Tag Archives: interest rates

The Tariff Wars–Part III

Popular Economics Weekly “It is inconceivable that other countries won’t retaliate, even if some of the governments might not want to retaliate, their citizens will demand that you can’t allow yourself to be beaten up. When you make like a … Continue reading

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Was It a Good Employment Report??

Popular Economics Weekly Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 143,000 in January, and the unemployment rate edged down to 4.0 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in health care, retail trade, and social assistance. … Continue reading

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Q4 Economic Growth Continues

Popular Economics Weekly Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 2.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024 (October, November, and December), according to the advance estimate released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the … Continue reading

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The Tariff Wars–Part II

Financial FAQs “Trump has called “tariff” the fourth most beautiful word in the dictionary behind “God”, “love” and “religion.” CNN FREDdebt/GDP On Saturday, President Trump, just 11 days into his second term, said he will impose a 25 percent tariff … Continue reading

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Why Inflation Still a Problem?

Financial FAQs The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, Personal Consumption Expenditures Index (PCE) isn’t declining because consumers continue to spend more than they earn. Why? BEA.gov Such spending gave a boost to retail sales and so made holiday shoppers happier. But … Continue reading

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The Housing Recovery–Part II

The Mortgage Corner Existing-home sales rose 2.2% in December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.24 million, the strongest pace since February 2024 (4.38 million). FREDexistinghomesales The huge jump in existing-home sales on still very high mortgage rates illustrates … Continue reading

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Retail Sales Boost Q4 Growth

Financial FAQs “Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for December 2024, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $729.2 billion, an increase of 0.4 percent (±0.5 percent)* from the … Continue reading

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Why the Tariffs Debate?

Popular Economics Weekly “For far too long, we have relied on taxing our Great People using the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Through soft and pathetically weak Trade agreements, the American Economy has delivered growth and prosperity to the World, while … Continue reading

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Americans Still Fully Employed!

Popular Economics Weekly Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 256,000 in December, and the unemployment rate changed little at 4.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment trended up in health care, government, and social assistance. Retail … Continue reading

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Greater Threats = Slower Growth

Answering Kennedy’s Call “Fostering a culture of fear and ignorance is not the way to run a political party, or country, if it would ever come to that.” Popular Economics Reuters/January 6 I said in 2014 when writing in Huffington … Continue reading

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