Dec 17 In Case You Missed It: Low Consumer Confidence Limits Holiday Spending By Business Desk // ]> // ]]> On Tuesday, Dec. 16, Paul Solman looked at the psychological causes and effects of low consumer confidence through the holiday season. Continue reading
Nov 28 Watch Retailers Look to Holiday Season for Needed Sales Boost Amid the shopping frenzy of "Black Friday" -- the traditional after-Thanksgiving kick off to the holiday shopping season -- retailers are looking to holiday sales to boost their sagging balance books. Jeffrey Brown talks to analysts about how the retail… Continue watching
Nov 18 How is the Economy Affecting Your Pocketbook? Paul Solman: In the spirit of turnabout being fair play, I’ve got questions for YOU. All of you. They’re for a TV story I’m doing. As an exclusive bonus for zealous Business Desk readers,… Continue reading
Nov 17 When the Government Issues New Treasury Debt and Puts it into the Banking System, Does That Mean More Dollars in the World, and Thus Inflation? Paul Solman: Several weeks ago, former Fed Chairman and economic boom cheerleader Alan Greenspan said this before Congress: “Those of us who have looked to the self-interest of lending institutions to protect shareholders’ equity, myself included, are in a state… Continue reading
Nov 10 Watch Parties Seek Consensus on New Financial Stimulus Plan Congressional leaders and both President Bush and President-elect Obama have stressed the need for another financial stimulus package to jump-start the stalled economy. Economists weigh in on what steps they would take. Continue watching
Oct 30 Watch Consumers Trim Spending in New Sign of Economic Downturn New data show that consumer spending fell 3.1 percent in the third quarter, its sharpest drop in 28 years. New York Times columnist David Leonhardt examines the latest numbers. Continue watching
Oct 30 U.S. Economy Shrinks as Consumers Slow Spending By Admin, PBS News Hour The Commerce Department reported Thursday the economy shrank at an annual rate of 0.3 percent in the July to September period, indicating that a recession may have already begun. Continue reading
Oct 21 Watch Attempts to Ease Credit Crunch Reveal Mixed Results Several plans have been enacted in recent weeks to loosen the flow of credit and ease the financial crisis. An expert panel evaluates the efforts and the state of the credit sector. Continue watching
Oct 20 Watch Fed Chairman Signals Support for New Stimulus Package Wall Street saw a boost Monday as Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress that a second stimulus bill might help the economy. Experts examine the prospects for a new stimulus plan. Continue watching
Oct 15 Watch After Brief Euphoria in Markets, Investors Sell Amid Weak Sales, Rising Prices Following a brief upswing in world markets this week, investors and analysts see growing signs of a global recession in weak earnings and troubling manufacturing figures. Economists discuss the ongoing problems and the forces driving them. Continue watching