Economics And Finance
Targeted Tax Breaks Used To Attract Companies Often Backfire
States pay $30 billion a year to lure firms, but study finds incentives don’t seem to drive wider job growth. Targeted Tax Breaks Used To Attract Companies Often Backfire State and local governments across the U.S. spend at least $30 billion a year to attract and keep companies, but the…
S&P 500 Versus The Fed’s Balance Sheet (#GotBitcoin?)
I know You all have heard the phrase, “QE to Infinity”. Here in pictorial form is the reason for this. S&P 500 Versus The Fed’s Balance Sheet (#GotBitcoin?) Dear Friends, Please note carefully the chart I have created here detailing the growth in the Federal Reserve Balance Sheet in comparison…
Big Gains Did Little To Boost Corporate Pension Plans
Decline in interest rates caused plan obligations to grow and offset return on assets. Big Gains Did Little To Boost Corporate Pension Plans U.S. companies reaped their biggest return on pension plan assets in 16 years last year, but the decline in interest rates caused their pension debt to grow—wiping…
Chargeback Fraud And The Failure of Chargeback Protections (#GotBitcoin?)
Chargebacks were originally designed to protect consumers. Today, it’s ironic that merchants often need protection against this very system put in place to protect consumers. Chargeback Fraud And The Failure of Chargeback Protections (#GotBitcoin?) A chargeback is the return of funds to the consumer, by the bank, to settle a…
Lessons The US Can Learn From Japan’s ‘Lost Decades’
A record-long U.S. bull market hasn’t stopped investors from asking: Is Japanification coming this way, too? Lessons The US Can Learn From Japan’s ‘Lost Decades’ The S&P 500 has soared 800% over the past 30 years, overcoming bear markets and a financial crisis. It almost seems as if stocks can’t…
Trump Ranks Sixth In Stock Market Performance Behind Obama And Clinton
Everyone is impressed with the performance of the stock market under President Trump–especially Trump. Trump Ranks Sixth In Stock Market Performance Behind Obama And Clinton While the market has consistently gained under Trump, the gains haven’t been record-setting. From inauguration day on January 20 through October 27, the S&P 500…
Chinese Investment Into The US Has Plunged 90% Since Trump Took Office
Chinese Investment Into The Us Has Plunged 90% Since Trump Took Office — And Poorer States May Get Hit The Hardest. Chinese Investment Into The Us Has Plunged 90% Since Trump Took Office Chinese Foreign Direct Investment In The Us Has Plummeted, Leaving Places Like Silicon Valley And The New…
Online Shoppers Learn Their Own Tricks for Outwitting Sellers
Savvy consumers are exploiting tactics used by retailers to spur more spending; one tip: leave items in the cart. Online Shoppers Learn Their Own Tricks for Outwitting Sellers In online shopping, the house doesn’t always win. While many online retailers successfully employ a range of marketing strategies to persuade shoppers…
America Has ‘Squandered’ The Recovery And Is Falling Behind The Rest Of The World
‘Past generations of American leaders have used periods of strong economic growth in at least three ways: to upgrade the nation’s business environment; to make America more equitable and humane; and to build fiscal strength to buffer future recessions. Our current leaders have accomplished none of these during the past…
An $809 Car Payment, A $660 Income: What Could Go Wrong?
Some dealerships are dressing up borrowers’ car-loan applications with fake, inflated incomes.When Mirna López bought a used 2018 Nissan Pathfinder in May, she got a car loan with a monthly payment of $809. Her monthly earnings were about $660. An $809 Car Payment, A $660 Income: What Could Go Wrong?…
The Federal Reserve Deposit Outage Boosts Need For Bitcoin Adoption
Direct Deposits Across America Hang After Fed's ACH Payment System Suffers Major Disruption. The Federal Reserve Deposit Outage Boosts Need For Bitcoin Adoption With reports of direct deposits failing to clear still ongoing, Bloomberg reported that the Federal Reserve was investigating "the second significant disruption in 2019 of a payments…
Big Banks Prepare Living Wills Or Emergency Liquidation Plans (#GotBitcoin)
In a sweeping rebuke to Wall Street, U.S. regulators said 11 of the nation's biggest banks haven't demonstrated they can collapse without causing damaging economic repercussions and ordered them to submit plans. Big Banks Prepare Living Wills Or Emergency Liquidation Plans (#GotBitcoin) The findings applied to 11 banks with assets…