Everything you 'know' about the Fed is wrong … 5 misconceptions about the effects of QE and monetary policy … Few would still argue against the assertion that the Federal Reserve has been central to the financial stabilization and economic recovery from the 2008 crisis. It fixed the plumbing and are now trying to incentivize animal spirits to pump water through the pipes. The d...Read More
The Economic Argument Is Over — Paul Krugman Has Won … For the past five years, a fierce war of words and policies has been fought in America and other economically challenged countries around the world. On one side were economists and politicians who wanted to increase government spending to offset weakness in the private sector. This "stimulus" spending, economists like Pau...Read More
The Austerity Movement Is Crumbling … The big news in economics last week was the paper by a UMASS Grad Student showing that economists Kenneth Rogoff and Carmen Reinhart had made an Excel spreadsheet blunder in their famous paper arguing that as debt-to-GDP goes above 90%, growth slows dramatically. It's easy and tempting to overstate the influence of Reinhart and Rogoff. Even if they h...Read More
Banker steps into the role of superhero … In other ages, we have called on shamans or saints in times of crisis when the usual remedies have not worked. In the stagnant world economy today, we have designated central bankers as our superheroes, and we are relying on their magical monetary powers to restart global growth. As the European Central Bank president, Mario Draghi, whom some have ni...Read More
Janet Napolitano: Immigration bill important step … Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano mounted a vigorous defense of the Senate Gang of Eight's comprehensive immigration plan on Tuesday, calling the legislation an "important first step" to reforming the nation's immigration laws. In testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Napolitano said the 844-page bill...Read More
Gold's Declining Price Is a Reversion to the Mean … Since the beginning of the economic crisis in 2008, conservatives have been predicting that inflation is right around the corner. They base this prediction on the vast increase in the money supply that the Federal Reserve brought about in order to keep the financial system from imploding. Because a too-rapid rise in the money supply did...Read More
How Did the World's Rich Get That Way? Luck …Why are some people so rich and others so poor? Is it from good choices or good luck? Hard work, smarts, and ability—or something else? That depends who you are comparing yourself to. If you are more successful than your friends, colleagues, and family members, surely a lot of it is because you are better at what you do, or have made bet...Read More
Wealthiest Americans Only Winners in Recovery, Pew Says … The U.S. economy has recovered for households with net worth of $500,000 or more, a new study shows. The recession continues for almost everyone else. Wealthy households boosted their net worth by 21.2 percent in the aftermath of the recession, according to the study released today by the Pew Research Center. The rest of America lost...Read More
Banker steps into the role of superhero … In other ages, we have called on shamans or saints in times of crisis when the usual remedies have not worked. In the stagnant world economy today, we have designated central bankers as our superheroes, and we are relying on their magical monetary powers to restart global growth. As the European Central Bank president, Mario Draghi, whom some have ni...Read More
Janet Napolitano: Immigration bill important step … Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano mounted a vigorous defense of the Senate Gang of Eight's comprehensive immigration plan on Tuesday, calling the legislation an "important first step" to reforming the nation's immigration laws. In testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Napolitano said the 844-page bill...Read More
Gold's Declining Price Is a Reversion to the Mean … Since the beginning of the economic crisis in 2008, conservatives have been predicting that inflation is right around the corner. They base this prediction on the vast increase in the money supply that the Federal Reserve brought about in order to keep the financial system from imploding. Because a too-rapid rise in the money supply did...Read More
How Did the World's Rich Get That Way? Luck …Why are some people so rich and others so poor? Is it from good choices or good luck? Hard work, smarts, and ability—or something else? That depends who you are comparing yourself to. If you are more successful than your friends, colleagues, and family members, surely a lot of it is because you are better at what you do, or have made bet...Read More
Wealthiest Americans Only Winners in Recovery, Pew Says … The U.S. economy has recovered for households with net worth of $500,000 or more, a new study shows. The recession continues for almost everyone else. Wealthy households boosted their net worth by 21.2 percent in the aftermath of the recession, according to the study released today by the Pew Research Center. The rest of America lost...Read More
German 'Alternative': Parallel Currency Idea Carries Great Risks … A new German protest party is proposing the gradual re-introduction of the national currencies of highly indebted euro-zone countries. While the party's spokesman insists the idea solves everyone's problems, it has one major drawback: Economists agree it won't work. – Der SpiegelDominant Social Theme...Read More
Limit Austerity, EU Official Says A top European Union official signaled his support Monday for relaxing Europe's austerity drive, in what could be a significant break for countries struggling to hit tough budget targets amid persistent economic weakness. In a speech, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said the policy of austerity pursued by the EU in recent years no long...Read More
Greece will probably pull through … Greece is not yet out of the woods. But there is a credible path that could lead the country back into the sunlight. That's the main conclusion of a week I have just spent in the country. Although the economy will have a terrible 2013, next year should be better. But the outlook is fragile: political crisis could yet rear its ugly head, tax evasion is...Read More
Re-inflating the bubble … Obama hired back all the Clinton-era officials who caused the housing bust — so they can do it all over again … In the 1990s, convinced that the US mortgage market was racist, the Clinton administration launched a massive campaign of social engineering. Through government entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, officials encouraged extending mortgages to pe...Read More
German 'Alternative': Parallel Currency Idea Carries Great Risks … A new German protest party is proposing the gradual re-introduction of the national currencies of highly indebted euro-zone countries. While the party's spokesman insists the idea solves everyone's problems, it has one major drawback: Economists agree it won't work. – Der SpiegelDominant Social Theme...Read More
Limit Austerity, EU Official Says A top European Union official signaled his support Monday for relaxing Europe's austerity drive, in what could be a significant break for countries struggling to hit tough budget targets amid persistent economic weakness. In a speech, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said the policy of austerity pursued by the EU in recent years no long...Read More
Greece will probably pull through … Greece is not yet out of the woods. But there is a credible path that could lead the country back into the sunlight. That's the main conclusion of a week I have just spent in the country. Although the economy will have a terrible 2013, next year should be better. But the outlook is fragile: political crisis could yet rear its ugly head, tax evasion is...Read More