May 02 Watch New Federal Rules Target Deceptive Credit Card Practices The Federal Reserve proposed new credit card regulations Friday in response to growing rancor over credit practices that are widely regarded as unfair and deceptive. Robin Farzad of BusinessWeek Magazine explains the details and possible effects. Continue watching
May 02 Labor Dept. Report Shows Fewer Jobs Lost in April By Admin, PBS News Hour Employers cut fewer jobs in April than in recent months and the unemployment rate dropped to 5 percent, the Labor Department announced Friday. Continue reading
Apr 30 Watch Fed Cuts Rate Again in Latest Bid to Shore Up Economy The Federal Reserve cut a key interest rate by a quarter point Wednesday, bringing the federal funds rate down to its lowest level since late 2004. The move is intended to help address the ongoing housing slump and credit crunch. Continue watching
Apr 30 Federal Reserve Trims Key Interest Rate By Admin, PBS News Hour In a smaller move than in past months, the Federal Reserve cut a key interest rate by a quarter percentage point Wednesday in what could be the last in a line of reductions aimed at boosting an economy hit hard… Continue reading
Apr 29 Watch Supply, Price of Food Increase Hardship for World’s Poor Food shortages and price spikes have combined to wreak havoc within the world's poorest nations. Ray Suarez examines the causes and effects of the food crises and speaks with the Washington Post's Anthony Faiola about his recent trip to Mauritania. Continue watching
Apr 29 Will oil ever be priced in a currency other than dollars? Question/Comment: Has there been a shift from petrodollars to petroeuros in world energy trading? I read that such a shift would result in less demand for the dollar, resulting in a drop in the dollar's value. Paul Solman: "Petrodollars" was… Continue reading
Apr 29 Can Fed come up with a better system for encouraging long-term savings? By Business Desk Question/Comment: I inherited some money, retired, and moved to Portland, Ore. Now that I have money in the bank, and the Fed has been lowering interest rates, I've been wondering exactly how our banking system actually works. When the Fed… Continue reading
Apr 29 Number of Homes Headed to Foreclosure Doubles By Admin, PBS News Hour The number of U.S. homes headed toward foreclosure in the first quarter of the year more than doubled from the same period a year ago, a real estate data firm announced Tuesday. Continue reading
Apr 25 Medicare’s trust fund to run out by 2019? Then what? Question/Comment: Typically the Paul Solman features on the NewsHour are always among the show's most trenchant and perceptive. That is why I have been hoping that you could do a feature explaining the present financial situation of the Medicare Program. Continue reading
Apr 25 Doesn’t Bear Sterns hiding of their problems while continuing to sell mortgage-backed securities as if all was well constitute fraud? Question/Comment: Bear Sterns did not go under overnight. Unless they are incompetent, the executives must have known what was happening for at least a year, maybe longer. So how come they took hundreds of millions in salary and bonuses (maybe… Continue reading