Category Archives: Weekly Financial News

Saving Fannie and Freddie—Part II

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs The Federal Housing Finance Authority that supervises the so-called Government Supervised Enterprises (GSE), now including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, just announced restrictions that not only weaken Fannie and Freddie’s mandate, but the mortgage and housing markets in … Continue reading →

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Bank Lending Still Stingy

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The Federal Reserve just published its quarterly Senior Loan Officer survey on lending standards by the largest banks. They basically adhere to the strictest Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines for residential loans, such as minimum 620 … Continue reading →

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Payrolls Rising with Lower Labor Productivity

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly Suddenly it looks like the U.S. economy isn’t stalling. Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 165,000 in April, and the unemployment rate fell slightly to 7.5 percent from 7.6 percent in March, reported the U.S. Bureau of … Continue reading →

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Austerinomics, the Anti-Growth Orthodoxy

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee has just said it in the press release from its latest committee meeting in an otherwise ‘moderately’ upbeat announcement: “Household spending and business fixed investment advanced, and the housing sector has strengthened … Continue reading →

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Will U.S. Growth Slow in 2013?

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly The naysayers are already at it. First Quarter GDP growth was 2.5 percent, slightly below forecasts. So many pundits are now saying it is a repeat of last year and the year before. An initial growth spurt … Continue reading →

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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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