Based on some of the hysteria surrounding the US election last week, it must be time to head off on the Wild Atlantic Way armed to the teeth and equipped with a bomb shelter.

There are some signs that bond markets are beginning to sense that the free ride from central bankers is coming to an end, with a noticeable upward move in yields of late.

There are some strange things going on in financial markets around the world at present. In Japan, they are thinking about issuing bonds from the government to finance infrastructure. That, in itself, is not unusual but the drop dead point is that these bonds will be purchased by the Japanese Central Bank on a non-redeemable basis. In plain language that means they need never be repaid. It is the best example I can find of so-called ‘helicopter money’ which is effectively free finance.

The pound plunged yesterday with UK stocks after the nation voted for a Brexit.

The four major reserve currencies (dollar, euro, yen, and sterling) have been confined to relatively narrow trading ranges against each other over the past six months. This follows a period of big exchange rate moves in the second half of last year and early part of 2015.

The euro has lost considerable ground since last spring as the persistence of very weak growth in the eurozone, coupled with a fall in inflation to very low levels, forced the ECB into further policy easing moves.

The European Central Bank is expected to announce a massive debt-buying plan to boost the economic recovery.

The European Central Bank looks unlikely to make an announcement on the restructuring of the Anglo promissory note today, as had been hoped.

The high level of mortgage arrears remains the “single biggest issue facing our people”, the Taoiseach told the Dáil yesterday.

Merger mania could be catastrophic for the troubled credit union sector, the Central Banks fears.

Merger mania could be catastrophic for the troubled credit union sector, the Central Banks fears.

Funding of $1bn (€738m) which the Bank of Ireland (BOI) raised yesterday is expected to lead to a speeding up of the transfer of under-performing property loans to the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA).

THE value of mortgages on Irish property have fallen for the first time on a year-on-year basis, figures released by the Central Banks show.

Bank of Ireland Group has raised €500m in term funding.

IRELAND is nearer a full recovery from the crisis in its banking sector than some of its European counterparts, a Dáil committee heard yesterday.

INTEREST rates are likely to stay at their historic low until at least early next year, it has emerged.

The mood among Irish and EU service providers has deteriorated, resulting from the impact of the wider financial market turmoil and as signs of a worldwide downturn have grown, according to a report released today.

THE collapse of Lehman Brothers after 158 years in investment banking has added to the growing credit crunch horror story.

TOO many banks were over reliant on wholesale funding when the credit crunch blew up last August, causing a massive liquidity crisis in the global banking sector.

The survey by the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority (IFSRA) of the cost of motor insurance vindicates the charge that motorists are being fleeced by some sectors of the industry.

UNEMPLOYMENT will rise again with 20,000 jobs set to go next year, a new report predicts.