them feel better then so be it, but until we are open and accept the causes of the crisis we will continue to enter into a depression. Both America and Britain share the responsibility, and have the major historical contributions to economic democracy.

As the IMF reports that Britain will do a lot worse than our politicians want to face up to, we still try desperately to prop up an old system that does not work. Britain has a tradition in social reform based upon justice and compassion and it is high time she lived up to it once again. Which nation will become the parent of economic democracy? This is the race which will permit that nation, and eventually all nations, to achieve success – but not at the expense of other nations – leading eventually to a prosperity that will make our troubled times and the global financial crisis appear like the Dark Ages. My goal in 2009 is to make sure that Monetary Reform is discussed in the upcoming G20 meeting in April hosted by Gordon Brown. I will need all your support to make this happen by spreading the word.

Upcoming Events

13^th January – ODL Securities, traders and investors club

19^th January – London School of Business & Finance, The Future of Banking & Finance

20^th January – Schroders, The Financial Services Skills Council - Overview of Banking & Finance

22^nd January – Warwick University, The Future of Banking & Finance

24^th January – Birkbeck University, The City Professional Workshop

27^th January – City of London Guildhall, Higher Education Careers Advisors, Careers Advice in an Economic Crisis (For University careers advisors only)

2^nd February – Oxford University, The Future of Banking and Finance

4^th February – Greenwich University, The Future of Banking & Finance

6^th & 7^th February – Manchester GMex, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis

9^th February – University of Exeter, The Future of Banking & Finance

11^th February – Kingston University, The Future of Banking & Finance

13^th February – University of Sheffield, The Future of Banking & Finance

17^th February – ODL Securities, The traders and investors Club

21st February – Birkbeck University, Benedix City Professional Workshop

25^th February – University of Manchester, The Future of Banking & Finance

3rd March – Sheffield University, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis

4th March – Royal Holloway, The Future of Banking & Finance

6th March – National Graduate Recruitment Exhibition, Barbican, London

7th March – National Graduate Recruitment Exhibition, Barbican, London

12th March, University of West of England, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis

12th March, Cardiff University, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis

16th March, Southampton Solent, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis

17th March – Cranfield University, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis

17th March – ODL Securities, Traders & Investors Club

19th March – London Met,  Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

19th March – University of East London,  Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

21st March – Birkbeck University, Benedix City Professional Workshop

24th March – City University,  Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

25th March - London South Bank University,  Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

29th March – London School of Business & Finance, The Future of Banking & Finance

21st April - ODL Securities, Traders & Investors Club

22nd April – Bath University,  Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

25th April - Birkbeck University, Benedix City Professional Workshop

20th May - ODL Securities, Traders & Investors Club

30th May – Birkbeck University, Benedix City Professional Workshop

5th June – National Graduate Recruitment Exhibition, Birmingham NEC

6th June – National Graduate Recruitment Exhibition, Birmingham NEC

9th June – University of East London,  Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

16th June – London College of Law, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

17th June – Guardian London Graduate Fair, Islington Business Centre

23rd June – ODL Securities, Traders & Investors Club

27th June – Birkbeck University, Benedix City Professional Workshop

20th July – The Institute of Chartered Accountants, Innovating the Future of Finance

21st July – The Institute of Chartered Accountants, Innovating the Future of Finance

21st July – ODL Securities, Traders & Investors Club

5th September – University College of London, Benedix City Professional Workshop

16th September – Regents Business School, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

16th September – Regents Business School, Causes, Consequences and Alternative Solutions to the Financial Crisis

22nd September – CASS Business School, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

24th – 27th September – American Monetray Institute, Chicago. The 2009 Conference

30th September – Royal Holloway University, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

2nd – 4th October - Bromsgrove Monetary Reform Coference 2009, Prosperity UK

7th October – Bath University, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

9th October - National Graduate Recruitment Exhibition, The Trading Pit, Birmingham NEC

10th October - National Graduate Recruitment Exhibition, The Trading Pit, Birmingham NEC

12th October – Queen Mary University, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

14th October - Kingston University, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

17th October – University College of London, Benedix City Professional Workshop

19th October – London School of Economics, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

20th October- Guardian London Graduate Fair, Islington Business Centre

20th October - Sheffield University, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

24th October - University College of London, Benedix City Professional Workshop

27th October - Manchester University, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

29th October - Nottingham University, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

30th October - National Graduate Recruitment Exhibition, The Trading Pit, Birmingham NEC

31st October - National Graduate Recruitment Exhibition, The Trading Pit, Birmingham NEC

3rd Novemeber - Southampton University, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

6th Novemeber - Queens Belfast University, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

10th Novemeber - Aston University, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

12th Novemeber - Birmingham University, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

12th Novemeber - Cardiff University, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

16th November – London School of Economics, Causes, Consequences & alternative solutions to the global financial crisis

17th Novemeber - Strathclyde University, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

25th November – Universoty of Greenwich, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

26th Novemeber - Warwick University, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

27th Novemeber - Loughbrough University, Securing a career in banking & finance during a financial crisis& Finance

28th November - University College of London, Benedix City Professional Workshop