We’re in a business where it’s good to worry; if we didn’t worry, we might take on too much risk, to the detriment of our clients. But we recognize that…
U.S. vs. China
As China has emerged as a world power, it has increasingly been a case of Us (as in U.S.) vs. Them. Not in military combat, fortunately, but in day-to-day trade…
Unemployment Drops … Just In Time for the Election!
The unemployment rate has finally dropped below 8% to 7.8%! Or has it? Really? The latest numbers are a head scratcher. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (that’s BLS, not BS)…
This Is Progress?
Economic growth for the second quarter of 2012 officially has been revised down to 1.25%, which is below the lowest previous estimate. In an effort to stimulate the economy, the…
When a Lower Unemployment Rate Is Bad News
Want to reduce the unemployment rate? Stop looking for a job. More than 300,000 workers dropped out of the labor force in August, while employers added just 96,000 positions. In…
GDP Doesn’t Stand For Great DePression
Measuring growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is like taking the economy’s temperature. The annualized growth rate of 1.5% at the end of the second quarter – which is a…
Dancing With A Cow
While Europe’s sovereign debt crisis has beaten down the U.S. stock market, it has helped the bond market. Because the European bond market is in such poor shape, U.S. bonds…
Payrolls Up Just In Time For Labor Day Weekend
The stock market was given another boost by better-than-expected economic data today, with an August jump of 67,000 jobs in the private sector. Overall, non-farm payrolls declined by 54,000, but that…