Category Archives: Weekly Financial News

Strong Growth Will Continue

Financial FAQs There’s a good reason we have avoided a recession, I said last week. Consumers’ personal financial conditions have improved, so they continue to shop, and they are responsible for 70 percent of economic activity. Now the Conference Board’s … Continue reading

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Consumers Want More Stability

The Mortgage Corner More consumers, and most Americans, are deciding they want calm after the instability of the Pandemic era. They are craving fewer economic disruptions for starters, such as the partisan wars that have stymied budget negotiations. “Nearly three-quarters … Continue reading

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Retail Inflation Is the Problem

Popular Economics Weekly There is a reason the Biden administration wants to prevent the merger of Kroger and Albertsons Supermarket chains. It lowers competition at a time when the largest retailers are now responsible for much of the inflation that … Continue reading

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Consumers Confident No Recession

Financial FAQs There is a good reason why we have avoided a recession. Consumers don’t believe it will happen. And consumers drive some 70 percent of US economic activity. So their attitudes tend to make or break economic growth. When … Continue reading

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It’s A Soft Landing

Popular Economics Weekly A terrific February employment report is further evidence the US economy has made a soft landing. FREDemployment Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 275,000 in February, and the unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 3.9 percent from … Continue reading

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More Jobs Ahead?

Financial FAQs  The US economy hasn’t slowed. Fourth quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth was revised downward from 3.3 percent to 3.2 percent in the second estimate, and predictions for first quarter 2024 GDP growth are hovering between 2-3 percent. … Continue reading

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Inflation Is Going Nowhere

Popular Economics Weekly I said recently that the US economy has made a soft landing. Here is further proof with the release of the government’s Personal Consumption Expenditure Index (PCE) that measures consumer spending. Inflation has flattened and been stuck … Continue reading

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Higher Growth Ahead?

Financial FAQs The US economy hasn’t slowed. Fourth quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth was down slightly from 3.3 percent to 3.2 percent in the second estimate, but predictions for first quarter 2024 growth have increased. BEAgdp “The increase in … Continue reading

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Another Housing Recession?

The Mortgage Corner The 30-year conforming fixed rate has again risen above 7 percent in just one month, and the effect is immediate. Housing construction has slowed once again, in spite of the severe housing shortage. Construction is 14.8 percent … Continue reading

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High Productivity the Key

Financial FAQs There is a major reason the US economy is doing well in so many ways—with plunging inflation, surging consumer spending, and the highest economic growth of developed countries—that is often overlooked in economic reports. Labor productivity has been … Continue reading

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