By Robert Romano Oil consumption in advanced economies in 2014 was at its lowest level since 1995, data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows . Use of petroleum in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations, which includes the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, Japan, and South Korea, peaked in 2006 at 50.1 million […]

By Robert Romano Economic growth in the second quarter has come in at an inflation-adjusted 2.3 percent on an annualized basis, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported on July 30 . Combined with the first quarter’s lousy 0.6 percent growth, the outlook for 2015 as a whole appears quite weak. Just to reach 3 percent growth […]

By Rick Manning Question: When is an American guilty until proven innocent? Answer: When law enforcement confiscates property that is allegedly involved in or acquired through illegal means without benefit of ever having convicted the owner of a crime. The fruits of this process known as civil […]

By Robert Romano Unless you have been living under a rock, you have probably noticed that Donald Trump is running for president as a Republican on an aggressive platform against illegal immigration. After his announcement — in which he said Mexico was sending criminals, rapists, and drug dealers to […]

By Robert Romano Here we go again. Under immense pressure from creditors in the European Union, the Greek parliament has overwhelmingly voted 229 to 64 to accept another €86 billion bailout. As a part of the terms, Greece must raise taxes, increase the retirement age, cut pensions, engage in foreclosures, evictions and liquidation on thousands of […]

By Robert Romano “[M]illennials’ current aversion to marriage and children affects when — or if — they purchase homes. As long as they delay or forego these choices, they are much less likely to want to buy a home, even if they can afford it. Homeownership simply […]

By Robert Romano Since 2005, labor participation in the U.S. — that is, those working or looking for work — has been steadily declining amid the financial crisis and its subsequent recession. As a result, the participation rate, on an unadjusted basis, has declined from an average […]

By Robert Romano “The United States has never lost a dollar of our contribution to the IMF.” That was the U.S. Treasury bragging as recently as March 2014 that no U.S. taxpayer funds had ever been lost on loans made by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which the U.S. backs. So much for that. With Greece’s default on […]

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By Robert Romano Greece has now defaulted on a €1.5 billion payment due to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), becoming the first developed country to ever default to that institution. But whether Greece will remain in the Eurozone is an open question that may be decided July […]