Category Archives: Politics

Financial FAQs BLS.gov April’s Producer Price Index for final demand confirmed the wholesale cost of goods and services has already returned to a 2 percent range, which should enable Fed officials to say the battle against COVID-induced inflation is almost … Continue reading →

Financial FAQs FREDretailsales Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a recent Fareed Zakariah interview on CNN that she thought an economic soft landing was possible, despite warnings that the recent bank failures could cause banks to tighten in their lending … Continue reading →

Popular Economics Weekly MarketWatch The MarketWatch graph above shows why the US Federal Reserve keeps raising interest rates. The US unemployment rate dropped from 3.6 to 3.5 percent in March. It was 14.7 percent in April 2020. It was last … Continue reading →

Popular Economics Weekly FREDavghrlypay In the light of the recent bank failures, and the Fed’s own missteps in fighting inflation, history is telling us that the Fed’s current 2 percent target rate for inflation is too low. Why? Because Federal … Continue reading →

Financial FAQs FRED10yr The wild fluctuations of the 10-year Constant Maturity Treasury yield portrayed in the above St. Louis Fed graph should have alerted Federal Governors and Chairman Powell to the dangers of raising interest rates too precipitously. It is … Continue reading →

Popular Economics Weekly FREDcpi The retail Consumer Price Index rose from essentially zero in May 2020 to 8.9 percent YoY in June 2022. It has dropped to 6 percent in February, per the US Census Bureau’s latest inflation report. This … Continue reading →

Popular Economics Weekly MarketWatch February’s very strong unemployment report has raised fears the Fed may go back to 0.50 percent rate hikes, or even 0.75 percent (which it did four times), because of the continuing strength of the labor market. … Continue reading →

Financial FAQs EPI.org A headline reporting on Fed Chairman Powell’s latest testimony to congress said the Fed will battle inflation until it is subdued, sounding more hawkish because January numbers for retail spending, employment and inflation were stronger than expected. … Continue reading →