Econ70
With passage of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (the fiscal cliff bill), the residential real estate industry dodged a bullet. While Schedule A deductions are phased out for couples with incomes above $300,000, the phaseout is mild. A…
Read MoreIn 2012, hedge funds rose an average of 3% compared to 13.4% for the unmanaged S&P 500. Worse, over the past decade a portfolio of 60% stocks and 40% sovereign bonds returned 90%, while hedge funds eked out a measly…
Read MoreThe Friday File: Skippy Peanut butter, first sold in 1933, has been bought by Hormel Foods of MN from Unilever for $700 million in cash. Skippy, with an 18% market share, is the number two peanut butter brand in the…
Read MoreOnly by pushing off all hard decisions was Congress able to prevent us from going over the fiscal cliff. Now we face Debt Ceiling Battle II which must be resolved by March, a fight over annual spending cuts of $100…
Read MoreBetween 1992 and 2011, violent crime fell by 38%, and the violent crime rate, that is crimes per 100,000 persons, fell by 50%. Similarly, property crimes fell by 27.5% and the property crime rate fell by almost 41%. Motor vehicle…
Read MoreThank You! I want to take this opportunity to thank you all very much for your interest in my daily blog. I wish you and yours all the best for 2013. May it be a year full of employment, good…
Read MoreThe Friday File: Contrary to popular myth, suicide rates actually fall during the holiday season. In 2010, there were 38,364 suicides, making it the 10th leading cause of death with an average of about 105/day. July was the month with…
Read MoreIf Congress doesn’t extend the existing farm bill or pass a new one, milk prices will double. This is because price supports would be based on the 1949 Agriculture Act and would be $38/hundred-weight, as opposed to $20.83 now. Should…
Read MoreThe largest US mall is the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN with 4.2 million square feet (msqft). Next comes the Eastwood Mall Complex in Niles, OH with 3.2 msqft. Rounding out the top five are the South Coast Plaza…
Read MoreInflation, as measured by the Christmas Index, based on purchasing all 12 items in “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, rose 4.8% in 2012 and now stands at $25,431.18. The index rose 3.5% in 2011 and 9.2% in 2010. The most…
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