Category : The Brief Homepage

Most talk of an “October surprise” is focused on the U.S. Presidential election, but the International Monetary Fund may have beaten political operatives to the punch. In its October Financial Stability Report, the IMF painted a picture that should send a chill down the spine of consumers, investors and governmental officials with any lingering concerns […]Read More

While the headlines after the Federal Reserve Board’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting in September focused on the first interest rate cut since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, that wasn’t the main message from the central bank. In its usual convoluted way, the Fed seemed to be signaling there is solid ground for […]Read More

The dockworkers strike has the financial press spinning tales of logistical and supply chain problems raining on the economy’s soft landing just in time for the holidays. While the labor unrest will certainly produce headwinds for the recovery – particularly in those areas from Maine to Texas that rely on those containers moving in and […]Read More

When Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor said goodbye to city life for the land spreading out so far and wide, they didn’t know they were part of a demographic shift. But the plot of the 1960s sitcom “Green Acres” was a lot closer to the truth than its creators imagined. According to a recent report […]Read More

After months of speculation and not a little exasperation, the Federal Reserve Board seems poised to finally lower the federal funds rate. While Federal Open Market Committee members and other Fed officials have been circumspect about the likelihood of an interest-rate cut, Fed Chair Jerome Powell let the cat out of the proverbial bag in […]Read More

While pop culture enthusiasts scour social media to find “the song of the summer,” on the economic and financial front there is one clear winner. But don’t look for it on your curated feed. For this one, you have to reach back a little. With consumers, economists and Wall Street prognosticators betting the house on […]Read More

Warning labels are everywhere. From the serious “Beware of Dog” sign on a neighbor’s fence or skull-and-crossbones on a carton of some toxic substance to the ironic notice to never iron or steam fabrics whilst they are being worn – and everything in between. If the recent announcement from the U.S. Department of Commerce on […]Read More

If content is king in mass media, context is the power behind the throne. With the Federal Reserve Board’s Federal Open Market Committee set to meet at the end of the month, speculation is again heating up on the likelihood of a cut in interest rates. And a prime source for those rhetorical flights of […]Read More