Category Archives: Weekly Financial News

The Iceland Experiment—A Lesson in Austerinomics

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly Today’s parliamentary elections in Iceland will pose a difficult choice for Icelanders. Polls show conservatives have the lead—a so-called Center-Right coalition that was in power when Iceland’s own housing bubble burst and its kronar currency lost most … Continue reading →

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California Foreclosures Plunging, Sales Rising

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The number of California homeowners entering the foreclosure process plunged to the lowest level in more than seven years last quarter, reports DataQuick. The unusually sharp drop in the number of mortgage default notices filed by lenders … Continue reading →

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Deflation and Our Plunging Deficit

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly The federal budget deficit is shrinking rapidly, says Goldman Sachs Chief Economist Jan Hatzius. And that is not such a good thing at the moment, since the private sector isn’t spending enough. It means this very weak … Continue reading →

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Signs of Jobs Surge in 2013

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly There are signs the jobs picture will be much improved in 2013, even thought the March unemployment report was disappointing.  The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported in the just released Job Openings and Labor Turnover … Continue reading →

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Saving Fannie and Freddie Mac

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Fannie Mae (FNMA), or Federal National Mortgage Association, reported a record profit for 2012, a good reason to save the mortgage giant from dissolution, as the banking industry in particular has lobbied for. The government-sponsored enterprise had … Continue reading →

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David Stockman’s Crony Capitalism

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly Paul Krugman is being too gentle with David Stockman, whose recent New York Times ‘rant’ glorifies the gold standard and denigrates government for standing in the way of putting “free markets and genuine wealth creation back into … Continue reading →

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Higher Home Prices Driving Construction

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner CoreLogic just reported home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, increased 10.2 percent on a year-over-year basis in February 2013 over February 2012. And it is boosting construction, as for sale inventories are barely increasing in the new … Continue reading →

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The Decline of the West

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly Berkeley Prof Brad Delong has posted a very sobering essay on his website. Because the deficit hawks and austerity advocates now hold sway in both Europe and North America, we could be in for a very prolonged … Continue reading →

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2013 Home Prices Soaring

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Housing prices are soaring, with both the S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index 3-month average (for November, December and January) and FHFA conforming loan indexes accelerating. Mortgage delinquencies also continue to decline, which should help depleted inventories. The … Continue reading →

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What Inflation?

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs We have seen this before during past budget battles. How much spending is necessary to create future economic growth, and jobs? A corollary is whether the Federal Reserve’s current easy credit policy will create runaway future inflation with … Continue reading →

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