Whenever I attempt to explain things about the economy to friends and family, their eyes glaze over, they give a few head nods and grunts of approval, but really they just wait for a chance to change the subject. Similarly, when I express my enthusiasm for baseball, people act surprised exclaiming, “But baseball is so … Continue reading
The unstable housing market caused investors to become apprehensive about investing in homes, but the low home prices simultaneously caused investors to worry about missing out on a good investment. These big time – Wall Street – investors, called cash buyers, do not use 15-to-30 year mortgages; if they want a home they have the … Continue reading
After housing indicators showed positive growth signs for the housing market last month, the first housing numbers released this month, from NAHB/Well Fargo, reported their third consecutive decline in their housing market index (HMI), with a decrease of two-points to 44. A suffering housing market suggests a struggling economy. The chart below shows the drastic … Continue reading
Budweiser’s proposed merger with Corona and Stella Artois was denied in early February by the Department of Justice, but several other big name companies have plans to get together. The big name mergers underway are: Office Depot with Office Max, US Airways with American Airlines, and Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway with Heinz Ketchup. These corporate … Continue reading
Today, February 26, both the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and S&P/Case-Shiller came out with their respective Housing Price Indexes and both reflect a vibrant, growing housing sector. S&P/Case-Shiller reported a national 7.3% increase in home prices for 2012, and 19 of the 20 cities used to calculate the City Composite had positive year-over-year growth, … Continue reading
Mexican Billionaire, the most powerful drug trafficker in the world, and recently announced Chicago’s public enemy no. 1 – “El Chapo” – is the world’s most wanted man. Joaquin Guzman Loera, known as “El Chapo” (or “Shorty”) was born into a poor family in Mexico and sold organs as a child. El Chapo’s education ended … Continue reading
The CBO’s budget and economic outlook, released last week, looks bleak. And one of the drivers of future budget shortfalls? Social Security. During the Feb. 13th house budget hearing on CBO’s outlook, Rep. John Campbell (CA) asked Doug Elmendorf – CBO Director – if we were in a pickle with regards to the U.S. budget. … Continue reading
With support from Africa and the West, Mali looks to end its vicious civil war and once again become an ensign of democracy in Africa by resuming the postponed presidential elections of 2012. Despite Mali being 90% Muslim, one candidate, Yeah Samake, is a Mormon. Samake was born in Ouelessebougou, a small village in Mali, … Continue reading
On Wednesday, January 25, Congress voted to raise the debt ceiling to allow more government spending until about May of this year. The sequester’s forced automatic spending cuts go into effect March 27th. Debt, spending, “fiscal cliff’, budgets, etc. keep Americans on the verge of a heart attack, and many find themselves wondering: how much … Continue reading
Members of Congress and President Obama are squaring off for a showdown. The US will hit the debt limit by the end of February, and with Obama insisting that he will not negotiate, “dooms day” scenarios are being predicted. Discussions of alternative solutions have yielded little in the way of progress. The idea to mint … Continue reading
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