THE FORCES SHAPING OUR FUTURE

Did you know that the world has amassed $247 trillion in debt, including $63 trillion borrowed by central governments? The U.S. leads the world with over $20 trillion in debt, which accounts for roughly 31% of the world's debt load. 

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A discussion of global debt loads, and "8 Major Forces Shaping the Future of the Global Economy" can be found by clicking here. 

For the click averse, the 8 major forces are ...

1. TECHNOLOGY: Data is now "far more valuable than physical, tangible objects."

2. THE EVOLUTION OF MONEY: The key here is regardless of what form money takes, "people are borrowing record amounts of it."

3. THE WEALTH LANDSCAPE: While it's expected that the United States will produce about 17.9% of global economic growth between 2017 and 2019, China will accumulate about 35.2% of global growth in the same period. One more thing: 86% of millennial investors are interested in sustainable investing, and put 2 times more money in such causes.

4. EASTERN PROMISES: Not only is Asia rising, but China has countless cities cities with higher economic productivity than entire countries. One more thing: By 2029 there will be more people in China's middle class than there are people in the U.S.

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5. ACCELERATING TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS: In real simple terms, "when it comes to technological progress, the rate of change ... is actually getting faster and faster." 

6. THE GREEN REVOLUTION: In two decades wind and solar energy will make up almost half of all installed electrical capacity. 

7. SHIFTING HUMAN GEOGRAPHY: By 2050, the world will have about 10 billion people. While population trends will stabilize in the west and in China, "on the African continent and across the rest of Asia, booming populations ... will translate into the growth of megacities, holding upwards of 50 million people."  

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8. THE TRADE PARADOX: While consensual trade makes sense, protectionism is always lurking in the background. When trade barriers have risen global tensions have increased, World War I, the Great Depression, and Word War II as the most recent examples. Put another way, the U.S. needs to rethink Trump's "America First" stupidities (this isn't me speaking, it's history whispering in our ear).

For a broader discussion on these topics, click here.

- Mark