Category Archives: Consumers

Why Do We Have Two Countries?”

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly   Former CIA assistant director Mike Morell lamented on a recent CBS 60 Minutes that he didn’t understand why congressional Democrats and Republicans couldn’t work together to boost economic growth for “the good of the country” when … Continue reading →

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Thanks For Nothing, Washington!

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Democrats have bought the Republican lie that Democrats were the big spenders, it seems, with the draconian federal budget cuts enacted over the past 2 years. But recent statistics show it’s been the Republicans since 1980 that created … Continue reading →

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Are Consumers Losing Confidence in Housing??

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The unanswered question to date is how the debt ceiling impasse and government shutdown has affected economic activity.  Both the industrial and service sectors have shown stronger growth, according to the Institute of Supply Management (ISM).  But … Continue reading →

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Mortgage Delinquencies Continue to Decline

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The good news is that foreclosure rates continue to fall, though delinquencies more than 90 days late are fluctuating with the season, according to Lender Processing Services (LPS) in their Mortgage Monitor report for September. According to … Continue reading →

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Consumer Debt At Record Lows

Posted on November 1, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs The Federal Reserve just released the Q2 2013 Household Debt Service and Financial Obligations Ratios. The overall Debt Service Ratio decreased in Q2 2013, and is just above the record low set in Q4 2012 thanks to very … Continue reading →

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Why Isn’t Washington Working “For the good of the Country?”

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly If we really want to know what is depressing consumers, look at how Congress is tied up in knots over the debt ceiling and spending losses from sequestration cuts–$109 billion per year, according to labor economist Jared … Continue reading →

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Government Shutdown Dims Builder Optimism

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs New-home construction is already a casualty of the government shutdown, and even sequestration agreement that has cut government hiring and spending more than $1.6 trillion to date. But its effect would be mitigated if interest rates remain low, … Continue reading →

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So-called Qualified Mortgages Are a Problem

Posted on October 14, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The new rules coming into effect in January 2013 for most conforming loans—i.e., those guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will cause a definite drop in mortgage lending. The Consumer Protection Financial Bureau, created under Dodd-Frank … Continue reading →

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Econ Robert Shiller’s Nobel Prize a Big Win

Posted on October 14, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly Although much of what Yale economist Robert Shiller writes is about the importance of financial markets, he won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for studying how financial markets misbehave. He is a pioneer in the new … Continue reading →

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Fed Chairman Yellen Will Boost Economic Growth

Posted on October 13, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs If we need any more evidence that Janet Yellen should be the next Federal Reserve Chairperson, it was the decision by the Fed Governors to continue their easing at the conclusion of their September 18 FOMC meeting, just … Continue reading →

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