Monthly Archives: April 2024

Inflation Target Reached?

Posted on April 27, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Inflation is probably as close to the Federal Reserve’s inflation target of 2 percent as possible this year, according to its favorite inflation index, the Personal Consumption Expenditure Price Index (PCE) that is the best overall measure of … Continue reading →

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Q1 GDP Growth Better Than Estimate

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The initial estimate of first quarter 2024 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth was less than expected, causing financial markets to panic, even though economic growth is better than the initial estimate is reporting. The lower GDP estimate … Continue reading →

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Our Ongoing Civil War

Posted on April 22, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly Alex Garland’s just released movie, Civil War, about a modern American civil war to unseat a Trump-like authoritarian president in the name of restoring democracy, is portraying an armed uprising that won’t happen today. The possibility of … Continue reading →

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Elevated Rates Endangering Economy

Posted on April 18, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Early predictions show first quarter economic growth picking up, but a little-known indicator of future growth, the Conference Board’s Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI) in March highlighted the danger that high interest rates hold for future growth. … Continue reading →

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Retail Sales Boost Q1 Growth

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Consumers haven’t slowed shopping, even during tax season. They keep boosting economic growth which is edging above annual predictions of 2 percent again. FREDretailsales Retail trade sales were up 0.8 percent (±0.5 percent) from February 2024, and up … Continue reading →

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Inflation Still Declining

Posted on April 11, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly The inflation rate for wholesale goods and services (PPI) is still declining, which will hearten the inflation doves after yesterday’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) seems to be stuck in a 3 percent range. So, the Fed has … Continue reading →

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Return of the Bully Mentality

Posted on April 10, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The NYTimes Bret Stephens lamented the “bullying mentality” at the heart of the pro-Hamas movement in a recent Op-ed that lamented their attempts to shut down pro-Israeli speakers. Hamas is a movement that wants to completely eliminate … Continue reading →

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March Payrolls Soaring

Posted on April 5, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly I said last week I don’t believe Wall Street investors are irrationally exuberant at present, contrary to those that say we are now in a stock market bubble with the record level S&P and DOW indexes. That’s … Continue reading →

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First Quarter Growth Even Better?

Posted on April 3, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The post-pandemic recovery is looking better this year, as higher estimates for 2024 economic growth come in. The job market is still hot, which is why consumers keep shopping until they drop, to use a common expression … Continue reading →

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Economic Facts Can Win

Posted on April 1, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Here’s another reason we have avoided a recession. Regardless of the looming tax bills due in April that traditionally causes consumers to save more and spend less, consumers are spending more and saving less, per the BEA’s Personal … Continue reading →

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