Jul 05 Fannie Mae: What's Politics Got to Do With it? By Paul Solman // 'Protecting Its Fannie: How Mortgage Giant Primed the Bubble, Covered Its Assets.' Paul Solman answers questions from NewsHour viewers and web users on business and economic news most days on his Making Sen$e page. Here's Tuesday's… Continue reading
Jul 01 Joseph Stiglitz, Barney Frank Respond to 'Reckless Endangerment' Allegations By Paul Solman Friday on the NewsHour, New York Times finance specialist Gretchen Morgenson and co-author Josh Rosner, a longtime housing analyst, talk about their new bestseller, "Reckless Endangerment" (no. 17 on the Times list this week). The book is a… Continue reading
Jun 30 Troubled By Our Pension Post? Here's Our Response By Paul Solman // Watch Paul Solman's report, 'Is Your Pension Safe? States Struggle With Pricey Challenges.' Paul Solman answers questions from NewsHour viewers and web users on business and economic news most days on his Making Sen$e page. Here's Thursday's query:… Continue reading
Jun 29 As IMF's New Chief, Will Lagarde 'Keep Smiling'? By Paul Solman Christine Lagarde was nominated Wednesday to head the IMF. Photo by Dominique Charriau/Getty Images. So the synchronized French swim champ with accent-free English whom we interviewed last summer in Paris, Christine Lagarde, will run the IMF. What did we… Continue reading
Jun 27 Some Very Specific Mortgage Questions -- and Answers By April Brown Paul Solman answers questions from NewsHour viewers and web users on business and economic news. Paul addresses three queries on housing in Monday's post. Continue reading
Jun 24 Making Sense: Sneak Peek At a Rust Belt Success Story By Paul Solman A welder at Lincoln Electric. Photo by Jared Manders. We shot footage for an upcoming piece recently at arc welding manufacturer Lincoln Electric. The company, which we last visited back in 1992, is an improbable Rust Belt success… Continue reading
Jun 23 Making Sense: Is China's Economic Progress In Trouble? By Paul Solman Stephen Roach of Morgan Stanley and now Yale, and author of the book "The Next Asia," has long been among the most astute and independent of economic forecasters. He has also spent much of the past decade… Continue reading
Jun 22 Can Investment Assumptions Worsen the State Pension Fund Crisis? By Diane Lincoln Estes Well, no. Investment assumptions themselves don't worsen the crisis, but as we explain in our story on Rhode Island on Wednesday's broadcast, decisions about pension fund investment assumptions can mean higher taxes, lower pensions and bitter politics. Why?… Continue reading
Jun 21 Mad Hatter v. Baaad Hatter: You Voted and the Winner Is... By Paul Solman ...that Hero of Haberdashery, Champ of Chapeaux, el Senor de Sombreros and Fliest of Fedoras -- my hat! In a poll so scientific Bill Nye might turn green with envy, the Making Sen$e readership has spoken as one. Well,… Continue reading
Jun 13 Self-Controlled Kids Prosper as Adults: 'Fatalistically Depressing'? By April Brown A study found that self-control at age 3 predicts financial competence in adulthood. But does that finding make researchers fatalistically depressed or tremendously encouraged?… Continue reading