Should we be concerned? Should the Fed respond? Prices are rising. In February, the Consumer Price Index advanced 0.5%. That follows increases of 0.4% in December and January. This doesn’t exactly represent runaway inflation –to give you some perspective, the CPI rose by almost 1.1% per...
How hard will this hit the world economy? The task of rebuilding will soon begin. Over the weekend, power was partly restored to the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and the outlook in Japan became slightly less negative, with prospects for stabilization improving. Its devastated...
Congress will consider three suggestions. A fundamental reform for the housing market. For two-and-a-half years, economists and housing industry analysts have wondered what would happen with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. On February 11, they got an answer: the Obama administration announced plans to shut down...
Breaking down the enrollment periods and eligibility. Medicare enrollment is automatic for some of us. In fact, anyone who has received a Social Security check or 24 months worth of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B.1 Part...
What factors need to be in place for this to happen? What will it take for the housing market and employment to really improve? It really boils down to the two greatest economic factors of all: supply and demand. What needs to happen in the labor market?...
QUOTE OF THE YEAR “To climb steep hills requires slow pace at first.” – William Shakespeare THE YEAR IN BRIEF 2010 was a very nice year on Wall Street. At the closing bell on December 31, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was sitting just eight points beneath a two-year...
With the President’s signature, most of them will remain in place through 2012. A holiday gift for taxpayers? After a 277-148 passage in the House and an 81-19 approval in the Senate, President Obama signed the 2010 Tax Relief Act into law on December 17, extending...
Why some analysts are worried about the Fed’s latest monetary easing effort. Is the glass half full? The Federal Reserve has committed to buying $600 billion worth of Treasury bonds between now and June, and it wants to purchase up to $900 billion in debt by...
The current mortgage market presents homeowners with an opportunity. Mortgages haven’t been this cheap for decades. You would have to go back to the 1950s to find mortgage rates that compare with those in 2010. On October 14, Freddie Mac’s weekly survey estimated the average interest...
The strong dollar policy is long gone, but the greenback isn’t in peril just yet. A favorite doomsday scenario. Have you heard about the forthcoming collapse of the dollar? Well, if you turn on your computer, your radio and even your TV, you just may. With...