Category Archives: Economy

A Ted Cruz Presidency?

Financial FAQs Texas Senator Ted Cruz is about to announce his candidacy for the 2016 presidential campaign. What would his presidency look like, if he were elected? “Mr. Cruz has also begun championing a message of economic populism,” said the … Continue reading

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Celebrating Our Great Society

Popular Economics Weekly We are in the midst of celebrating the 50th anniversary of President Johnson’s Great Society, enacted for the most part from 1964-66, perhaps the greatest legislative achievement of any president since FDR and the New Deal. We … Continue reading

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Labor Force Participation Improving

Popular Economics Weekly One lament by Fed Chairperson Janet Yellen and others has been the low labor participation rate of the prime-age workers—those 25 to 54 year-olds that have dropped out of the labor force, or are working part time.  … Continue reading

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2014 Household Formation Rebounds

Financial FAQs Breaking news. The latest Homeownership & Vacancy Survey, released by the Census Bureau, estimated household formation surged to 1.7 million in 2014 from 400,000 the previous year. That is really big news. Household formation, which is the bottom … Continue reading

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Will 2015 Interest Rates Remain This Low?

The Mortgage Corner Record low interest rates are holding, in spite of the latest stock market selloffs, and may remain low throughout 2015. Why? Oil prices are still below $50/barrel, and overall prices are falling throughout the developed world. The … Continue reading

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Good Employment Report for Most

Financial FAQs The stock market plunged on news total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 295,000 in February, and the unemployment rate edged down to 5.5 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The DOW fell 279 points, and … Continue reading

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Governor Scott Walker vs. Education

Financial FAQs It is hard to believe, but prospective presidential candidate Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s main platform seems to be his antipathy towards education, and higher education, in particular. He has obfuscated his near hatred of higher education to date … Continue reading

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Pending Home Sales, Consumer Confidence Looking Better

The Mortgage Corner Oh, the winter is freezing consumers, as I’ve said! It affected January existing-home sales, but the NAR’s January Pending Home Sales index rose sharply 1.7 percent. So pending sales of contracts signed may give a boost to … Continue reading

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Fed Chair Yellen Still Dovish, Economy Still “Sluggish”

Popular Economics Weekly Federal Reserve Chairperson Yellen wants to keep interest rates as low as possible for at least the “next couple of FOMC meetings”, even as there are signs that economic growth is accelerating. This is in the face … Continue reading

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January Existing Home Sales, Mortgage Applications Dip

The Mortgage Corner Oh, the winter freeze! It seems to put the housing market into a deep freeze, as well. Total existing-home sales, completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, fell 4.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted … Continue reading

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