The Fed Hikes, Again July 27, 2023 By STEVEN RATTNER As expected, the Federal Reserve yesterday both increased interest rates by 0.25% and signaled a “wait and watch” approach to any further rate. The decision comes as inflation has retreated, even as jobs and overall economic growth has remained stronger than many expected. : Wednesday’s […]
Yesterday, for the first time in more than a year, the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee, which sets the nation’s benchmark interest rate, voted not to raise interest rates at a regular meeting. But that doesn’t mean the cycle of rising interest rates is over; it simply signals that the central bank is taking a […]
The economy continues to grow, unemployment is near historic lows and the stock market has shown surprising strength. So why are Americans still so grumpy? The unhappiness on the part of most Americans with the state of the economy and the country has reached shocking proportions, a development that has unfolded over several decades. One […]
As the deal between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the Biden White House over raising the debt ceiling inches toward approval, let’s take a look at the scoreboard and see who won and who lost. (Hint: Democrats should be happier than Republicans.) But despite the hard fighting, the deal only slightly reduces the nation’s large […]
It’s rare to see a change in government policy produce a quick response in the private sector, but that’s what’s happening with the Inflation Reduction Act and, more specifically, with its provisions to spur a transition to cleaner energy in order to minimize the warming of the planet. Nonetheless, Republicans are still trying to limit […]
The debate about raising the federal government’s debt ceiling has – and will continue to be – centered on the expenditure side of the fiscal ledger. But a report on Tuesday from the Congressional Budget Office sheds considerable light on impact of the Republican plans for federal revenues – and it’s not a pretty picture. […]
The debate about raising the federal government’s debt ceiling has – and will continue to be – centered on the expenditure side of the fiscal ledger. But a report on Tuesday from the Congressional Budget Office sheds considerable light on impact of the Republican plans for federal revenues – and it’s not a pretty picture. […]
The Fed raised interest rates Wednesday by 0.25%, its tenth consecutive increase, but signaled that it might pause as it awaits further signs as to the direction that the economy might take. The Fed’s rapid pace of hiking interest rates is the fastest tightening cycle that the central bank has undertaken in modern history. That […]
The hostilities between the Walt Disney Company and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis burst into a thermonuclear war on Wednesday when the company filed a lawsuit against the state amid the state’s efforts to limit the company’s control over its vast Orlando complex. Public and private sector entities have tussled before, but it’s impossible to recall […]
The magical April 15 tax filing deadline just passed for hundreds of millions of Americans, just as significant changes in staffing and funding at the Internal Revenue Service began to take effect. That’s good news for Americans conforming to tax laws and bad news for those trying to cut corners on their payments to Washington. […]
