Topic: Financial Markets

The Fed (Almost) Ruined Black Friday

– March 12, 2024

“A record $1.3 trillion in credit card debt may be masking a weaker economy than the top-line spending numbers suggest, as consumers accrue debt to maintain a standard of living being crushed by rising prices in housing, groceries, and energy.” ~Spence Purnell

READ MORE

Business Conditions Monthly December 2023

– February 21, 2024

“Inflation expectations have edged higher, raising concerns about the erosion of purchasing power and living standards. In the lead-up to the November presidential elections, policymakers and market participants will closely monitor future economic data releases to gauge the trajectory of inflation and its implications for the broader economy.” ~Peter C. Earle

READ MORE

Seize the Means of Production in a Few Easy Steps

– February 12, 2024

“Slow-motion corporate raiding just doesn’t stir the blood like waving a flag and raising a fist at the barricade or building a guillotine outside Jeff Bezos’s house.” ~Art Carden

READ MORE

Check Your Economic Hubris

– January 21, 2024

“No matter how glorious it was for Icarus to fly and how well he thought he could do it, reality has a way of punishing excessive hubris.” ~Joakim Book

READ MORE

The Future of Bitcoin in Light of a Spot ETF

– January 20, 2024

“While the SEC’s long-overdue approval of a Bitcoin spot ETF deserves a bit of celebration, watch out for what’s next. The state apparatus will increasingly treat Bitcoin as a regulated financial product.” ~Emile Phaneuf III

READ MORE

Business Conditions Monthly November 2023

– January 9, 2024

“In light of expectations of falling demand and the increased vulnerability of the US economy to geopolitical shocks, our prediction of a US recession by September 2024 stands.” ~Peter C. Earle

READ MORE

Who’s Winning the Race for Real-Time Payments?

– January 6, 2024

“The extent to which the Federal Reserve will take measures to hold back TCH-RTP’s growth was not yet clear (and maybe it still isn’t). Institutions may be hedging their bets or testing both systems.” ~Nicolás Cachanosky

READ MORE

Business Conditions Monthly October 2023

– December 4, 2023

“While we continue to impartially and vigilantly assess incoming data, our current analysis still points to a recession occurring before September 2024 as the most probable scenario.” ~Peter C. Earle

READ MORE

A Short Guide to ESG: Advocates

– November 29, 2023

“I have categorized organizations by their function and highlighted a few organizations worth knowing in each category, from high-level, broad advocacy to nitty-gritty implementation.” ~Paul Mueller

READ MORE

Business Conditions Monthly September 2023

– November 8, 2023

“While we refrain from providing a specific magnitude for our recession forecast and acknowledge the possibility of inaccuracies or outright error, we maintain our contention that the US will enter an economic recession by September 2024.” ~Peter C. Earle

READ MORE

A Short ESG Guide: Introduction

– November 4, 2023

“What many find most troubling is how much social control will be exerted by undemocratic and anti-market forces with little accountability.” ~Paul Mueller

READ MORE

Get Ready to Kiss Your Credit Card Rewards Goodbye

– September 20, 2023

“The benign-sounding Credit Card Competition Act is a double whammy. It’s not just a threat to my credit card rewards; It’s a violation of my libertarian principles.” ~Jon Miltimore

READ MORE