The Fed’s QE3 and the Bank-Stock Connection

The Federal Reserve’s third round of Quantitative Easing, that massive stimulus program intended to boost the economy in the years following the housing collapse of 2008, officially ended in October 2014. But as the dust settles, some financial experts point out that...

Can Big Banks Be Trusted With Pensions?

The biggest players in the US banking industry have been on the hot seat ever since the housing collapse of 2008 exposed a number of misleading, predatory and downright illegal practices perpetrated both at home and abroad. Now, as another round of penalties come down...

China’s New Silk Road Challenges the West

The Silk Road, that ancient and mystical trade route that brought Asian silks and spices all the way to Europe, has long been the subject of story and song. But now, a new initiative by the Chinese government aims to revive the Silk Road’s storied route in a bid for...

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: Still On Top in Home Loans?

Ever since the great housing collapse of 2008, legislators and regulators have tried to scale back – or even eliminate – federal mortgage megalenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. But as new regulations n private lenders, the agencies everyone loves to hate just keep on...

How Does the Fed Manage Inflation?

Cycles of inflation and its opposite number deflation have been part of the American financial landscape for well over a century. While some of these cycles are affected by outside events such as wartime, what many consumers don’t know is that our very own central...

Inflation Rate Models Make a Difference

Inflation is a word that strikes dread into the hearts of American consumers, who know that when it’s headed their way, their hard earned dollars will buy less. But different models of measuring inflation can make a big difference in how scary those numbers can be....

What’s Behind the World’s Debt Crisis?

On one spring day in late April 2014, the world’s debt clock checked in at a staggering $60, 656, 668, 640,014. That number changes by the minute, as do the totals for interest accrued – over $1,000 every minute. The world is deep in debt – and becoming more indebted...

The Wizard of Oz: An Economic Fairy Tale?

And all along, you thought The Wizard of Oz was a delightful children’s adventure, brought to life on the big screen in that famous movie starring Judy Garland. But in the years since the movie put the beloved L Frank Baum story into the cultural fabric of American...

Do Currency Wars Drive World Economies?

The major powers may rattle sabers and troops and weapons may move in places all around the globe, but there’s another, quieter kind of war that has the power to make or break economies. Global “currency wars” like the one we’re In right now affect rates of exchange,...