Here’s the bad news about today’s jobs report: It proves once and for all that we are in a slow growth economy. And that’s worse news than you think.
Economics & Policy
The Falling Stock Market’s Evil Twin: The Falling Dollar
A sinking dollar may be great for parts of the U.S. economy but it sure is tough on certain investors and retirees. Here's how to deal with the fallout.
How the Internet Is to Blame for Your Overspending
For eons, the concept of keeping up with the Joneses fueled people’s desires to acquire the markings of wealth and show them off. With the rise of the Internet, the Joneses aren’t just next door or around town—they’re …
Don’t Panic! For Most of Us, This Market Sell-off Is a Buying Opportunity
The dramatic stock market sell-off of the past two weeks, capped Thursday by a 512-point, 4.3% drop in the Dow, puts us in mind of a scene in Braveheart, when William Wallace (played by Mel Gibson) exhorts his troops to stay …
Stock Market Plunge: Why Wall Street Hates the Debt Deal
Leading up to the debt ceiling deadline, everyone was talking about how the stock market would crater if Washington couldn’t reach a deal. In fact, just the opposite has happened. When it became clear last week that Washington …
Farewell to ARMs: The Debt Debacle Should Convince Homeowners To Lock In Their Rates
The debt drama's potential to cause the first large rate hikes in several years should scare some borrowers off from increasingly popular adjustable rate mortgages – but will it?
Retailers Boost Sales By Marking Goods Down — or Marking Them Way Up
Go big, or go out of business. Time and again over the last few years, retailers have resorted to big discounts as a reliable means to move merchandise and boost sales figures. In some cases, raising prices is accomplishing the same goal.
If a Town Can Go Bankrupt, Why Can’t the U.S.?
On the heels of a federal debt deal that no one really wants comes news that tiny Central Falls, R.I., (population: 18,716) has landed in bankruptcy court. City fathers cannot pay retirement benefits promised to municipal …
Why a U.S. Downgrade Will Hit Your Wallet Harder Than You Think
So here’s my prediction: America’s debt is going to be downgraded and the ramifications of that will be worse than many think. And don’t count me as a debt worrier. I don’t actually think the U.S.’s debt is a problem, at least …
The Faulty Logic Behind the Market Sell-off
With the debt deal concluded, you might have expected global markets to have rallied. Instead, the Dow Jones industrial average closed down 266 points yesterday, or 2.2 percent.
The reason? There is a growing consensus among the …
Budget Deal Forces Grad Students to Help with Spending Cuts
If you were a politician looking to raise a paltry sum of money to make it look like you’re serious about balancing the budget, there are a number of places you might look. Wasteful farm subsidies, defense spending, and tax …
Investment Strategies for a Broke America
Conflicts over taxes, spending and entitlements will very likely continue for decades – and transform the outlook for investing.
