Before I Met Ayn Rand, I Was

What We Have Found Over The Years In The Marketplace Is That Derivatives Have Been An Extraordinarily Useful Vehicle To Transfer Risk From Those Who Shouldn't Be Taking It To Those Who Are Willing To And Are Capable Of Doing So.

I Have Long Argued That Paying Down The National Debt Is Beneficial For The Economy: It Keeps Interest Rates Lower Than They Otherwise Would Be And Frees Savings To Finance Increases In The Capital Stock, Thereby Boosting Productivity And Real Incomes.

Credit-default Swaps, I Think, Have Serious Problems Associated With Them.

Any Informed Borrower Is Simply Less Vulnerable To Fraud And Abuse.

Nor Can Private Counterparties Restrict Supplies Of Gold, Another Commodity Whose Derivatives Are Often Traded Over-the-counter, Where Central Banks Stand Ready To Lease Gold In Increasing Quantities Should The Price Rise.