Economic policies that look like the start of a trade war are really aimed at addressing domestic economic problems.
Real Estate
If a Meteorite Hits Your Home, Are You Insured?
It’s been an odd day for Earth and celestial objects. A 10-ton meteorite exploded near the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, injuring hundreds and causing widespread panic. Meanwhile, a 143,000-ton asteroid passed just 17,000 miles away from Earth around 2:30 Eastern today, a little too close for comfort. All this talk of dangerous rocks …
Comcast’s NBCUniversal Deal: As One Media Era Ends, Another Begins
Comcast’s $16.7 billion deal to purchase the remaining half of NBCUniversal from General Electric solidifies the cable and broadband giant’s role as a media titan and represents a triumph for CEO Brian Roberts, whose father …
Why Can’t This Economy Really Get Going?
A host of factors outside of the government’s control will likely hold back the economy for at least another year.
6 Reasons the Stock Market Could Do Surprisingly Well in 2013
A slow-growing economy with little inflation can actually be the best environment for blue-chip stocks.
What Ever Happened to the Big, Bad ‘Shadow Inventory’ of Homes?
One of the great economic success stories of 2012 was that the housing market finally found a bottom, and even began to show signs of a nascent recovery. But even as positive data on the real estate market began to trickle in …
What the Current Economic Outlook Means for American Families
The economy is likely to keep improving, but slow growth could develop into chronic stagnation.
The Great Housing Rebound of 2012: How the Fed Helped Sellers Beat the Odds
Without a doubt, the U.S. housing market has been the most successful sector of the economy this year, and Wednesday’s Case-Shiller home-price index report — which showed a fifth consecutive month of year-over-year increases in …
Is The Housing Recovery Just an Illusion Created by the Federal Reserve?
It’s now conventional wisdom that the housing market — once the anchor that sank the American economy — is the ballast that’s keeping it afloat, however tenuously. The Case-Schiller index of home prices, released last week, …
Oh No, Canada! Are We Watching Another North American Financial Crisis Unfold?
For some time during and after the financial crisis, it was fashionable to point to Canada as a paragon of fiscal and regulatory prudence. In the years leading up to the crisis, the Canadian government ran budget surpluses, which …
Will Hurricane Sandy Drive Down Coastal Home Prices?
Hurricane Sandy made it painfully clear how fragile a city composed mostly of low-lying islands can be, and that reality has put New Yorkers in an uncharacteristically insecure mood. The New York Times expressed these anxieties …
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.