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Newsletter
Then and now: Fed policy actions during the great depression and great recession
Although the recent Great Recession was severe, its financial impact never paralleled that of the Great Depression. The November Newsletter compares these two economic downturns and shows how lessons learned in the Great Depression helped current Federal Reserve policymakers stabilize the economy during the recent economic crisis.
Newsletter
The economic cost of war
It is difficult to measure the cost of the Iraq war and related expenses; it is at least as difficult to decide exactly what costs to measure. The May 2008 issue compares the two most widely cited estimates: one from the Congressional Budget Office and the other from researchers Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes. The newsletter also compares these estimates to U.S. GDP over the same time frame to get a better sense of the war's cost in relation to the entire U.S. economy.
Newsletter
What does foreclosure entail?
The FDIC estimates that an additional 4 to 5 million mortgages could enter foreclosure over the next two years. How did this happen, and what can be done to improve the situation? The April 2009 Newsletter offers some insights and further resources on the foreclosure situation.
Newsletter
The U.S. deficit outlook March 2010
For years, economists have debated the wisdom of increasing government spending during recessions. On the one hand, increased spending adds to budget deficits, but on the other, increased spending can stimulate the economy during a downturn, thus speeding recovery. Deficits topped $1.4 trillion in the latest recession?which raises two questions: "How big is 'too big' in terms of spending?" and "What are the long-term consequences?" The March 2010 Newsletter offers some insights into this timely topic.
Newsletter
What do financial market indicators tell us?
To those unfamiliar with financial and economic lingo, the terms bandied about in the news can sometimes make no sense. The January 2012 Liber8 Newsletter, "What Do Financial Market Indicators Tell Us?" offers some help with explanations of common terms. The essay is accompanied by a table of terms, definitions, and the significance of each to the broader economy.
Newsletter
The U.S. personal saving rate
This month's newsletter focuses on the low and declining U.S. personal saving rate. As measured by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the U.S. personal saving rate fell into negative territory during the third quarter of 2005 and has remained close to zero since then.
Newsletter
Big-box retail and its impact on local communities
What is the local impact of big-box retail? Some states have begun to reconsider whether the benefits of such development are worth the costs to local communities.
Newsletter
The ins and outs of unemployment insurance
Although the economy is rebounding, the unemployment rate remains high and private sector job gains remain weak. economists debate whether extending unemployment benefits keep unemployment artificially high by discouraging work.
Newsletter
What is a recession?
The past year has seen much debate about whether the United States is officially in (or not in) a recession (it is). But just what is a recession? Who decides that fact and how? Or, in other words, what actually makes a recession a recession? Read the February 2009 Newsletter for all the details.
Newsletter
Executive compensation and market risks
Some U.S. taxpayers were angry and felt betrayed when financial company executives received large bonuses in the midst of the 2008-09 financial crisis. These executives headed some of the same firms whose risky practices contributed to the crisis?and then later received billions of dollars in government bailouts. Who makes the changes in executive compensation policies and regulations to avoid such risks in the future? Read the February 2010 Newsletter for answers and interesting insights.