My Comments: David Brown says current conditions resemble those of 2007-08, but a wave of populist nationalism spearheaded by the US president is undermining global institutions that ended the Great Recession. Will you be ready for another Great Depression? I've long argued we are years away from the next iteration of the Great Depression of …
Category: Economy & Markets
Is a Stock Market Correction in the Cards?
My Comments: I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of thinking about this. Frankly, it can’t happen soon enough for me since I’ve been getting ready for the next one for several years now. And it’s kept me from being confident enough to put my money where it will grow in a meaningful way. …
The US could lose its crown as the world’s most powerful economy as soon as next year, and it’s unlikely to ever get it back
My Comments: It’s my belief that the current administration, in their efforts to Make America Great Again, are doing it wrong. From efforts to remake NAFTA, not participating in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, misguided tariff policies, efforts to limit immigration as existing Americans are having fewer children, tax laws that serve to benefit the already rich …
A Recession Is Coming, And Maybe a Bear Market, Too
My Comments: I’ve lived on this planet long enough to know that when pundits declare “It’s different this time!”, they are wrong. The timing is always different, but the outcome is never in doubt. I will admit to being wrong about when the next market crash will happen. I’ve been expecting one for a few …
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The TPP is up and running without us, and we’re losing out on its opportunities
My Comments: While I had some reservations about the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), I agreed with it in principal and was encouraged when the Obama administration signed on last December. Then along came the ultimate deal maker and we withdrew from the agreement. In my opinion, more than anything imaginable, that withdrawal effectively ceded global …
Continue reading The TPP is up and running without us, and we’re losing out on its opportunities
GE Has Yet Another Problem: Pensions
My Comments: Did you read the news bulletin last week that GE was terminating 4,000 salaried employees this week? There’s a reason for that and it’s described here. This problem is not just about GE, but about thousands of corporations and government entities that exist in the US. A pension plan like the one at …
The Trump tax law has big problems. Here’s one big reason why
My Comments: I take no pleasure in paying taxes. But I also understand why it’s necessary. My life as a tax paying adult, especially when it comes to earned income, has seen good and bad years. I’ve always assumed it’s my responsibility to figure out what to send the IRS and if I can’t, then …
Continue reading The Trump tax law has big problems. Here’s one big reason why
Too Many Americans Will Never Be Able to Retire
Without more babies and immigrants, the country won’t be able to support its aging population. My Comments: The stellar growth of the United States following World War II was in part due to the surge in births that we’ve dubbed the ‘baby boomers’. Population rise, coupled with the ability to move up the economic ladder …
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These 5 charts prove that the economy does better under Democratic presidents
My Comments: I was favored recently by the publication in the Gainesville Sun of an article I wrote that referenced Donald Trump as an existential risk to the US. Because such articles are limited to 750 words or less, there was no reference by me to the historical performance of the economy under Republican or …
Continue reading These 5 charts prove that the economy does better under Democratic presidents
The Coming Bankruptcy of the American Empire
My Comments: readers of my posts know that I’m a progressive, whatever that actually means. As an economist, I choose to call myself a social capitalist, in that I strongly believe unfettered capitalism is as dangerous and corruptive as communism. This is written before trump appears on national television to tell us why his wall …
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Helping Define Your Financial Future 