The Federal Reserve is expected to leave interest rates at a record low this week. The big question is whether Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues will hint about when they will reverse course and start boosting rates.
Plans for reeling in the unprecedented amount of money the Fed has plowed into the economy to bolster [...]
Archive for the ‘Global Economy’ Category
Fed is expected to leave rates at record low
December 15th, 2009 by Financial Writer
Tags: boosting rates, economy recovery, fed, Federal Reserve, interest rates
more...Bipartisan budget group says deficit curbs needed
December 14th, 2009 by Financial Writer
A bipartisan group of former lawmakers and budget officials called on Congress and President Barack Obama Monday to commit to reining in trillion-dollar plus budget deficits to avoid dragging down the economy.
Policymakers must take steps next year to enact policies to stabilize the debt at 60 percent of the size of the economy to avoid [...]
Tags: barack obama, bipartisan, lawmakers, policymakers, us economy
Japan business mood up more than forecast
December 14th, 2009 by Financial Writer
Japanese business confidence edged up more than expected in the three months to December but remained negative for the sixth quarter in a row, a Bank of Japan survey showed, as the economy slowly recovers from its worst postwar recession.
The headline index for big manufacturers’ sentiment was minus 24 in December, improving from minus 33 [...]
Tags: bank of japan, global financial crisis, japan's economy, japanese business, recession
Economic reports raise hopes for global recovery
December 12th, 2009 by Financial Writer
Just in time for Christmas, the fragile economic recovery is showing signs of strengthening: Consumers are spending, companies are rebuilding stockpiles and Chinese exports are mounting a comeback.
Data released Friday eased some worries about Americans’ willingness to spend this holiday season. But stores remain worried that they may have to offer deeper discounts than planned, [...]
Tags: economic reports, economy struggling, global recovery, increase economists, unemployment
Economy gets tidings of hope for holidays
December 11th, 2009 by Financial Writer
Retail sales rose more than expected in November, boosting hopes that the all-important consumer sector will support the fragile recovery.
Signs of a strengthening global recovery emerged Friday, with consumers boosting retail sales, companies restoring stockpiles and Chinese exports mounting a comeback.
The reports heightened hopes that consumers are starting to feel more comfortable about opening their [...]
Tags: economy, holidays, increase economists, retail sales, us economic
Share some financial lessons with these gift ideas
December 10th, 2009 by Financial Writer
While others are blowing their holiday budgets, you can set an example and send a message by giving a gift with a focus on personal finance.
The economic downturn highlights the importance of understanding money matters, and there are items available for every age group that can help teach important concepts.
The important thing is to make [...]
Tags: economic, financial education, financial lessons, holiday budgets, money choices
Costco 1Q profit edges higher, sales climb
December 10th, 2009 by Financial Writer
A strong turnaround in a key sales figure and rising revenue despite lower gasoline prices helped Costco Wholesale Corp. post a slight increase in its fiscal first-quarter profit on Thursday.
The nation’s largest wholesale-club operator has been helped by sales of food and everyday items to recession-weary consumers during the economic downturn, but has recently seen [...]
Tags: costco, financial meltdown, recession, us warehouse, wholesale
House passes tax hike for investment managers
December 9th, 2009 by Financial Writer
The House voted Wednesday to slap higher taxes on Wall Street investment managers to help pay to extend $31 billion in tax breaks for Americans, including popular deductions for local and state sales and property taxes.
The 45 tax deductions and credits for businesses and individuals are scheduled to expire at year’s end. The House voted [...]
Tags: businesses, businesses finance, investment managers, real estate
Slow growth and high unemployment for U.S. in 2010: report
December 9th, 2009 by Financial Writer
Low interest rates will prevail through most of next year as the U.S. economy expands modestly and the unemployment rate remains stuck in double digits, the UCLA Anderson Forecast group said on Wednesday.
“Specifically, we forecast that after growing at 2.8 percent in the most recent and current quarters, real GDP growth will settle into a [...]
Tags: central bank, Federal Reserve, great depression, interest rates, unemployment, us economy
Obama packs political punch into economic speech
December 8th, 2009 by Financial Writer
President Barack Obama packed an economic speech with a political punch on Tuesday, blaming Republicans for creating high deficits, mismanaging bank bailouts and obstructing efforts to reform healthcare.
Obama, a Democrat, announced new measures to spur job growth, but he spent a good chunk of his speech defending his record and tarring the opposition party for [...]
Tags: Debt, economic speech, economic trends, packs political, unemployment