Why this blog?

Hi,

my name is Lorenzo.
I was born in Rome, Italy, and now I live in the Netherlands, close to Amsterdam.

I made up my mind to leave Italy in 2014.

Why?

Because in 2012 I started studying economics in an attempt to understand the undermining roots of the crisis that we were experiencing in Italy. I am an engineer,  and I had no clear idea about the differences between a stock and a bond, the pros and the cons of a common currency, the relation between interest rates and the cost of money borrowing, etc.

Tabula rasa. Zero! I knew how to design, test, schedule in the engineering domain etc. but for a simple mortgage I had to ask a bank advisor and rely on him entirely.(*)

I had only one question in my mind: I have a degree, I work in a big company, so why am I always struggling to get to the end of the month, my wife -architect- has trouble in finding a job while my parents, undergraduated, had had no problems like mine? Why are we experiencing such a bad situation in Italy?

I started studying whatever I could in my free time: blogs, books, on-line videos, economy sections in the newspapers.

Little by little, step by step, I started discovering what I believe are the deep reasons for the crisis in Italy, and in the Eurozone as a whole. And, why not?, what to expect from China's trade balance for my renting fee!

So, in 2014, I decided to move away from Italy. I had a permanent job, a house without a mortgage, a 4 year-old son. Many told me I was crazy.

My situation has largely improved since then and I go on studying and applying what I am learning. It is a never ending process.
I changed my job. The change of my job was also based on some economics considerations.

My blog is aimed at sharing with you my experience. In particular, I will try to apply my studies in economics and finance in our everyday life. Both macroeconomics and microeconomics, gold, criptocurrencies, real estate, job, engineering, technology, accounting, etc.

Just an example: is it better to buy a house or to go for a rent nowadays? Is it a good time to buy a car? What are the best investments you can do to protect your savings today? Is it more important to look for a bit higher wage or to change dramatically your area of expertise? If you are an employee, what are the key figures in the balance of your company that tell you whether your company is healthy or on the edge of bankrupcy?

I am not an English native speaker: so I hope you will not be too severe with me if I sometimes make a grammar mistake :-)



(*) This situation is very common: you can be a scientist, a teacher, a professor, whatever!, but when it comes to finance, your brain shows up a sign stating "closed indefinitely". Disappointing, isn't it?