EconomicsUSA: Dr James Verbrugge: Finance professor

Dordt College via yUT2ube

"Dr. James Verbrugge received his A.A. Degree from DordtCollege in 1960 when it was a two-year college. He is emeritus professor of finance at Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia, serving as professor of finance from 1978 to 2002 and chairman of the Department of Banking and Finance at Terry College from 1977 to 2001. He also held the Georgia Bankers Association Chair of Banking from 1992 to 2002. He received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Kentucky.

"An expert on the banking industry, Verbrugge has testified on the modernization of the Federal Home Loan Banking system before the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. His research on financial markets and institutions, banking, and bank privatization has been widely published, and his teaching interests include venture capital, management of financial institutions, entrepreneurial finance, and money and capital markets. He is well-respected in his field and is active in consulting work. He serves on many corporate boards and has been involved in several startup companies that have done well. He also serves on the Advisory Committee of the NFL Players Association Financial Programs and Advisor Administration.

His presentation, The Federal Deficit: Are we looking at the real issue?, promises to be interesting and thought provoking. We hope you are able to come."

James Verbrugge gave his take on the federal deficit at our Alumni Business Connections breakfast on Friday, Sept16,2k11 weekend. — Dordt College Alumni eNews Hat Tip to Steve Bishop

Economics: Global: G20 negotiate pledges to cut deficits by half, by 2013

With the G20 busy at its intergovernmental business -- yesterday having been the scene of on-location riots, clubbings, bloodied protesters, and 16,000 police resisting the violent protesters, and maintaining security for the leaders of the twenty countries -- the focus of the assemblage turned to cutting deficits by 2010, in order to avoid global financial crises. An article by Ellen Hasenkamp stresses the concensus emerging at this year's G20:

The heads of the world's major industrialized powers agreed to adopt what they dubbed "growth-friendly deficit reduction" proposals, but applied on a country-by-country basis, bowing to concerns from emerging nations.

"Recent events highlight the importance of sustainable public finances," said a draft final summit statement obtained by AFP.

In the document, leaders promise to put in place "plans to deliver fiscal sustainability, differentiated for and tailored to national circumstances."

The plan, which we can call 'the Merkel Plan," is to cut in half the deficits of the leading industrial nations -- the European stars Britain, France and German, with the USA, and Canada -- by 2013.

The deal will mark a minor triumph for European leaders, led by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who have pushed to rein in ballooning debt despite fears from the United States that it would stifle fledgling growth.

Merkel stressed, however, that the deal, which also includes a plan for nations to stabilize or reduce government debt-to-GDP ratios by 2016, would only apply to the most developed industrialized nations.

"This is an important common goal that will lead to sustainable growth," she told reporters. "We as Europeans can say that our path has found support.

-- Ellen Hasenkamp, "G20 leaders aim for deal to cut deficits by 2013," Agence France Presse via Yahoo!News )Jun27,2k10).

Brazil and the UN's Ban Ki-moon raised objections, saying the move woud hurt poorer nations.

-- EconoMix