Herald

Thursday, February 09 2012

Dan White

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Dan White: As markets crash, is there a safe place for your nestegg?

If French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the George and Mildred of international finance, thought that their meeting on Tuesday would calm the international financial markets, they were very much mistaken.

Dan White: EU leaders hoped crisis would go away, instead we face deeper recession

HOW could things have come to this? It was just two weeks ago that Europe's leaders declared, if not "peace in our time", then at least some sort of an end to the eurozone crisis.

Dan White: NAMA must earn trust by being open -- so partial list of properties isn't enough

REPORT: NAMA's Frank Daly and Brendan McDonagh at the publication

FANCY owning an apartment, a shop or a pub? Then NAMA is your only man. As Ireland's largest property company struggles to offload its €30bn-plus portfolio, it has taken the drastic step of listing those properties to which it has appointed receivers on its website.

Dan White: Enda is our lucky general as the disaster in Irish banking shows first signs of recovery

PROGRESS: Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Finance Minister Michael Noonan

And now for the good news. Since the share prices of the Irish banks peaked in early 2007 it has been a tale of constant woe from our once-proud lenders. As the extent of their problems became clear, shocked taxpayers have learned of their soaring bad debts and shrinking deposits.

Dan White: The new M50 tolls will be yet another 'Dublin tax' -- so don't do it, Leo

The Transport Minister Leo Varadkar's proposals to toll all of the M50 will be rightly seen as a "Dublin tax".

Dan White: Why crisis in eurozone is good news for Ireland

MONEY TALKS: IMF's Ajai Chopra leaves the Merrion Hotel for a meeting at the Department of Finance yesterday

In the end, the only surprise about the downgrading of Irish bonds to "junk" status is that anyone was surprised.

Dan White: In the prime location for a property bargain

Shelbourne Hotel, distressed properties auctions

It was standing room only in the ballroom of the Shelbourne Hotel as hundreds of would-be buyers turned up in search of a bargain. After the success of the first auction of distressed properties, which took place last April, this week's occasion was guaranteed a good turnout.

Dan White: The best thing that BoI's Goggin can do is? Stay away, don't come back

WHEN it comes to sheer brass neck the former Bank of Ireland boss Brian Goggin is in a league of his own.

Greece, Ireland and the euro: 12 things I think will happen next

The failure of the ECB to agree a second bailout package for Greece kicks off a high-stakes game of chicken that could up blow the eurozone apart. Let's look at what could happen next.

Dan White: The five more things Noonan must now do

Burning the Anglo Irish and Irish Nationwide senior bondholders, assuming the ECB will let him, is the easy part. Here are the five other things that Michael Noonan must now do:

Dan White: Making cash from proper ty is a whole new ball game -- and even sport aces lose

EX-Meath Gaelic footballer Colm O'Rourke has been hit for a judgment of €853,000 for unpaid property-related debts. He is the latest sports personality to fall victim to the property bust. He won't be the last.

Dan White: The Irish voter may have the last laugh after the latest two fingers from EU

WATCHING the much-hyped meeting between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry.

Dan White: What about us?

Last month, in the face of all of the evidence to the contrary, the ECB increased official eurozone interest rates.

Dan White: As eurozone lurches from one crisis to the next, should we quit the single currency?

Things cannot go on like this. For almost three years the eurozone has lurched from one crisis to the next as Europe's leaders have failed to come up with a solution to the underlying problems of the single currency.

Dan White: We pay for Fingers' reckless banking, he gets bonus, €27m pension and a pricey watch

In April 2009, just weeks after he was forced to retire after 37 disastrous years as Irish Nationwide boss, Fingleton was presented with an €11,500 watch by the bankrupt building society to mark the occasion.

Dan White: NAMA should keep its nose out and let house prices continue to fall

WARNING: NAMA chief Frank Daly must be cautious

The latest CSO house price figures weren't just bad, they were terrible. House prices fell by an average of 2.1pc in June, the steepest monthly fall in more than two years, and are now down by more than 42pc since the peak.

Dan White: Interest cut welcome but it won't get to the root of our problems

In the end the deal cobbled together by EU contained few surprises.

Dan White: We've been expecting you, Mr Bond ... but your mission will fail

Later this week, probably on Thursday, Europe's leaders meet to discuss the latest crisis to engulf the eurozone.

Dan White: Buying bank shares may be throwing your good money after bad

Bank of Ireland is currently selling new shares to its existing shareholders through what is known as a rights issue. This is the second Bank of Ireland rights issue in just a year. The difference is that while shareholders who bought new shares last year paid 55 cent per share, this year's offering is priced at just 10 cent a share.

Dan White: Faint glimmer of hope as home owners face week of more bad news

With house prices still falling, the ECB almost certain to raise interest rates again on Thursday and a property tax on the way, the flow of bad news to home owners apparently shows no signs of stopping.

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