The G-20 countries accounted for about 78% of the global trade in 2015 according to World Trade Organization. The largest trading countries in that year were China and the US. The US was the world’s largest importer and second largest exporter after China.
The top 20 trading countries are shown in the chart below:
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Source: G20 in Figures – Summit of the G20 states in Hamburg 2017
The share of renewable energy in primary energy supply varies widely among G-20 member nations. Renewable energy can be produced from solar, hydro, biomass, wind, etc. sources. This type of energy is virtually untapped in countries like South Korea, Russia and Saudi Arabia.However certain countries are top renewable energy producers. For example, Brazil is a major producer of renewable energy using hydro power. Other major renewable energy producing countries are Indonesia and India.
The chart below shows the Renewable Energy as a Percentage of Total Primary Energy Supply:
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In the US just 7% of the energy supply comes from renewable sources. The country has a long way to go before catching with renewable energy leaders like Germany, Brazil, etc.
Source: G20 in Figures – Summit of the G20 states in Hamburg 2017
The Italian capital Rome is an amazing city. As the birthplace of modern civilization, Rome is dotted with hundreds of historical monuments to explore. Like the olden days, Romans today are extremely friendly and welcoming to tourists. Almost every street seems to have at least one Church and many of them hundreds of years old. For Americans who are accustomed to the same corporate junk everywhere they go within the country Rome and Italy in general is a breadth of fresh air to say the least. In this post let me share with you some of the photos from a trip.
The following are some of the top five attractions in Rome that every tourist should visit:
1.The Colosseum
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For tickets and more info please visit the Colosseum Amphitheatre site.
2.The Roman Forum
You can buy Colosseum and Roman Forum tickets as a combo ticket at the above site.
3.The Pantheon
Additional information can be found here. Since it is a Church there is no entrance ticket.
4. Trevi Fountain
5.The Vatican Museum and St.Peter’s Basilica
The Vatican Museum is filled with wonderful treasures. The The Gallery of Maps is breathtaking. Tickets to the museum can be bought here.
Bonus: Piazza Venezia
From foodies to history buffs to religious people alike Rome and The Vatican must be on everyone’s bucket list.
The retirement ages for men and women vary widely across countries. In this post let us take a look at the ages differences between countries. But before we get to that, here is a brief introduction on retirement.
Germany was the first country in the world to implement an old age social insurance program back in 1889. German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck was the architect of this system and the retirement age was set at 70. Later it was reduced to 65 in 1916. In this perspective, Germany was far advanced in thinking about taking care of its senior citizens than over developed countries. The US followed Germany’s lead with its own social security system over four decades after Germany in 1935 with the retirement age set at 65. Other countries soon followed.
Today the retirement age varies between 57 and 65 globally depending on the country as shown in the charts below:
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Source: Chartsbin.com via Equities and Income in an Ageing World — Why Dividends Matter, Nikko Asset Management Asia Limited
In the chart above, lighter colored countries have lower retirement ages while darker colored countries have higher retirement ages.
From an investment point of view, it is important to plan for retirement early and invest as much as possible in younger ages.
One of the simple and easy ways to reduce risks with investing in equity markets is to diversify one’s assets across various asset types, countries, regions, etc. The following chart shows the unpredictability of market returns one year after another:
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Source: AGF Investment Operations, December 31, 2016. Canadian Stocks represented by S&P/TSX Composite Total Return Index, U.S. Stocks – S&P 500 Total Return Index (C$), International Stocks – MSCI EAFE Index (C$), Canadian Bonds – FTSE TMX Canada Universe Bond Index, U.S. Small Caps – Russell 2000 Index (C$), Canadian Small Caps – BMO Nesbitt Burns Canadian Small Cap Index. Balanced Portfolio made up of 20% Cdn. Stocks / 20% International Stocks / 15% U.S. Stocks / 40% Cdn. Bonds / 2.5% U.S. Small Caps / 2.5% Cdn. Small Caps.
The information provided is for illustrative purposes only and is not meant to provide investment advice. You cannot invest directly in an index. Calendar years returns in Canadian dollars.
Source: AGF Management Limited