Consumer savings are up, and credit card debt is down. But experts say the economic current is running against us, so even those who think they are swimming are probably just treading water.
Economy
Bond Markets to the Fed: We Don’t Believe You!
The stock market may steal the headlines, but in many ways its the bond market — be it mortgage-backed securities, government bonds, or corporate debt — that is the real star of the economic show. When the Federal Reserve seeks …
No, the Fed’s Buying Spree Doesn’t Have to End in Tears
After a jittery few days of trading, the markets stabilized a bit on Monday, though most economists are predicting a summer of volatility thanks to the Fed’s decision last week to announce that it would begin to “taper” its $85 …
Market Reality Check
The market craziness continues, with stocks down, commodities crashing, and bond yields rising. As usual during such periods, wild theories about what’s happening abound: The U.S. recovery is a mirage; China is having a Lehman Brothers-style meltdown; etc.
Bernanke Says Little, Market Plummets: Welcome to the Post-QE Economy
What a strange world we are living in when Ben Bernanke holds a press conference to say that he’s essentially going to do nothing, and the markets go down 200 points. That was the story last night after the Fed announced it …
Ben Bernanke to Markets: Chill Out!
One of the more conspicuous ironies of the stock market in recent years is that it tends to go down when the Federal Reserve is forecasting an improved economy. That’s because faster economic growth makes it more likely that the …
Red Steel City: What China’s Oldest Steel Factory Says About the Nation’s Future
This article is the first in Foroohar’s series on Chinese business developments and their effects on the global economy; find the rest of the series here.
If you want to understand the history of modern China, a good place …
China, the U.S. and a Special Relationship in the Making: 5 Shared Economic Challenges
As President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping settle into conversation in California for the weekend, there’s talk of a new kind of G-2 alliance between the nations, and even a “grand bargain” over issues like trade, …
Uh-Oh: We Already Started Spending Like It’s 2005
The two-faced recovery soldiers on. One day, indicators like the Case-Shiller housing index give us hope that the economic recovery is finally gaining steam, and the next day the ISM Manufacturing Index shows the sector actually …
Japan Market Crash: A Slow Leak in the “Central Bank Bubble”
There’s a truism in investing that the last one into a market is the first one out. And that certainly seems to be the case today, with Japan’s Nikkei index crashing off the back of two things: First, hints from the Federal Reserve that the U.S. economy is improving enough to justify a slow pull-back from the central bank’s …
Bernanke’s Dilemma: No Good Moves Left
It could be risky for the Fed to continue its easy-money policy – and dangerous to stop.
Republicans Seem to Be Out of Economic Ideas — Here Are Two Suggestions
If you think about thrift as a moral quality, it’s easy to understand why Republicans have gotten things so wrong in terms of macroeconomic policy over the past few years