Tag Archives: Great Recession

2014 Household Formation Rebounds

Financial FAQs Breaking news. The latest Homeownership & Vacancy Survey, released by the Census Bureau, estimated household formation surged to 1.7 million in 2014 from 400,000 the previous year. That is really big news. Household formation, which is the bottom … Continue reading

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Will 2015 Interest Rates Remain This Low?

The Mortgage Corner Record low interest rates are holding, in spite of the latest stock market selloffs, and may remain low throughout 2015. Why? Oil prices are still below $50/barrel, and overall prices are falling throughout the developed world. The … Continue reading

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Good Employment Report for Most

Financial FAQs The stock market plunged on news total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 295,000 in February, and the unemployment rate edged down to 5.5 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The DOW fell 279 points, and … Continue reading

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Good Pending Sales, Home Prices in 2015

The Mortgage Corner Pending home sales are rising again. Sales picked up steam in November, to 104.8 from a revised 104.0 in October for a better-than-expected gain of 0.8 percent. It is a sign, along with the Case-Shiller Home Price … Continue reading

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The Political Consequences of Inequality

Financial FAQs Paul Krugman recently highlighted the dangers of Europe’s austerity policies and the growing inequality of the developed world, the worst since the Great Depression. The result then, as now, has been the growing strength of right wing parties … Continue reading

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Bullies, Not Government Is the Problem

Financial FAQs Weekly Even though the U.S. economy grew by a 3.5 percent annual rate in the third quarter, boosted by a surge in exports and the biggest jump in federal spending in five years, Democrats don’t seem to be … Continue reading

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The Mystery of Money: Understanding the Modern Financial World

Harlan Green “Unpacks” the Money Metaphor–Book Review by Mark Whitehurst / CASA MAGAZINE Yelling “Show me the money!” usually only works in the movies, but Harlan Green’s down to earth book, The Mystery of Money: Understanding the Modern Financial World, … Continue reading

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Why Do We Need Wars for Great Recoveries?

Financial FAQs Nobelist Paul Krugman has said history tells us it could take another world war, or similar mobilization effort to put everyone back to work and economic growth to return to historical levels from the Great Recession—even an Alien … Continue reading

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Fannie/Freddie, Home Prices in Good Shape

The Mortgage Corner Government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac brought in a combined second-quarter net income of $5 billion, nearly half of the $9.3 billion the two made in the first quarter of 2014, the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s … Continue reading

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Employment Report Won’t Cause Fed to Raise Rates

Financial FAQs Unemployment falls below 6% for first time since 2008 as U.S. adds 248,000 jobs said today’s MarketWatch headline at the release of the Labor Department’s September unemployment report. But it won’t be enough to push Janet Yellen’s Federal … Continue reading

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