T HE P ENNSYLVANIA S TATE U NIVERSITY E CONOMICS A SSOCIATION P RESENTS :

T HE O PTIMAL B UNDLE
S UNDAY , M ARCH 17, 2013 - S PRING 2013, I SSUE 2 A RMAAN MA LHOTRA , C OLE L ENNON , W ILL D AWSON

Upcoming Events:

General Body Meeting - March 21 EA Social with Finance Society - March 21

PennStateEA.Weebly.com This Week: March Madness Bracket (3/19, 7:45-9pm)

B ITCOIN : T HE F UTURE OF G LOBAL C URRENCY ?

M ORE I NFO :
Bitcoin Rises:

Bitcoin is a radical new currency that is gaining prominence across the globe. It is already reinventing how people view money and debt. Some nations have condemned it as it exists outside the realm of international law and cannot be constricted by monetary authorities due to the fact that it exists purely online. It is impossible here to describe this fascinating new social and monetary phenomenon, so I recommend that you head over to the provided links to learn more and discover the potential future of global currency. Enjoy!

http://aje.me/YrpzWo Understanding Bitcoin:

http://aje.me/Kp60HG Bitcoin website:

http://bitcoin.org/ Bitcoin on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitcoin

T HE IMF S U PDATED R EPORT

ON THE

W ORLD E CONOMY

The International Monetary Fund delivers its new predictions with a dose of cautious optimism. The report explains, If crisis risks do not materialize and financial conditions continue to improve, global growth could be stronger than projected. And while the fund points toward relative financial stability as a positive indicator, other difficulties in the euro area and in the United States are massive points of concern. An additional note of interest concerns developing economies, as well as their interest in implementing new economic reforms. Read more about these possible reforms and other policy prescriptions below.
M ORE I NFO :
HTTP :// NYTI . MS /T L Q MRU

M ORE I NFO :

E CON A SSOCIATION M ARKET W ATCH S TOCK T RADING G AME

If you haven't already signed up, feel free to sign up and participate in the stock trading game on marketwatch.com. The link will provide a way to access the game, and the password is "pseatrading" (no quotation marks needed). Follow the link , create an account, and get started!

http://www.marketwatch.com/ game/penn-state-ea

Game ends May 3rd, so get trading!

I S A FRICA R ISING ?
Since the time of Imperialization, African nations have been plagued by extreme poverty, low levels of economic growth, and other issues like disease and infant mortality. Now, many African nations are better managing their economies, resulting in higher levels of growth and investment, as well as a reduction in poverty and greater access to luxuries like technology such as cellphones. This online debate over the future of Africa hosted by The Economist examines the uncertain future of African nations, delving into the economic nuances of a poorly understood continent at the fringe of the global economy.

M ORE I NFO :

Original Site: http://econ.st/10xJyWT Africa Rising: http://econ.st/XFeLYt Tired of War: http://econ.st/ZE0kmK South Africa: http://econ.st/YDcUSf

M ORE I NFO :

N EW M ARKET O PERATORS
In three of the worlds most prominent central banks, current leaders prepare for their exits. In Japan, Haruhiko Kuroda could become the Bank of Japans new governor; the Bank of England is set to acquire Mark Carney as its governor in July; and the Federal Reserves potential new chairman, Janet Yellen, could be nominated as Ben Bernankes successor after his expected departure in January. But amid the speculation, an emerging consensus amongst these candidates indicates a possible willingness to allow higher inflation in order to obtain higher economic output. Check out the more info section for more specific policy details.

http://econ.st/Yd3HQp http://on.mktw.net/ Wsu0k8

T HIS T HURSDAY S D ISCUSSION : T HE E FFECTS OF THE I NTERNET ON B USINESS

The growing prevalence of the Internet has changed the way that Americans live their lives , and has altered the business environment of the global economy in profound ways. This Thursday (3/21) at the General Body Meeting we will be discussing how the Internet has changed business models, supply chains, work environments and more. We are living in one of the most innovative and rapidly changing eras of economic development, and much of that is occurring because of, or in response to the Internet. For those of us that are planning on entering the business world, understanding how markets, firms, and employees make decisions and attempt to thrive. Below are several articles on a variety of topics related to the new, online economy that you can read to familiarize yourself with the topic ahead of the meeting. Thanks for reading this issue of The Optimal Bundle, see you all Thursday!

M ORE I NFO : http://bit.ly/NFiC5g http://bit.ly/132KKXm http://bit.ly/16D8nVE http://bbc.in/McstrB http://bbc.in/McstrB http://onforb.es/15KOqf5 http://bit.ly/ZC5xLp

Tuesday (3/19) from 7:45-9pm in 365 Willard

$3 on Tuesday $5 any other day Hope to see you Tuesday!