Mar 26 Who Was Buying Stocks as the Market Crashed? Question: At the stock exchange, every time someone sells stock, someone else is buying it. Last fall, when the Dow dropped from 16,000 to 8,000, mutual funds, retirement funds, insurance companies, etc. were selling. Who was buying? Who owns all… Continue reading
Mar 25 Can We Bring Back Jobs by Retooling Factories? Question: You recently had a segment about the loss of jobs in Elkhart, Ind. I was watching it on KRCB, a station that was not having a pledge drive that day. To fill… Continue reading
Mar 25 Can the Dow Fall Into Negative Numbers? By Business Desk Question: My high school daughter asked me a question I can’t answer. Can the Dow fall to zero or into negative numbers? Paul Solman: Ah, at last. A question I can definitively answer: ABSOLUTELY… Continue reading
Mar 24 Who Qualifies as Middle Class These Days? Question: What dollar figure or income is in mind when all the politicians and news media speak of the middle class? Who is the middle class at this point in time? Paul Solman: “Middle class” has long been a fuzzy… Continue reading
Mar 23 The Toxic Asset Plan Explained By Business Desk After the Treasury Department released its plan today to rid banks of so-called “toxic assets” by enticing private investors to partner with the government, Paul Solman answered questions on the basics of the plan. What exactly are… Continue reading
Mar 23 Should the Government Break Up Big Banks Into Smaller Ones? Question: Can the government loan the FDIC money (which banks will pay back through the FDIC) to take over Citibank and Bank of America, et al., pay off… Continue reading
Mar 20 How Worried Are You About the National Debt? Question: How concerned should we be about (1) our level of national debt and (2) China holding a large portion of our national debt? Paul Solman: These are among the great debates of our time, of course. Short-term,… Continue reading
Mar 20 Should the U.S. Adopt the German Auto Plan? Question: I am curious how you believe we should balance helping big companies with also helping their customers. The number one basic business principle is: Businesses don’t do well without customers. Solution: Provide customers. Here’s a case in… Continue reading
Mar 19 Interest Rates on Credit Cards Are Going Up. Won’t That Further Hurt Average Joes? Question: About four weeks ago, my Chase credit card informed me that the interest rate on my current balance was changing from 5.99 fixed to 10.99 variable so that Chase could “maintain profitability” on my account. I knew that I… Continue reading
Mar 19 Is the Federal Reserve Public or Private? By Business Desk Question: Is the Federal Reserve “federal” as the name implies, or is it as “federal as Federal Express,” meaning a private, for-profit corporation? I’ve heard it both ways and would like the answer clarified by a hard-hitting reporter whose willing… Continue reading