Polina Vlasenko
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Economic Growth Continues, But At a Slower Pace
Six and a half years into the business-cycle expansion, economic growth continues, albeit at a slower pace. The growth is mainly driven by personal consumption expenditures, with some weakness coming from business investment and exports.
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Best of 2015: Medicare is Hardly Self-Financed
This week, as we recharge for the new year, we highlight a few of our best-read blogs of 2015. This piece originally ran in August. Many believe that Medicare (similarly to Social Security) does not add anything to the federal budget deficit because it is financed by dedicated tax revenue. This belief is one of…
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Minimum Wage: Fact Checking the Fact Checking
Why do economists seem to be so unsure about the effect of raising the minimum wage?
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Making Sense of the New Medicare Premiums
The budget deal recently adopted by Congress and signed by the president includes a provision that affects Medicare premiums in 2016 and possibly 2017. Essentially, it makes the Medicare premiums smaller than they otherwise would have been, but larger than they are now, for some Medicare beneficiaries. Read on to find out why this was…
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A Prediction Social Security Recipients Won’t Like
Every October, Social Security recipients, numbering close to 60 million today, get the announcement of the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to be applied to their benefits the following year. This usually results in a little extra money in their pockets. But the data we have today are sufficient to forecast that the adjustment, sorry to say,…
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Should Policy Battle the Next Recession?
Government policy, in the form of monetary or fiscal stimulus, may be helpful if the economy is facing a temporary slowdown in demand — and even then economists disagree on the estimate of just how effective government stimulus is. But fiscal or monetary stimulus is very unlikely to be helpful if the slowdown in the…
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•
Medicare is Hardly Self-Financed
Many believe that Medicare (similarly to Social Security) does not add anything to the federal budget deficit because it is financed by dedicated tax revenue. This belief is one of the reasons for the outrage at the suggestion that Medicare needs to be reformed to prevent future budget deficits from spiraling out of control. But…
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•
A Milestone for the Economic Expansion
This month the current business-cycle expansion, which started in June 2009, has reached the 73-month mark. This makes it equal in length to the previous expansion, which lasted from November 2001 to December 2007. Since there are no signs of an imminent recession, it is a good bet that the current expansion will last more…
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Which Inflation Rate Is Relevant For You?
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta offers a customized price index based on demographic characteristics. But for households planning a budget, AIER’s Everyday Price Index may prove more useful.
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•
Economic Growth Continues, But At a Slower Pace
Six and a half years into the business-cycle expansion, economic growth continues, albeit at a slower pace. The growth is mainly driven by personal consumption expenditures, with some weakness coming from business investment and exports.
-
•
Best of 2015: Medicare is Hardly Self-Financed
This week, as we recharge for the new year, we highlight a few of our best-read blogs of 2015. This piece originally ran in August. Many believe that Medicare (similarly to Social Security) does not add anything to the federal budget deficit because it is financed by dedicated tax revenue. This belief is one of…
-
•
Minimum Wage: Fact Checking the Fact Checking
Why do economists seem to be so unsure about the effect of raising the minimum wage?
-
•
Making Sense of the New Medicare Premiums
The budget deal recently adopted by Congress and signed by the president includes a provision that affects Medicare premiums in 2016 and possibly 2017. Essentially, it makes the Medicare premiums smaller than they otherwise would have been, but larger than they are now, for some Medicare beneficiaries. Read on to find out why this was…
-
•
A Prediction Social Security Recipients Won’t Like
Every October, Social Security recipients, numbering close to 60 million today, get the announcement of the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to be applied to their benefits the following year. This usually results in a little extra money in their pockets. But the data we have today are sufficient to forecast that the adjustment, sorry to say,…
-
•
Should Policy Battle the Next Recession?
Government policy, in the form of monetary or fiscal stimulus, may be helpful if the economy is facing a temporary slowdown in demand — and even then economists disagree on the estimate of just how effective government stimulus is. But fiscal or monetary stimulus is very unlikely to be helpful if the slowdown in the…
-
•
Medicare is Hardly Self-Financed
Many believe that Medicare (similarly to Social Security) does not add anything to the federal budget deficit because it is financed by dedicated tax revenue. This belief is one of the reasons for the outrage at the suggestion that Medicare needs to be reformed to prevent future budget deficits from spiraling out of control. But…
-
•
A Milestone for the Economic Expansion
This month the current business-cycle expansion, which started in June 2009, has reached the 73-month mark. This makes it equal in length to the previous expansion, which lasted from November 2001 to December 2007. Since there are no signs of an imminent recession, it is a good bet that the current expansion will last more…
-
•
Which Inflation Rate Is Relevant For You?
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta offers a customized price index based on demographic characteristics. But for households planning a budget, AIER’s Everyday Price Index may prove more useful.