Tag Archives: GDP growth

Higher Retail Sales + Consumer Confidence = Growth

Popular Economics Weekly The consumer showed a lot of life in May, driving up retail sales 1.2 percent with gains sweeping nearly all components. A leading component in the month was motor vehicle sales which jumped 2.0 percent, excluding which … Continue reading

Posted in Consumers, Economy, Macro Economics, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Dr. Robert Shiller–Why the Weak Recovery?

Popular Economics Weekly Nobelist Robert Shiller, winner of the Nobel for his research in Behavioral Economics, or the psychology that drives economic behavior, has come up with the latest reason this economic recovery has been so weak to date. GDP … Continue reading

Posted in Consumers, Economy, Keynesian economics, Macro Economics, Politics, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Baltimore and the Lessons of Inequality

Financial FAQs David Brook’s most recent New York Times Oped talks about the dissolution of social bonds in Baltimore neighborhoods. “Even in poorest Baltimore, there once were informal rules of behavior governing how cops interacted with citizens,” he says in … Continue reading

Posted in Consumers, Economy, Keynesian economics, Politics, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fannie Says Better Growth For Rest of 2015

Popular Economics Weekly “Economic activity was suppressed in the first quarter due largely to the West Coast port disruptions and difficult weather patterns across the Northeast, but the economy is expected to gain momentum throughout the spring and reach previously … Continue reading

Posted in Consumers, Economy, Housing, housing market, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Celebrating Our Great Society

Popular Economics Weekly We are in the midst of celebrating the 50th anniversary of President Johnson’s Great Society, enacted for the most part from 1964-66, perhaps the greatest legislative achievement of any president since FDR and the New Deal. We … Continue reading

Posted in Economy, Keynesian economics, Macro Economics, Politics, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Governor Scott Walker vs. Education

Financial FAQs It is hard to believe, but prospective presidential candidate Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s main platform seems to be his antipathy towards education, and higher education, in particular. He has obfuscated his near hatred of higher education to date … Continue reading

Posted in Consumers, Economy, Keynesian economics, Macro Economics, Politics, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fed Chair Yellen Still Dovish, Economy Still “Sluggish”

Popular Economics Weekly Federal Reserve Chairperson Yellen wants to keep interest rates as low as possible for at least the “next couple of FOMC meetings”, even as there are signs that economic growth is accelerating. This is in the face … Continue reading

Posted in Consumers, Economy, Housing, housing market, Politics, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Economic Ruination of Greece

Popular Economics Weekly It is now beyond a reasonable doubt that Germany and its austerity cohorts want to drive Greece out of the Eurozone by insisting that it adhere to its agreement to pass most of its meager budget surplus … Continue reading

Posted in Economy, Keynesian economics, Macro Economics, Politics, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Europe on Verge of Recession

Popular Economics Weekly Oil prices are plunging below $50 per barrel, and the European Central Bank is about to announce whether it will begin its own Quantitative Easing program, similar to the Fed’s purchase of government securities that is designed … Continue reading

Posted in Consumers, Economy, Keynesian economics, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Will 2015 Bring?

Popular Economics Weekly We already have an idea of what will happen in 2015. Firstly, job creation should continue to exceed 300,000 payroll jobs per month. Nobelist Paul Krugman is especially optimistic about economic growth, given that we have escaped … Continue reading

Posted in Consumers, Economy, Housing, housing market, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment