Is China about to have its own Bear Stearns moment? I have been thinking a lot about this after reading a smart report released today by BofA Merrill Lynch Chinese economist Bin Gao, which looks at the recent debt restructuring …
What President Obama Should Really Do About Inequality
Inequality is the big economic topic of the moment—everyone from the Pope to New York mayor Bill DeBlasio to global leaders at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos are talking about it. Tonight, it’s very likely to be the …
Bitcoin Solves a Huge Problem for the Global Economy
Everyone’s talking about the fast growing digital currency Bitcoin. Jamie Dimon hates it, Marc Andreessen loves it, and Alan Greenspan thinks it’s a bubble with no intrinsic value.
I think Bitcoin reflects the fact that …
Roubini, Bremmer Outline Major Global Risks for 2014
It’s not often that you get to hear economist and NYU professor Nouriel Roubini—a.k.a. Dr. Doom—being optimistic. Well, ok, relatively optimistic. But that was one of the main takeaways from today’s Time Inc. “The Year …
How Banks Are Watering Down Financial Reform Now
Banks have won again. The recent news that the new international banking regulations (known wonkily as Basel III) have been watered down by the banking lobby to allow them to continue doing daily business with nearly as much …
Janet Yellen Steps In at the Fed
After being confirmed by the Senate, Janet Yellen will take over as chairman of the Federal Reserve at the end of January. On Morning Edition, WNYC’s Money Talking examined the policy objectives of the first woman to hold the …
Janet Yellen Will Be a Fed Chair for the Real, Everyday Economy
Janet Yellen, vice chairman of the Federal Reserve, was confirmed Monday by the Senate to succeed Chairman Ben Bernanke as the next head of America’s central bank. Her term, which begins Feb. 1, will mark an important shift in
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Finally, Americans Are Spending More—Exactly What the Economy Needs
Will economic growth equal wage growth? That’s the biggest economic question of 2014. Like everyone, I was uplifted by today’s news that third quarter GDP figures were revised upward from 3.6 percent to a whopping 4.1 percent. …
JP Morgan’s $1 Billion Suit Will Be The First of Many
In lieu of clearer financial regulation, we’ve got lawsuits—which do little good
What the Obamacare Rollout Means for the Healthcare Business
Which health and medical businesses stand to gain and lose from the faulty roll out of Obamacare? I discussed the topic this week on WNYC’s Money Talking, with the New York Times columnist Joe Nocera. Our contrarian …
Why Healthcare in America Is So Expensive
America spends 19% of its gross domestic product on healthcare. The rest of the developed world spends around 11% to 12% and countries like Singapore, which have high quality care, spend around just 5%. The question for so many …
Are We in Another Tech Bubble?
There’s a reason why a lot of the world’s top investors, like Warren Buffett, don’t invest in technology — it moves too fast. And it’s too hard to track whether the hot stock or idea of today will be worth anything in …