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December existing housing sales slid to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 3.87 million, the lowest level since 8/10 and the end of the second round of ill-fated congressionally enacted first-time homebuyer incentives. Excluding that, 12/23 was the worst month…

For pre-Covid year ending 2/20, interest payments totaled $550 billion and the average interest rate on all outstanding U.S. Treasuries was 2.4%. Interest payments and the average interest rate paid both bottomed out for the year ending 1/22 at $320…

Recent data show boosting capital investment in public schools raises student test scores and nearby home prices. Conversely, investment in basic school infrastructure such as HVAC or the removal of pollutants to improve student health/safety boosts test scores but not…

The Friday File: In 2023, of the 100 most watched broadcasts, NFL football accounted for an astonishing 93! Moreover, of the remaining seven sports, three were college football and one was the Super-Bowl Lead-Out (a coveted slot immediately following the…

In 1981, the median age of a first-time home buyer was 29, and the average age of a repeat buyer was 36. In 2001, the median ages were, respectively, 32 and 45. In 2022, during the Covid pandemic, and after…

In 10/22, 63% of economists thought there would be a recession within 12 months. In 1/23, the percentage fell to 61%, where it remained in 4/23. In 7/23, it fell to 54%, and in 10/23 it declined to 48%, sub-50%!…

The winners of the 2024 federal elections will face consequential decisions regarding whether to extend Trump’s tax cuts that expire after 2025. Republicans wish to extend them, costing Treasury $4 trillion over a decade. Democrats propose extending the cuts to…

For office workers, 5.6% of full-time and hybrid workers received a promotion in 2023, compared to 3.9% for fully remote employees, with no difference in promotion rates between hybrid and full-time. Relatedly, female software engineers at Fortune 500 firms who…

The Friday File: In 2019, The NFL generated revenues of $15.3 billion, Major Leage Baseball $10.7 billion, the NBA $8.8 billion, and the English Premier (Soccer) League $6.6 billion. These are the world’s four largest revenue generating professional leagues. However,…

Pre-Covid, shrink (a fancy word for retail store theft) was about $50 billion/year and 1.4% of retail sales. In 2021, shrink rose to $94 billion but declined to 1.4% of retail sales with less in-person shopping. Since then, it’s steadily…