Daily Economy
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Your Retirement Account Balance May Mislead You
I recently read an article from CNN Money about how much you should have saved at different ages in order to be prepared for retirement. This is a popular topic in the financial media; the problem is that I’m not sure it’s doing anyone much good. In this case, I find the opening lines to…
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Fall Foliage Frames AIER’s Historic Campus
It’s peak leaf season here in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, home of AIER’s historic, 110-acre campus. I shot these photos on a recent series of crisp autumn days.
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Increasing Competition May Curb Restaurant Prices
As consumers gradually show a willingness to spend, the cost of one indulgence – eating out at a restaurant – has been getting more expensive over the last year.
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Why Your 401(k) Differs from Fund Performance
The way that a fund calculates performance is probably quite different from the way that you perceive performance.
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Social Security COLA Forecast, Right On the Money
The American Institute for Economic Research has a long history of accurate forecasting on economic matters, such as predicting recessions. Our senior research fellow, Polina Vlaskeno, was once again right on the money when it came to predicting the size of next year’s Social Security cost-of-living adjustment.
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The Housing Market, Still Haunted
Six years after the Great Recession, key parts of the housing market continue to struggle to find momentum, the reasons for which are outlined in the new October edition of Business Conditions Monthly, the American Institute for Economic Research’s bird’s-eye view of the economy. Owning a home has been held up as a key part…
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A Recession Wouldn’t Spread Here Like a Cold
Yesterday, a financial reporter posed a good question to me: Why haven’t the global economic woes caused a recession in this country? Or, why wouldn’t they? It’s hard to look away from the problems in China, Greece and elsewhere. Last week, U.S. News & World Report quoted our report, Business Conditions Monthly, on the possibility…
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Social Security “File and Suspend”: An Example
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote up the case for the “file and suspend” Social Security claiming strategy for married, two-earner households. To recap, the strategy can allow two-earner couples to collect a Social Security spousal benefit for up to four years without compromising long-term benefits. The blog was well-received, but it also brought…
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People Are Using Their Credit Cards More
Here’s one more bit of data that backs up the storyline of the U.S. economy continuing its trajectory of growth. The Federal Reserve on Wednesday released its consumer credit report, showing that the trend of 6 to 7 percent annual growth that started in early 2014 continued in August. The major driver recently has been…
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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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•
Your Retirement Account Balance May Mislead You
I recently read an article from CNN Money about how much you should have saved at different ages in order to be prepared for retirement. This is a popular topic in the financial media; the problem is that I’m not sure it’s doing anyone much good. In this case, I find the opening lines to…
-
•
Fall Foliage Frames AIER’s Historic Campus
It’s peak leaf season here in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, home of AIER’s historic, 110-acre campus. I shot these photos on a recent series of crisp autumn days.
-
•
Increasing Competition May Curb Restaurant Prices
As consumers gradually show a willingness to spend, the cost of one indulgence – eating out at a restaurant – has been getting more expensive over the last year.
-
•
Why Your 401(k) Differs from Fund Performance
The way that a fund calculates performance is probably quite different from the way that you perceive performance.
-
•
Social Security COLA Forecast, Right On the Money
The American Institute for Economic Research has a long history of accurate forecasting on economic matters, such as predicting recessions. Our senior research fellow, Polina Vlaskeno, was once again right on the money when it came to predicting the size of next year’s Social Security cost-of-living adjustment.
-
•
The Housing Market, Still Haunted
Six years after the Great Recession, key parts of the housing market continue to struggle to find momentum, the reasons for which are outlined in the new October edition of Business Conditions Monthly, the American Institute for Economic Research’s bird’s-eye view of the economy. Owning a home has been held up as a key part…
-
•
A Recession Wouldn’t Spread Here Like a Cold
Yesterday, a financial reporter posed a good question to me: Why haven’t the global economic woes caused a recession in this country? Or, why wouldn’t they? It’s hard to look away from the problems in China, Greece and elsewhere. Last week, U.S. News & World Report quoted our report, Business Conditions Monthly, on the possibility…
-
•
Social Security “File and Suspend”: An Example
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote up the case for the “file and suspend” Social Security claiming strategy for married, two-earner households. To recap, the strategy can allow two-earner couples to collect a Social Security spousal benefit for up to four years without compromising long-term benefits. The blog was well-received, but it also brought…
-
•
People Are Using Their Credit Cards More
Here’s one more bit of data that backs up the storyline of the U.S. economy continuing its trajectory of growth. The Federal Reserve on Wednesday released its consumer credit report, showing that the trend of 6 to 7 percent annual growth that started in early 2014 continued in August. The major driver recently has been…
-
•
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,…