Category Archives: Consumers

An End to Austerity?

Financial FAQs On November 5, 2015, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act, a new multi-year transportation authorization bill, by a vote of 363-64. It will refund the Highway Trust Fund, among other … Continue reading →

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Huge October Employment Report Will Boost Growth

Popular Economics Weekly The economy generated 271,000 new jobs last month, with all but 3,000 coming in the private sector, the government said Friday, topping expectations for 190,000 to 240,000 jobs predicted by various economists. Even bigger news is that … Continue reading →

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How We Lost Our Middle Class

Financial FAQs We now have an even better reason to lament the decline of our middle class. New research by this year’s Nobel Prize winner in the Economic Sciences, Princeton Econ Prof Angus Deaton and his wife Anne Case, have … Continue reading →

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Home Ownership Rate Increases, Thanks to Millennials

The Mortgage Corner The Commerce Department just reported that homeownership rate rose to 63.7 percent in the third quarter, from 63.4 percent in the second quarter, reports the National Association of Realtors. That is still well below the high of … Continue reading →

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Which Are Fastest Growing States?

Popular Economics Weekly A very interesting report by the Philadelphia Fed is just out that surveys economic growth in all 50 states. And the report shows excellent growth continuing in most of the country as of September. The Federal Reserve … Continue reading →

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Best Existing-Home Sales Since 2007

Popular Economics Weekly Total existing–home sales, which are completed transactions that include single–family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co–ops, increased 4.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.55 million in September from a slightly downwardly revised 5.30 million in … Continue reading →

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Pending Sales, Housing Construction Are Healthy

The Mortgage Corner Most of the Federal Reserve Governors have announced they don’t support raising interest rates until sometime next, year, and only if worldwide economic growth picks up. Why? The US Dollar is so strong that it’s hurting exports, … Continue reading →

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Why the Q3 Slowdown Predictions?

Financial FAQs The International Monetary Fund and the Federal Reserve have downgraded their estimates of growth in upcoming quarters. The IMF takes the worldwide view, with particular weakness in the emerging markets of Brazil, Nigeria, South Africa and Russia., and … Continue reading →

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When Will Fed Raise Interest Rates?

The Mortgage Corner It has been puzzling many major economists, including Nobelist Paul Krugman, Obama advisor Larry Summers, and Minneapolis Fed Chair Narayan Kacherlakota, why Janet Yellen’s Fed is still talking about raising interest rates when current inflation numbers are … Continue reading →

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Single Payer “Universal” Health Plans, versus What?

Financial FAQs We are in Australia, and my wife just paid for a General Practitioner’s visit to examine possibly dangerous sun damage to her skin. The Doctor’s examination cost her $37 Australian, and the topical medication just $10Au. So what … Continue reading →

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