Econ70

Last week President Trump said he hoped the Fed would stop raising rates. Bad comment. Markets value central bank independence, and Trump’s comment could easily backfire. The Fed may raise rates earlier than planned to assert independence, and if conditions…

The Friday File: there are roughly 360,000 billboards in the USA. The most expensive is the largest billboard in New York’s Times Square, which measures 25,000 square feet and rents for $2.5 million/month. The largest billboard in the world is…

While June housing starts and permits were disappointing, these data are very volatile, and YTD starts remain up 7.8%; good given the headwinds this sector faces. More interestingly, a key reason the current expansion is now in its tenth year…

FICO scores are determined as follows: payment history is 35%, prompt is best; amount owed counts for 30%, less is best. Length of credit history is 15%, longer is better. Credit mix is 10%, varied debt types are superior to…

When tariffs are imposed on imported goods, a big loser is. . . exporters! As we reduce imports from, say, Canada, Canada’s economy and currency weaken, and its’ imports from us decline. And, if, as desired, the tariff boosts domestic…

In yet another sign of labor market tightness, the percentage of persons who quit their jobs in May was 2.4%, the highest level since January 2001, and higher than the 2.2% attained during the peak of the Housing Boom. 2.4%…

The Friday File: In 2013, coca-plant production in Colombia bottomed at 119,000 acres. It’s since skyrocketed to 361,000 acres and Columbia now accounts for 68% of global coca plant production, a new high. Not to be left out, opium-poppy production…

North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests. While that does not sound like many, only five nations have conducted more such tests since 1945. The US leads the way with 1,032 tests, followed by Russia/USSR with 715, France with 210…

Judge Brett Kavanaugh will, whenever possible, vote to rein in federal agencies and their vast and growing rulemaking authority, absent clear congressional authorization. This includes regulations on housing, net neutrality, global warming, credit card fees, labor laws, and much more.…

Already announced trade tariffs should reduce GDP by 0.1% at peak impact in mid-2019. If widened to include all proposed tariffs including autos, a 10% tariff on $400 billion of Chinese goods and equivalent retaliation, the temporary maximum hit to…