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.

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

March Payrolls Soaring

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

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

First Quarter Growth Even Better?

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

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

Economic Facts Can Win

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

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

Fourth Quarter Growth Even Better

The Mortgage Corner Economic growth is picking up and the housing market is following suit, which means the post-pandemic recovery is looking even better this year. The final reading of Q4 2023 U.S. Gross Domestic Product growth adjusted for inflation … Continue reading

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

Irrational Exuberance vs. Irrational Pessimism?

Popular Economics Weekly 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. It’s as easy to be … Continue reading

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