Economics And Finance

Despite Reprieve, New Tariffs Will Hit Wide Range of Consumer Goods

Levies of 10% on some apparel, electronics, watches and sporting goods from China start Sept. 1, followed by smartphones, laptops and toys Dec. 15. Despite Reprieve, New Tariffs Will Hit Wide Range of Consumer Goods President Trump may have scaled back tariffs on Chinese goods to spare holiday shoppers, but…

As Global Order Crumbles, Risks of Recession Grows (#GotBitcoin?)

Investors and business cope with new normal of resurgent nationalism, retreating globalization. As Global Order Crumbles, Risks of Recession Grow (#GotBitcoin?) When assumptions about how the world works are shattered, a global downturn is often the result. The world learned in the early 1970s that the era of cheap oil…

Fannie And Freddie Lower Standards For Mortgages Leading To Major Foreclosures (#GotBitcoin?)

Housing-finance regulator aims to shake-up credit scores for mortgages. Fannie And Freddie Lower Standards For Mortgages Leading To Major Foreclosures (#GotBitcoin?) One firm’s dominance over the credit scores used to vet many U.S. mortgages is getting a shake-up. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac , two mortgage-finance firms that back nearly…

U.S. Mortgage Debt Hits Record, Eclipsing 2008 Peak

One factor could be homeowners tapping into home equity for cash when they refinance. U.S. Mortgage Debt Hits Record, Eclipsing 2008 Peak (#GotBitcoin?) U.S. mortgage debt reached a record in the second quarter, exceeding its 2008 peak as the financial crisis unfolded. Mortgage balances rose by $162 billion in the…

U.S. Stocks & Treasuries Flash Recession/Depression #GotBitcoin?

The yield on the U.S. 30-year Treasury note touches a record low! U.S. Stocks AND Treasuries Flash Recession/Depression Warning Signal (#GotBitcoin?) I’ve seen these cycles before and this one is going to leave a scar. People, make (if you haven’t by now) preparations for a long, drawn-out down-turn.   U.S.…

The Federal Minimum Wage Doesn’t Really Matter Anymore (#GotBitcoin?)

Only a tiny share of civilian workers are paid at that rate. The Federal Minimum Wage Doesn’t Really Matter Anymore (#GotBitcoin?) The federal minimum wage is poised to become an irrelevant labor policy. The national pay floor of $7.25 an hour hasn’t been adjusted for a decade, the longest it…

Once-Unpopular Carbon Credits Emerge As One Of The World’s Best Investments (#GotBitcoin?)

Heat wave in Europe drives carbon-credit prices to near record high. Once-Unpopular Carbon Credits Emerge As One Of The World’s Best Investments (#GotBitcoin?) Carbon-emission credits, long shunned by traders, are now one of the world’s best-performing investments. The price of the credits, doled out by governments in Europe to polluting…

In Arkansas, Montana, Boise And Grand Rapids, The Housing Market Looks Red Hot (#GotBitcoin)

Many Midwestern markets have heated up so quickly they are now experiencing shortages of inventory and rising prices. In Montana,Boise And Grand Rapids, The Housing Market Looks Red Hot (#GotBitcoin) The housing market is booming. Just not in the places you might expect. Homes for sale in small to midsize…

Investors Ponder Negative Bond Yields In The U.S. (#GotBitcoin?)

Last week’s slide in Treasury yields is deepening worries about lackluster growth, low inflation. Investors Ponder Negative Bond Yields In The U.S. (#GotBitcoin?) A steep slide in U.S. government-bond yields last week wrong-footed investors and left some pondering what was once unthinkable: whether interest rates in America could one day…

Fed To Create Payments System To Speed Money Transfers (#GotBitcoin?)

Move will provide a public option to another real-time network built by big banks. Fed To Create Payments System To Speed Money Transfers (#GotBitcoin?) The Federal Reserve plans to develop a faster payments system for banks to exchange money, providing a public option to another real-time network built by big…

The Wait For Payday Doesn’t Have To Be So Long (#GotBitcoin?)

As lawmakers push for a faster payments network, companies may look for other ways to deliver paychecks faster. The Wait For Payday Doesn’t Have To Be So Long (#GotBitcoin?) The Blockchain could actually deliver payroll payments on a minute-by-minute basis vs these stupid pay day loan advances involving fees and…

Lower Mortgage Rates Aren’t Likely To Reverse Sagging Home Sales (#GotBitcoin?)

Market has been weighed down by steep prices, limited starter-home inventory. Lower Mortgage Rates Aren’t Likely To Reverse Sagging Home Sales (#GotBitcoin?) U.S. mortgage rates have tumbled to their lowest level in nearly three years, but they are unlikely to provide much of a lift to the sluggish home-sales market.…