If the U.S. can’t resolve its looming budget problems, the fallout could plunge the entire world economy into a chasm
Federal Reserve
The Pessimist’s Guide to Surviving the Fiscal Cliff
Whatever the budget deal, it probably won’t be able to prevent sluggish growth and the risk of rising inflation.
With Obama Win, Wall Street Cop Stays On the Beat
This week’s election was a cliffhanger for many people, but the stakes were higher than most for the director and staff of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The agency, which opened its doors in July 2011, was a …
Whoever He Is, the President Elect Will Quickly Face an Economic Crisis
The U.S. is confronting a dizzying array of financial issues that will have to be dealt with early next year.
Is the U.S. Waging a War on Savers?
Government policies that discourage saving are one of the chief reasons that so many Americans fail to put money away regularly.
A Recovering Housing Market is Great News for Too-Big-To-Fail Banks
There was more good news coming out of the housing market yesterday, with the Commerce Department announcing that new residential construction projects, called housing starts, increased by 15% in September compared to the prior
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More Signs of Strength in Housing: Does Bernanke Get the Credit?
It’s an election season cliché to forewarn an ideological opponent that he is not entitled to his own facts. But when it comes to the economy, it would seem one is entitled to his own facts. Or to be more precise, that there …
Five Reasons It Could Be the Opportunity of a Lifetime to Buy a House
It’s cheaper to buy than rent in almost every major U.S. housing market, and over the long term home prices appear likely to rise substantially.
Ben Bernanke’s Heavy Artillery: Will Open-Ended Bond Buying Drive Down Unemployment?
Ben Bernanke and made an open-ended commitment yesterday to purchase mortgage-backed securities at a rate of $40 billion per month, aiming to inflate asset prices and pump fresh credit into the economy. The move answers critics …
Will the Stock Market Keep On Rising?
The forces that have boosted the prices of blue-chip stocks over the past year are diminishing, while other factors have become increasingly uncertain.
Bernanke Stands Pat: No New QE (For Now)
While most Americans have their minds squarely fixed on beach and barbecue plans this weekend, market participants had their eyes an ears affixed to Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke’s speech this morning in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The …
The Strange Allure of the Gold Standard
Some Republicans want to take the country forward by taking us back — way back – to the gold standard. The Republican party platform, approved on Tuesday, warns against the evils of “easy money and loose credit” and calls for …