We're all guinea pigs in a grand monetary experiment being performed by the world's central banks. Quantitative easing, zero-percent interest rates, nominal GDP targeting, and other "Code Red" policies introduced by central bankers to pull the global economy back from the brink of collapse have remained in place long past their expiration date, setting the stage for potential disasters ahead.
While the outcome remains unclear, the fallout from the grand experiment is already affecting our quality of life and future prospects. While the wealthy continue to see their wealth soar to all new heights, real economic growth remains elusive and the standard of living is in decline for the majority of us. Savers now receive close to zero-percent interest on their savings, while the price of gasoline, rent, and groceries climb steadily. With government bond yields now trading well below the level of inflation, those who rely on pension funds and bonds for their retirement are being forced to seek whatever jobs they can find to help make ends meet. At the same time uncertainty is now the rule in the financial markets especially in the emerging markets and in a process authors John Mauldin and Jonathan Tepper liken to "picking up dimes in front of a steamroller," investors are chasing after riskier and riskier investments in pursuit of some small return on their investments.
In Code Red, John Mauldin and Jonathan Tepper perform an amazing feat: not only do they bring monetary policy down to earth for the average saver and investor, they make subjects such as quantitative easing, financial repression, currency wars, bubble economies and inflation, and their impact on our everyday lives and financial futures, compelling reading.
Just as importantly, they arm you with time-tested strategies for surviving and thriving in these tumultuous times. You'll discover how to spot and capitalize on market bubbles. And you'll learn proven money management techniques for insulating yourself against inflation, reducing risk through diversification, profiting from precious metals, commodities, and other real assets through managed futures funds, and more.
At this point it's anybody's guess if current monetary policies will succeed in creating sustained growth or if they will fail miserably leading the world into high levels of inflation. What is certain though is that those policies are producing all sorts of unintended consequences most of them bad for the average saver and investor. Read Code Red and find out what the central bankers would rather you didn't know and how to protect your savings from the coming crisis.
From the Back Cover
Praise for Code Red
"Code Red brilliantly exposes the myth that the unconventional policies that global central banks have pursued since the financial crisis ended will ultimately be successful in generating the holy grail of escape velocity they so desperately seek. With history on their side, Mauldin and Tepper provide layers of evidence proving that the Code Red monetary policies will more than likely end up creating a cycle of inflation that few are braced for. The economic and financial sands are shifting under our feet as a result of the unprecedented global monetary experiment aimed at bailing out debtors at the expense of savers. The good news is that Mauldin and Tepper don't merely identify the symptom; they also have come up with solutions for retail investors, portfolio managers, and professional traders as to how to prepare for this transition, from the prior years of deflation to the current reflation to what comes next, which is inflation."
―David Rosenberg, Chief Economist and Strategist, Gluskin Sheff + Associates Inc.
"Central bank policies impact many aspects of our economic life. Mauldin and Tepper pull back the curtain and explain in clear and simple language what central bankers are actually doing and why."
―Mohamed A. El-Erian, CEO, PIMCO
"After reading the highly entertaining and informative Code Red, I can assure you that neither Jonathan Tepper nor John Mauldin will ever be appointed to be Federal Reserve Board of Governors. This is why this book is so valuable and why you should read it."
―Marc Faber, Marc Faber Ltd.
"John Mauldin has a golden Rolodex, and he uses it to share insights from the investing greats of our time."
―Barry L. Ritholtz, Chief Investment Officer, Ritholtz Wealth Management
"A thought-provoking and enjoyable read. Cheap money may not be the root of all evil, but it certainly has responsibility for a considerable part of our current ills. This book offers a timely warning on the 'no way back' dimension of much of the activity central bankers are promoting. We passed the last exit to Brooklyn long ago, especially in Japan, where, as the authors make clear, a most dangerous experiment is being conducted with likely consequences that most policymakers are not able even to comprehend, let alone foresee. In a world where getting through to tomorrow is the watchword, this book may not help the reader sleep better at night, but it will prepare him or her better for the world that is to come the day after tomorrow."
―Edward Hugh, independent economist, blogger, and contributor of A Fistful of Euros
"When you seek strength, you read the Holy Bible. When you want entertainment, you go to Broadway. When you want to learn about the economic big picture, you read John Mauldin―one of the most connected, important, informed, and intelligent market mavens on the Street today. And, he's genuinely a nice guy."
―Rich Yamarone, Chief Economist, Bloomberg
"Jonathan Tepper and John Mauldin analyze the current 'monetary arms race' and its likely disastrous conclusion."
―Christopher Wood, Chief Equity Strategist, CLSA
About the Author
JOHN MAULDIN is Chairman of Mauldin Economics (www.MauldinEconomics.com), an economic and investment strategy research firm, and President of Millennium Wave Investments, a U.S. registered investment advisor and FINRA registered broker-dealer. John is a renowned financial expert, a New York Times bestselling author, a pioneering online commentator, and the publisher of Thoughts from the Frontline, one of the first publications to provide investors with free, unbiased information and guidance and one of the most widely read investment newsletters in the world. Each week a million readers turn to John Mauldin to gain a better understanding of Wall Street, global markets, and the drivers of the world economy. John is a regular contributor to several financial publications and is a frequent guest on CNBC, Bloomberg TV, and Yahoo's Daily Ticker. He is a keynote speaker at conferences around the world. John is the father of seven children (five adopted) and lives in a high rise in Dallas, Texas.
JONATHAN TEPPER is the Chief Investment Officer of Prevatt Capital. He is the founder of Variant Perception. Formerly, he was an analyst at SAC Capital and a Vice President on the proprietary trading desk at Bank of America. Jonathan is the author of Endgame, Code Red, and The Myth of Capitalism: Monopolies and the Death of Competition. He is a Rhodes Scholar and graduated with highest honors in history and honors in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has an MLitt in modern history from the University of Oxford.
