Mar 02 Why Don’t We Offer Earlier Retirement Incentives to Open Up Jobs for the Unemployed? Question/Comment: Someone must have already considered this idea for the economic stimulus, but I haven’t heard anything about it: Why don’t we offer earlier retirement incentives for people still working at retirement age because they want to get their maximum… Continue reading
Feb 27 What is the Process for Reprivatization of Banks? Question/Comment: If the banks are nationalized and become healthy again, what is the process for reprivatization? Do stockholders on record as of the date of nationalization have any priorities when the banks are reprivatized? How did Sweden manage this process?… Continue reading
Feb 26 What About the Recession’s Effects on the Arts? Question/Comment: Is there a possibility that you would do a piece on the Brandeis decision to close the Rose Art Museum and sell the collection? I know you’re a graduate, as I am. It strikes me a bad decision… Continue reading
Feb 25 Are We Overreacting to Unemployment Numbers? Question/Comment: In the early ’80’s unemployment was over 10 percent. I’m old enough to remember what the economy was like at that time. It wasn’t pretty given interest rates, but on the other hand we weren’t considering massive government funding… Continue reading
Feb 24 Is There a Connection Between Reducing Taxes and Creating Jobs? By Business Desk Question/Comment: Simple question. President Obama and all members of Congress say the “stimulus bill must contain only monies targeted directly for job creation”. Given that the stimulus bill now has 60 percent allocated for tax reductions, please explain the direct… Continue reading
Feb 23 What Would My Investments Look Like if the Government Nationalized Banks? Question/Comment: I’m retired and considering investing in Citigroup and BAC. However, I keep hearing the word “nationalization.” Would my prospective investment be lost should the Government nationalize Citigroup and… Continue reading
Feb 23 Will the Next Generation Be Better Off? Question/Comment: Will the next generation be better off? Paul Solman: Who knows? But an interesting skeptic is Dallas Salisbury, head of the Employee Benefits Research Institute. I interviewed him recently for a story on what’s known as “the… Continue reading
Feb 20 In Case You Missed It: The Upside of the Downturn On Friday’s NewsHour, Paul Solman examined how some are finding the bright side of the economic downturn. You can listen to the audio or read the transcript of the segment here. ]>… Continue reading
Feb 20 Web Extras: Upside of the Downturn Editor’s Note: On Friday’s NewsHour, we aired another in our series of reports on making sense of the recession. The segment is about the “upside of the downturn,” which looks at the silver lining of the economic slump. Paul Solman:… Continue reading
Feb 20 Why Can’t We Make Better Economic Predictions? Question/Comment: Why isn’t economics more of a science? I’ve seen pundits on TV say the Great Lesson of the Great Depression is to have jobs programs and get people back to work, but other pundits say the Depression would’ve been… Continue reading