And low interest rates and loose lending terms have made speculation easy.
"Family businesses value honest, careful work and keeping close to the customer," argues Fernando Casado of the Family Enterprise Institute in Barcelona, "not easy money and speculation".Family-owned or closely held firms dominate Germany in particular.
"If you are looking to make easy money from speculation then you have to accept there is a risk," he said.
The 2012 race for president was so tight that it's easy to speculate that this factor or that one made the crucial difference — and just as easy to dismiss all such speculation.
"This is the eternal debate: as a player do you secure your future through earnings or play at the highest level possible, or do you stick at home, stay true to your region and hopefully make Warren's life a lot easier?" Despite the speculation over Faletau's future, Charvis does not believe it will affect the number eight's preparations for the forthcoming World Cup.
Speculation is easy, however.
"Speculation is easy, and it never dies," Mr. Baker said.
The buzz among top brokers here is of big-ticket sales to deep-pocketed international buyers, rather than foreclosures, painful lessons from easy credit and unrestrained speculation.
That was reflected in their early programmes, which included a demand for the incorporation and recognition of labour unions alongside demands for railroad regulation, an end to land speculation, and easy money (through the replacement or supplementing of the gold standard) to ease the burden of debt that the farmers suffered from.
"Obviously the fact that it took so long to come to a decision shows it was not easy". There is already speculation about next steps in this case, with Reuters Romee correspondent Naomi O'Leary reporting that the "court's 'motivations' for verdict will be released within 90 days.
