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Non-Exhaustive list
of Potential Speech Topics
1. “Gazing
into the Crystal ball: The Short Run Outlook for the Economy”.
What is ahead for the next two years?
Will we slide back into a recession or will the recovery gain more
steam? Why will labor markets return to a level of tightness that
will exceed the pre-recession levels? What are prospects for
inflation and interest rates, and what is the connection between
those two? Why is the value of the dollar falling and what
difference does that make to firms in the U.S.? Why have energy
prices been so volatile and where are they heading next?
45 minutes to 1 ½ hours.
2. “Gazing
into the Crystal Ball: The Growing & Declining Industries to 2006”.
Which industries will grow and which will struggle over the next
several years? What do events of the 1947-61 period have to do with
this? Why will pediatricians, diaper services, toy stores, and
alcoholic beverage industries struggle, while it will be a grand
time for the travel, household furnishings, restaurant, and health
care sectors? What is the key to understanding
today’s tight labor market, and why might it persist for quite some
time? Why is it counter-intuitive to be pessimistic
about the future? 1 hour (Can be combined with #1 for a 2-2 ½
hour talk.)
3.
“Two Long Term Trends that Will
Radically Impact the Economy”.
Combine speech # 2 with a look at international markets. Like no
other time in history, countries are getting together and forming
trading blocks. What are the implications for our economy? 1 ½
hours
4.
“Economic Myths
and Economic Reality”.
A light hearted and fun speech designed to correct many commonly
held beliefs about the economy. Is the world really
over-populated? Is pollution getting worse and is
economic development really bad for the economy? Have
incomes really been stagnant for most workers? Do tax
cuts…such as Reagan’s & Bush’s…really help the rich at the expense
of the poor? What is the difference between earning a
poverty level income and living in poverty? 1 to 3 hours
depending on need.
5. Simple
Techniques for Forecasting the Future:
This is a 2 ½-3 hour seminar on simple forecasting techniques that
I use in our Executive Program at LSU. Participants are
shown how to forecast various items of interest to the banks (loan
level, checking account volumes, etc.) using techniques that only
require you to know how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide.
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