Category Archives: Weekly Financial News

Why Is Government So Important?

Popular Economics Weekly So it turned out to be true, contrary to those who believed less government is better. The government shutdown proved just how important government is to our daily lives. Not only its cost—upwards of $24 billion in … Continue reading

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Government Shutdown Dims Builder Optimism

Financial FAQs New-home construction is already a casualty of the government shutdown, and even sequestration agreement that has cut government hiring and spending more than $1.6 trillion to date. But its effect would be mitigated if interest rates remain low, … Continue reading

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So-called Qualified Mortgages Are a Problem

The Mortgage Corner The new rules coming into effect in January 2013 for most conforming loans—i.e., those guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will cause a definite drop in mortgage lending. The Consumer Protection Financial Bureau, created under Dodd-Frank … Continue reading

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Econ Robert Shiller’s Nobel Prize a Big Win

Popular Economics Weekly Although much of what Yale economist Robert Shiller writes is about the importance of financial markets, he won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for studying how financial markets misbehave. He is a pioneer in the new … Continue reading

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Fed Chairman Yellen Will Boost Economic Growth

Financial FAQs If we need any more evidence that Janet Yellen should be the next Federal Reserve Chairperson, it was the decision by the Fed Governors to continue their easing at the conclusion of their September 18 FOMC meeting, just … Continue reading

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Is This A New Civil War?

Popular Economics Weekly The New York Times stated in a 2010 poll that the 18 percent of Americans who identify themselves as Tea Party supporters tend to be Republican, white, male, married and older than 45. History tells us the … Continue reading

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It’s Not About Obamacare!

Financial FAQs We know the federal government’s shutdown isn’t really about Obamacare. We know this because Tea Party Republicans have been trying to shut down government since the 2010 election, as MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow and others have pointed out. The … Continue reading

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Mortgage Delinquencies Continue Decline

The Mortgage Corner Freddie Mac reported that the Single-Family serious delinquency rate declined in August to 2.64 percent from 2.70 percent in July.   This has in large part to do with lower interest rates, which have declined again because the … Continue reading

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Debt Ceiling, Obamacare Debates Will Boost Government’s Role

Popular Economics Weekly Tea Party Republicans apparently aren’t aware of the damage they inflict on their own party and constituents in attempting to shut down the federal government, if Obamacare isn’t delayed or repealed. For a shutdown will prove once … Continue reading

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Are Excessive Corporate Profits Hurting Growth?

Popular Economics Weekly The third estimate for real GDP growth for the second quarter was left unchanged at an annualized rate of 2.5 percent compared to the second estimate and compared to a first quarter rise of  1.1 percent. But … Continue reading

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