Recession or Growth Scare? Your Guide
I’m hearing a lot of mixed messages these days about the economy. Some headlines say we’re already in a recession; some say one is looming. Others hint that we’ll avoid a recession and have a soft landing. It makes you wonder who’s in charge of putting a label on the economy. I did a little […]
The Fed’s Inflation Nowcasting Tool
Does waiting 30 days for a government report seem a bit unreasonable? After all, we live in a world of instant messages and real-time quotes. Why should we wait a whole month between updates on the Consumer Price Index to see what’s going on with inflation? Well, you don’t. If you’re an economics geek like […]
Unpacking the Summer Economy
In the financial world, some weeks are more important than others, and we just lived through a big one. Let’s unpack each of the four key stats: The Fed. As expected, the Fed bumped up short-term rates again at its July meeting. But the markets breathed a sigh of relief in reaction. Investors believe the Fed […]
Companies Winning Despite Sour Economy
Sometimes, it’s a good idea to get a second opinion. And this may be one of those times. Government reports are telling a rather bleak story about the economy. The headlines talk about high inflation, rising interest rates, and a possible recession. But corporations are telling a more upbeat, optimistic story about business conditions. Aside […]
Inflation, Interest Rates, & Indiana Jones
Stop me if you heard this already—roughly half the population wasn’t alive last time inflation was at this level. It’s true. According to IMDb.com, Raiders of the Lost Ark was the #1 movie at the box office the last time prices were rising at a rate of 9% a year. In economic circles, the most […]
When bears are loud, consider this
Some gloomy headlines are coming out of Wall Street lately. Have you noticed? In recent days, I’ve read things like “Brace yourself for economic hurricanes” and “Wall Street investor survey paints a dire outlook.” It makes you wonder where the bullish thinkers have gone. While negative headlines are eye-catching, a gloom-and-doom perspective misses some finer […]
Inflation Creeping into Personal Finances
If you have a balance on a credit card or an adjustable rate mortgage, you might be noticing changes in your payments. Higher interest rates are starting to ripple through the personal finance landscape, and it doesn’t look like that trend will change anytime soon. The Federal Reserve has indicated it plans to keep raising […]
Wall Street Reacts to Potentially Divided Government
After many weeks of telegraphing a long and careful ballot count, this week’s election lived up to that prediction in races for the Senate, the House, and the presidency. While Americans voted Tuesday, Wall Street cast its ballot Wednesday. The S&P 500 rose 2.2% on Wednesday, November 4, as it appeared a divided government would […]
Economics in the time of COVID – You are invited… Click Here for Register
Navigate safely to the other side of a historic economy Join Brian Resnick, director and senior investment strategist at Alliance Bernstein, for a look at economic history in the making. He’ll share his cyclical and secular economic outlook and how you may be able to position yourself to come out safely and successfully on the […]
Will Political Changes Affect the Economy?
With all of the storm and stress of the year 2020, you’d be forgiven if you momentarily forgot that we’re due for another national election in November. Many states will be selecting governors, representatives, and senators, while the country itself will be voting in the presidential election. Even though these elections happen every four years, […]