And what exactly does this have to do with finance you ask? Everything.
Lifestyle, hope, possibilities, warfare, welfare and of course dreams, all are tightly intertwined with money, credit, and chance. In a way they are mirror images of each other while simultaneously being cause and effect.
The gamble. How many regularly buy a lottery ticket, spend all week discussing how a large win will be spent, to have their hopes dashed as the numbers are drawn - again and again. Their fault, you say; they should know the odds and that the house, and the tax man, always win. Yes, but for many it is their only ticket to somewhere.
Shenzhen index
The loan. This comes in many guises, sometimes a temporary lifeline, often spent on fripperies, but more usually a step towards a concrete goal. Education, for example; parents and grandparents often borrow money in order to pay for school fees, believing this a very worthwhile step in the road to a better life. Government-sponsored loans for higher education have ballooned all over the world in the past decade or two, generally with parental approval and underwriting where necessary. Only now is disillusion beginning to creep in as graduates have a hard time finding any work, let alone a job they see worthy of the qualifications they have. Then all you are left with are overwhelming debts.
Hellenic 3% 2025
The partner. Today also known as the business angel, the crowd funder and yes, whisper it, the banker. Hours spent preparing an acceptable business plan, financial modelling of healthy income streams and exponential growth, success beckons with plans for multiple units to be rolled out. The reality is that roughly eight in 10 small businesses fail within the first few years of trading.
National Bank of Greece
Cash flow. Happens to a name with a good credit score who suddenly finds a gap in their income stream, more often than not a government. So, too, very large corporations which then arrange what is known as a revolving credit facility. They quickly come to rely on this, see it as their kitty, making bankers very happy and rich - until the company files for protection from its creditors and the government defaults.
Official Argentine peso
Development aid. A euphemism for a handout to the very, very poor and one that will make the donor look good. Again, a process that creates dependency rather than being a helping hand and may lead to resentment.
Charity. The do-gooders' charter, often dished out by religious/philanthropic organisations for feel-good schemes involving health, children and the environment. The 1 per cent currently vie to be in Forbes' list of 'America's Top 50 Givers'; a version of the ugly contest.
Did you really think the relationship between money and dreams was simple or non-existent? Obviously not the case and the real test comes when dealing with the fallout if things go wrong - which they do more often than not. Dashed hopes, bruised egos, humiliation and shame. Back to the grind of the underclass.
