Consumers Say they’re Happy. So Why Aren’t They Biting?
Happy but cautious households continue to struggle with wealth growth Growth in consumer spending continues to motor along at a healthy pace. Nonetheless, there are two deepening conundrums for...
Will the Fed Try to Slow the Ride?
Or will market momentum cool in its own time? The Fed continued raising interest rates in September, even as the economy continues to run strong and financial markets flirt with new record highs on a...
A Change in DNA for the Macroeconomy
Photo Credit: SEBASTIAN KAULITZKI (gettyimages) Seismic structural shifts challenge the forecasters While most analysts are pondering the lessons learned from the global financial crisis, we and other...
What's Up with Housing Investment?
The economy is booming, but it’s not contributing. How come? Residential investment has been missing in action as a contributor to GDP growth over the past year despite an otherwise stellar...
Have politics gotten into the ring with the Fed?
Despite recent pressure, the Fed chairman is likely to stay the course Last week President Trump and some of his advisors publicly expressed their displeasure with the Fed’s plans to continue...
Are the Markets Ready for Battle
Companies’ efforts to soften trade war impact will help guide Wall Street A trade war has moved from a risk to a reality as tariffs and counter tariffs are starting to take effect. The duration and...
Balance Sheet Checkup!
Healed and healthy net worth, but signs of rising inequality The most recent update on household balance sheets shows net worth hovering near all-time highs as a percent of disposable income. The...
NYSE Conference Replay
Where the economy lives: Insights from the recent housing conference Last week Rutgers’ Center for Real Estate held a conference at the New York Stock Exchange on the outlook for housing that was...
Bad Sign for the Road Ahead?
Maybe. Or maybe not. The financial press and the policy makers at the Fed that set interest rates have been watching the yield curve flatten over the past year with a wary eye. When long-term rates...
Cliff Notes on the CBOS Latest Outlook
Is it back to the future or go the way of Japan? The Congressional Budget Office finally released its annual 10-year budget outlook, incorporating the most recent tax cut and increase in government...