12th Century: The Medieval Cloth Trade and the Champagne Fairs

Recent historical research provides evidence that credit and derivative contracts, so dominant in modern investment and finance, were in existence in Europe at least as early as the High Middle Ages (ca. 1000-1300).  Some of these contracts were designed to meet the needs of those involved in the cloth trade, a vital aspect of the medieval economy.

Click here to read full article © Russell Investments 2013. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

Trends and Innovations: A Mass of Water

3 times bigger in volume than all of the Earth’s oceans has been discovered by Northwestern University scientists using seismometer technology.  The reservoir sits deep beneath the surface.  The discovery supports the theory that the planet’s seas originated from deep within.

Article obtained from Investor’s Business Daily.