Category Archives: Consumers

Who’s To Blame For the Great Recession?

Posted on August 5, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly Why has economic growth been so slow since the Great Recession? This is the question haunting many economists these days. Second quarter 2015 real GDP growth (after inflation) was just 2.3 percent six years after its end. … Continue reading →

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Case-Shiller Home Prices Up, Ownership Rate Lower

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Home prices have stabilized for a while, after the 2013 double-digit price surge brought on by the Fed’s various QE bond purchases and ultra-low interest rates. And homeownership rates are still dropping due mainly to affordability and … Continue reading →

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Housing Starts, Builder Optimism at Recovery Highs

Posted on July 18, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Privately-owned housing starts in June were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,174,000. This is 9.8 percent above the revised May estimate of 1,069,000 and is 26.6 percent above the June 2014 rate of 927,000. This … Continue reading →

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Iran Agreement Means Low Inflation, Higher Growth

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Although economists haven’t yet begun to crunch the numbers, Iran’s agreement not to produce atomic weapons or weapon-grade plutonium for at least 10 years will result in much lower oil prices, thus keeping inflation in check and interest … Continue reading →

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Three % Plus YoY Economic Growth Is Here

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly We are finally back to 3 percent plus GDP growth on an annual basis. And it is largely fueled by consumer spending that has been increasing as more jobs are created. Retail and Food service sales ex-gasoline … Continue reading →

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Home Prices Increase With Jobs

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index is the bell weather for real estate and home prices these days. It not only reports housing prices, but what affects those prices, and jobs have to be the most important … Continue reading →

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Greece’s Great Depression

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs This may seem facetious some 6 years into recovery, but many policy makers don’t seem to understand the severity of the Great Recession, or its consequences. It is the major reason why Greece, and many other Eurozone countries … Continue reading →

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What Would Save the Euro?

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly Now that Greece has voted NO on the latest European Commission-European Central Bank-IMF proposal (the so-called troika), will Greece stay in the Eurozone? If so, Greece may save the euro. Why is this choice even necessary when … Continue reading →

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A Good Jobs Report

Posted on July 2, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Should we push back the first Fed rate hike to the presidential election year of 2016, because of June’s softer-than-expected employment report? Nonfarm payroll growth came in at 223,000 vs expectations for 230,000 and above. It included downward … Continue reading →

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It’s Time For the 30-hour Week

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly Don’t look now, but we should soon have the 30-hour work week as the standard, instead of the 40-hour work week last enshrined during FDR’s New Deal. Why, when Americans now work more hours than any other … Continue reading →

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