Category Archives: Consumers

What Happened to Our Economy?

Popular Economics Weekly The major debate during this campaign season is about economic growth. Who has it benefited and who was left behind? Sanders says we aren’t spending enough to create more jobs, and Trump wants to build walls to … Continue reading →

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Should the Fed Raise Rates?

Financial FAQs It’s incredible that Janet Yellen’s Fed should even be talking about raising interest rates in June, or July. The Fed predicts no more than 2.5 percent GDP growth in Q2, after Q1’s 0.8 percent growth rate. And the … Continue reading →

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Future Home Sales Also Soaring

The Mortgage Corner It looks like housing sales this year could return to pre-recession levels (though not into bubble territory), as all 3 major housing stats—existing, new, and now Pending-home sales are off to a good start in 2016. Pending … Continue reading →

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New-Home Sales Also Climbing

Financial FAQs “Sales of new single-family houses in April 2016 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 619,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is … Continue reading →

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Middle Class Finally Gets A Raise

Popular Economics Weekly A new rule announced by the Obama administration will, effective December 1, double the overtime-pay salary threshold and set it to automatically increase every three years. It’s about time. The salary of employees has been diminishing since … Continue reading →

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Why Too Little Inflation?

Financial FAQs Where’s the inflation? It is barely rising, as consumers still wait for bargains, before they decide to buy. The overall Consumer Price Index in April rose just 1.1 percent, and is up 2.1 percent less food and energy … Continue reading →

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Housing Affordability Improving

The Mortgage Corner Spurred by a modest reduction in mortgage interest rates and favorable home prices, nationwide housing affordability in the first quarter of 2016 posted a slight increase, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity … Continue reading →

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JOLTS Jobs Report Highest In Years

Popular Economics Weekly The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the number of job openings was little changed at 5.8 million on the last business day of March, but it is actually up 11 percent over March 2015. Methinks the … Continue reading →

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Service Sector Economy Booming

Financial FAQs There was a huge jump in the U.S. service sector economy, our largest sector, some 67 percent of all U.S. economic activity. This is why we keep growing while most other developed and emerging economies aren’t. “The Institute … Continue reading →

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April Private Payrolls Increase 171,000

Popular Economics Weekly But government payrolls lost 11,000 jobs, so total nonfarm payroll employment increased just 160,000 in April. Over the prior 12 months, employment growth had averaged 232,000 per month. The April jobs report was well below Wall Street’s … Continue reading →

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