Feb 24 Consumer Confidence Plunges to Record Low By Admin, PBS News Hour A private research group announced Tuesday that consumer confidence sank to a record low in February. Meanwhile, Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke told Congress the U.S. economy is suffering a "severe contraction."… 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 Watch Regulators Signal New Moves for Shoring Up Banks Federal regulators vowed Monday to assist struggling banks by increasing the government's ownership stakes while an Obama spokesman said the president supports a private banking system. A financial reporter discusses the deepening crisis amid large market losses. Continue watching
Feb 19 Watch The Amazing Adventures of 'Savings Man' In the latest of his series of reports on the financial crisis, Paul Solman speaks to the founder of an organization funding creative public service ads on saving money. Continue watching
Feb 13 In Case You Missed It: Society's Ability to Weather Crisis Largely Depends on Leaders' Positions By Business Desk As the country struggles through an economic crisis, Paul Solman talked to author Jared Diamond about his book “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed” on Friday’s NewsHour. Read the transcript here. // ]> // ]]>… Continue reading
Feb 13 If Our Economy is More Global, Does That Change Our Strategies? Editor’s Note: Paul recently answered “Five Good Questions” on the economy for the PBS Engage blog. You will also be able to find those answers here on the Business Desk all week. Question/Comment:… Continue reading
Feb 10 Are Companies Able to Function Without Loans? Note from Paul Solman: We haven’t had a “guest vetter” here at the Business Desk for some months. But interviewing MIT’s Simon Johnson the other day for a piece on ‘good bank… Continue reading
Feb 03 Was the Wall Street Money Real or Imagined? Question/Comment: Could you explain where all the money went that supposedly vanished during the Wall Street meltdown? Who has it? Was it imaginary or did it really exist? Paul Solman: All Wall Street values are imaginary. All money is imaginary. Continue reading
Jan 30 Watch Value's Meaning Shines Through as Economy Falters In this time of economic crisis, essayist Anne Taylor Fleming reflects on how difficult it is to gauge the real value of things. Continue watching
Jan 22 Is There An "Economic Event" That Will Change the Economics Profession? Question/Comment: Dear Mr. Solman, Is there an “economic event”, or re-discovery of economic history that can impact the incredible ideological stranglehold on the economics “profession?” In my opinion we have sacrificed rigorous econometrics on the altar of existence theorems, Diophantine… Continue reading