Tag Archives: Federal Reserve

Fourth Quarter Growth Even Better

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Economic growth is picking up and the housing market is following suit, which means the post-pandemic recovery is looking even better this year. The final reading of Q4 2023 U.S. Gross Domestic Product growth adjusted for inflation … Continue reading →

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Retail Inflation Is the Problem

Posted on March 14, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

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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It’s A Soft Landing

Posted on March 8, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

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?

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

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

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

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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Another Housing Recession?

Posted on February 22, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

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

Posted on February 19, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

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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Slower Retail Sales, Lower Inflation?

Posted on February 16, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs The New Year is proving to have lots of ups and downs as consumer spending slows from the holidays. Tax season is afoot, of course, a time when consumers tend to save more and spend less. That’s why … Continue reading →

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Why the Inflation Debate?

Posted on February 14, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner This month’s Consumer Price index looked hotter at first glance, but it wasn’t. It was slightly cooler, so there was no real reason for yesterday’s 500 pt. plunge in the DOW. That’s where the debate is raging … Continue reading →

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Inflation Still Too High?

Posted on February 9, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs In an excellent piece in MarketWatch, Jeffry Bartash quoted Fed Chair Powell on remarks he made last week in a 60 Minutes interview. Why do Americans still seem unhappy with the economy in many surveys? “People are going … Continue reading →

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