Feb 19 If excess liquidity has caused these investments that are now going bad, how does the Fed increasing liquidity with lower interest rates help the economy? Question/Comment: If excess liquidity has caused these investments that are now going bad, how does the Fed increasing liquidity with lower interest rates help the economy? Paul Solman: Because it prevents the system from freezing up entirely. It’s a calculated… Continue reading
Feb 18 Watch Democrats Stump for Support Before Wisconsin Vote Democratic presidential candidates Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton -- still locked in a battle for delegates -- are jockeying for voter support before Tuesday's Wisconsin primary. Two journalists discuss the state of the race in the Badger State. Continue watching
Feb 15 It’s been a long time since I took Econ. 101, but as I remember, if you keep printing ever-greater amounts of currency, inflation takes on a life of its own. Question/Comment: It’s been a long time since I took Econ. 101, but as I remember, if you keep printing ever-greater amounts of currency, inflation takes on a life of its own. Isn’t that what we’ve been doing at the rate… Continue reading
Feb 11 Where is the Fed rate cut felt in the economy? Question/Comment: A Fed rate cut presumably has a cost; where is that felt? Paul Solman: Encouraging folks who made bad decisions before – invested stupidly, say, in mortgage-backed securities – to invest stupidly again, since the Fed will bail them… Continue reading
Feb 08 If the Dow Jones goes up by 200 points how are these 200 points measured? Question/Comment: If the Dow Jones goes up by 200 points how are these 200 points measured? Paul Solman: Roughly, the sum of the stock prices of the 30 companies in the Dow Jones industrial average, companies chosen as the biggest… Continue reading
Jan 28 Watch President Bush’s 2008 State of the Union Address President Bush delivered his last formal State of the Union address Monday night, seeking to ease American anxieties over the economy and detail recent progress in Iraq. Following is the text of President Bush's 2008 State of the Union Address,… Continue watching
Jan 28 How effective have stimulus packages been in the past? Question/Comment: How effective have past stimulus packages been at achieving their objectives and their impact against the estimated consequence of taking no active stimulating role? Paul Solman: Depends what you mean by “achieving their objectives.” Last time around, people spent… Continue reading
Jan 23 I always hear about the Chinese keeping their currency at an artificial rate to help exports. Where would the cost of doing that show up? Question/Comment: I always hear about the Chinese keeping their currency at an artificial rate to help exports, but I know from trying to hold a lid on a boiling pot that the pressure is going to come out somewhere. If… Continue reading
Jan 17 Watch Amid Economic Woes, Push Intensifies for Stimulus Package President Bush spoke with congressional leaders Thursday about an economic rescue package as Fed chief Ben Bernanke testified on Capitol Hill that it is "critically important" that a stimulus effort take effect quickly. Members of the House budget panel detail… Continue watching
Jan 17 Quick Implementation Best for Economic Boost, Fed Chair Says By Admin, PBS News Hour Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke told lawmakers Thursday it is "critically important" that an economic stimulus package take effect quickly to ward off a recession, recommending the government get cash into peoples' hands as soon as possible. Continue reading