Author Archives: Popular Economics Weekly

Unknown's avatar

About Popular Economics Weekly

Harlan Green is editor/publisher of PopularEconomics.com, and content provider of 3 weekly columns to various blogs--Popular Economics Weekly, Financial FAQs and the Mortgage Corner.

Less Need to Worry in 2024?

Financial FAQs It’s time to catch our breath. Wars and protests can unsettle economies, but much of the economic uncertainty in 2024 is for more mundane reasons. The last few weeks have unsettled the financial markets, to say the least. … Continue reading

Posted in Consumers, COVID-19, Economy, housing market, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

What Should Fed Do–Part II?

Popular Economics Weekly Friday’s ‘official’ April US unemployment report was even more surprising than Fed Chairman Powell’s dovish remarks after the Fed’s May FOMC meeting, as if Powell might have known that April’s unemployment report would be weaker. It was, … Continue reading

Posted in Consumers, COVID-19, Economy, Politics, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

What Should the Fed Do?

Popular Economics Weekly The big surprise at Federal Reserve Chairman Powell’s last press conference was despite strong job numbers and inflation still above the Fed’s 2 percent target rate, the Fed governors are acting more dovish. Why? They don’t want … Continue reading

Posted in Consumers, COVID-19, Economy, Politics, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Inflation Target Reached?

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

Posted in Consumers, COVID-19, Economy, Keynesian economics, Macro Economics, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Q1 GDP Growth Better Than Estimate

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

Posted in Consumers, COVID-19, Economy, Housing, housing market, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Our Ongoing Civil War

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

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Elevated Rates Endangering Economy

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

Posted in Consumers, COVID-19, Economy, Housing, housing market, Politics | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Retail Sales Boost Q1 Growth

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

Posted in Consumers, COVID-19, Economy, Housing, housing market, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Inflation Still Declining

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

Posted in Consumers, COVID-19, Economy, Keynesian economics, Politics, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Return of the Bully Mentality

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

Posted in Consumers, COVID-19, Economy, Politics, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment