– by New Deal democrat My “Weekly Indicators” post is up at Seeking Alpha. This is a good time for a reminder that very little of the high frequency data has been affected by the federal government shutdown, because almost all of it comes from the Fed or regional Feds, States, and private sources. That data continues […]

– by New Deal democrat Wow, some actual new economic data on which to report – how refreshing! To be clear, the only reason this was reported is that it was necessary for the calculation of the annual cost of living increases to Social Security checks. Had these been frozen there would have been a “million […]

If you were thinking an increase in inflation was not going to happen. I can not imagine why you would think such. We have a president who is ill-equipped mentally to tackle a nation such as the United States. His economic plans are seriously flawed. And he really is seriously challenged on economic issues. I […]

 – by New Deal democrat With the continuing desert of official data, the NAR’s existing home sales report – which normally is of secondary importance – temporarily becomes our best look at the housing market.  To repeat what I’ve mentioned an number of times in the past, after the Fed began hiking rates in 2022, mortgage […]

I worked in Supply Chain and then Manufacturing as a first lower-level position fresh out of college. Eventually, I did cost model plastic, rubber, and metal parts including the many upstream and down-stream processes to complete a particular part. It was fun because I could negotiate with the supply base on cost based upon volume, […]

My first thought through high school was to become an architect designing houses and buildings. I had the drafting equipment, had placed at the IIT drafting contest, and was good at drawing a straight line. In high school they taught us how to frame houses when it still had such shops as wood working and […]

This commentary reads as if it was published or posted in 2024. The date on it is September 30 which makes it relevant for what is occurring now and recently. But without the updates we would normally see, the detail may have changed somewhat as Angry Bear’s New Deal democrat points out in each commentary […]

My paternal grandfather grew up in Argentina. When I knew him in the 1960s and 70s, he was a bank VP in New York City. He would occasionally recite something in Spanish. The only thing I can recall is “Cinco pesos poca plata.” It’s even truer now than when he said it. “Finalizing a $20 […]

Healthcare Pricing can depend upon who you go to for care. Independent doctors earn less than Hospital doctors. Not surprised there. Name brand hospitals charge more than lesser-known hospitals. I suspect some of this may be due to overhead. Introduction Piece: Hospital- and Private Equity–Affiliated Specialty Physicians Negotiate Higher Prices than Independent Physicians, Health Affairs […]

 – by New Deal democrat The government shutdown is continuing. The only significant national economic news will be the NAR’s existing home sales report on Thursday. Additionally, the remaining regional Fed surveys will come at the end of this week or next week. And, as I am still on vacation, don’t be surprised if I play […]