Labor/Economy
Economy Watch: World Economy Still Roiled
The world economy continues to be vexed by the disaster in Japan; the Fed remains optimistic about quantitative easing; and Americans are pessimistic about retirement.
Economy Watch: Japanese Disaster Reverberates Worldwide
The damage to Japan is widespread, with ripples affecting numerous facets of finance and industry. And hackers at Anonymous are accusing Bank of America of playing dirty with homeowners insurance.
Economy Watch: Quake’s Economic Impact Hard to Gauge
In the wake of the tragedy in Japan, the Bank of Japan pumps money into the country’s financial system; inflation is on consumer’s minds; and the SEC has issued the former head of Fannie Mac a Wells Notice.
PODCAST: Economy Watch Weekly with Dees Stribling
For the week ending March 11, retail spending was up, partly due to the payroll tax cut and partly due to increased borrowing. A quarter of residential mortgages are underwater; state attorneys general are attempting to revise foreclosure practices; and we wait to see if the price of oil will derail the recovery.
Economy Watch: Foreclosures Down For Now
Foreclosures dipped in February; state unemployment rates were generally unchanged in January; and home prices are trending downward.
Economy Watch: Hong Kong Boasts Top RE Billionaires
On Forbes’ list of billionaires, Hong Kong boasts the top real estate developers; the House votes on bills to do away with housing and development programs, even though the bills won’t pass the Senate; and oil still muddies the financial picture.
Economy Watch: More Residential Borrowers Underwater in 4Q
Twenty-three percent of U.S. residential mortgages are underwater; AARP has filed suit against HUD for its handling of reverse mortgages; and there are more Subways in the world than McDonald’s.
Economy Watch: Attorneys General Want Banks to Change Foreclosure Practices
State attorneys general are engaging in talks with top mortgage-originating banks over robo-signing and other nefarious foreclosure practices; a Conference Board employment index shows a pickup in jobs; and consumers are borrowing more.
Economy Watch: Employment Report Good, but with Nagging Doubts
More jobs were added to the work force in February; Green Street reports that CRE values continue to climb back toward pre-crash levels; and while gas prices spike, should we also be worried about inflation?