Residential real estate commissions typically are 6%, split between buyer and seller agents. Importantly, the seller pays the commission to both agents. If the seller offered less, selling agents wouldn’t show the home. Thus, commissions stay high, but the median Realtor earned just $49,000 in 2018. … [Read more...]

One reason wage growth has been weak is the rise of non-compete clauses in employment contracts. The percentage of US workers who have signed a non-compete is now 20%! Not surprisingly it’s 40% for those with professional degrees, and 30% for workers with a MA. But it’s 25% for those with a BA, and … [Read more...]

The Friday File: In addition to US politics becoming increasingly tribal, so is our shopping! While the CNN (Democrats), Fox (Republicans) viewership divide is well known, the NBA is now 50% more popular among Democrats than Republicans. By contrast, NASCAR is twice as popular among Republicans. … [Read more...]

The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621, and President Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday on 10/3/1863. 96% of Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, and along the way we spend $550 million buying turkeys. The first Thanksgiving college football game took place in 1876; the first … [Read more...]

In 1940, the percentage of children who earned more than their parents by age 30 was 92%. The percentage fell to 80% by 1950, and from 1960-1975 it held at 60%. It’s since continued to fall and is now 50%. There are several reasons for the decline. GDP growth has slowed as our economy has matured … [Read more...]

While taxing billionaires is now very chic, the notion that they are the result of bad/failed government policy is wrong. It heavily depends on the competitiveness of the market. Google and Facebook are monopolists and earn excessive profits as competition has failed, moreover, those firms have … [Read more...]

The Friday File: The average dollar bill lasts 5.8 years. The average $5 bill, 5.5 years, while the $10 bill lasts just 4.5 years, less than any other note. $20s average 7.9 years, $50 bills last a slightly longer 8.5 years. The longest lifespan, the C-note at 15 years. The Bureau of Printing and … [Read more...]

If the US-China trade war does not worsen and President Trump doesn’t increase tariffs on Chinese imports on 12/15/19, the trade war’s negative impact on GDP here and China should end by 12/31/20. The cumulative reduction in Chinese GDP is likely to be about 0.75% or about $105 billion, and about … [Read more...]

With manufacturing, capital spending by firms, transportation, agriculture, and energy all weak, the relatively good October housing starts were particularly pleasing. Starts were up 8.5% Y-o-Y, are at their second-best level since 5/18, and single-family starts have been rising since May. … [Read more...]