By Robert Romano In real terms, once adjusting for inflation, the U.S. economy in the first quarter contracted by 1 percent. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis , the drop was fueled by “negative contributions from private inventory investment, exports, nonresidential fixed investment, state and local government spending, and residential fixed investment that […]

By Rick Manning “Playing with fire,” is how the International Monetary Fund’s chief economist, Oliver Blanchard characterized the United Kingdom’s budget cutting policies a year ago.  Today, the UK has the most robust economic growth of any of the G7 economies at 2.9 percent this year. This […]

By Rick Manning Trade policy discussions often end up in debates between perceived winners and losers with big businesses anxious to enter new markets pushing for “free trade” and protectionists arguing to restrict foreign made products into the country. Agricultural trade policy is dramatically murkier with debates […]

By Tom Toth Five years into Obama’s presidency, the United States looks very different than it did in years past. Over 10.2 million American men between the ages of 25-54 — about seventeen percent of that age group — are not currently working. Two thirds of them have given […]

By Dave Cribbin In any profession, prescription without diagnosis is malpractice and that includes the profession of Economics. Just as there is no need to cure people who have red hair, income inequality isn’t an ailment; it is a sign that free markets are properly […]

By Dave Cribbin While the phony “war on women” rages in the headlines of the main stream media, the real war, the one being conducted against American Businesses by a slew of Government agencies, goes largely unreported. Crack economic writers place the blame for a […]

By Robert Romano “The full faith and credit of the United States is pledged to the payment of all amounts from the Mortgage Insurance Fund which may be required to be paid under any insurance provided under this title.” That is the text of legislation that has […]

By Robert Romano Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on May 13 sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) warning that he was placing a hold on of three nominees to serve as governors of the Federal Reserve . The nominees are Stanley Fischer for vice chairman, and Lael Brainard and Jerome Powell for the board of governors. Paul is demanding consideration of […]

By Robert Romano Flying under the radar last week was a reauthorization of the $16.4 billion Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), which passed easily in the House of Representatives 297 to 117 on May 8 . A majority of House Republicans, 116, actually voted against the bill. Only 106 Republicans supported it, led by Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.). But then again, who needs Republicans to pass these […]

By Robert Romano Since the great inflation of the 1970s, interest rates have been on an historic 30-year down trend — a collapse that many wonder if it will continue indefinitely. Particularly, 30-year fixed rate mortgages peaked annually in 1981 at about 16.6 percent, hitting a bottom […]