The U.S. economy is slowing, but not crashing. In the dismal science, this is what counts as good news. That’s the message I took away from the latest inflation data, released May 15, 2024, which showed U.S. consumer prices rising 3.4% in the 12 months to April 2024. This is down slightly from the 3.5% […]
Economic growth tops the priority list for Canadian policymakers — here’s why
Canada is currently experiencing anemic economic growth, meaning there is a slowdown in the total production of goods and services per capita. The real GDP growth forecast for 2024 is 0.7 per cent. Despite this, American economist Tyler Cowen recently wrote that Canadians have nothing to worry about when it comes to the economy. While […]
How Florida’s home insurance market became so dysfunctional, so fast
Imagine saving for years to buy your dream house, only to have surging property insurance costs keep homeownership forever out of reach. This is a common problem in Florida, where average insurance premiums cost homeowners an eye-watering US$6,000 a year. That’s more than triple the national average and about three times what Floridians paid on […]
The myth of men’s full-time employment
Men’s employment in the U.S. reached a 20-year high in 2023, with nearly 90% of men ages 25 to 54 in the workforce, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This supports the broad expectation – some might say stereotype – that full-time employment is the norm for American men. Yet examining employment at a […]
With the economy looking bright enough, the Federal Reserve seems content to play the waiting game
If there’s one thing you can say about Fed policymakers, it’s that they don’t make decisions on a whim. When the Federal Open Market Committee met on Jan. 31, 2024, it held interest rates steady – as most observers expected. That marks six months since the Fed last changed the base rate. And people should […]
Why did Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 have a sealed-off emergency exit in the first place? The answer comes down to money
The aviation industry is still in shock from a near disaster on Jan. 5, 2024, in which a 60-pound “door plug” blew out from a nearly new Boeing 737 MAX 9 in flight at 16,000 feet, leaving a gaping hole in the fuselage. In response, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded all 737 MAX 9 planes […]
With higher fees and more ads, streaming services like Netflix, Disney+ and Hulu are cashing in by using the old tactics of cable TV
There’s one thing that television viewers can count on in 2024: higher fees and more commercials. The major streaming services – Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ and Max – have all announced rate hikes and new advertising policies. As I show in my new book, “24/7 Politics: Cable Television and the Fragmenting of America from Watergate […]
As we ring in 2024, can the US economy continue to avoid a recession?
With economic forecasters rewriting their 2024 outlooks following recent moves from the Federal Reserve, The Conversation turned to two financial economists to share their thoughts on the upcoming year. D. Brian Blank and Brandy Hadley are professors who study finance, firm financial decisions and the economy. They explain what they’re watching in 2024. 1. At […]
There’s a financial literacy gender gap − and older women are eager for education that meets their needs
Every day, families across the U.S. have to make difficult decisions about budgeting, spending, insurance, investments, savings, retirement and on and on. When faced with these choices, financial literacy – that is, knowing how to make informed decisions about money – is key. Yet, Americans in general aren’t very financially literate. And recent research suggests […]
There is no economy without environment
Herman Daly had a flair for stating the obvious. When an economy creates more costs than benefits, he called it “uneconomic growth.” But you won’t find that conclusion in economics textbooks. Even suggesting that economic growth could cost more than it’s worth can be seen as economic heresy. The renegade economist, known as the father […]