From the category archives:
Many economists are citing the lack of regulation of the financial markets as one of the primary causes of the recent economic collapse. Alan Greenspan, once a believer in deregulation, blames the crisis on the financial industry’s inability to monitor itself. A pattern of financial deregulation over the past two and a half decades ... Continue reading this article…
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As the government continues to bail out the banking industry and taxpayers continue to increase their stake in these companies, how far should the banks go to cut back spending on the excesses that have grown over the past several decades? The local New York City NBC news program aired a feature on ... Continue reading this article…
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We’re still waiting to hear the official proposal, but you’re bound to hear a lot of talk this week in the mainstream media about the U.S. budget, deficit, and the plan to let the “Bush tax cuts” expire. Reporters are going to use the phrase “people earning more than $250,000 a year” with respect to ... Continue reading this article…
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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 includes, along with all the spending, the biggest middle-class tax cut in American history. Ignoring all the stuff about housing and small businesses and car sales, this will mean a yearly saving of $400 for individuals, or $800 for couples. It’s not a lot of money. People who ... Continue reading this article…
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Just a quick update this morning to point out something I think has been under-reported: President Barack Obama should be signing into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act today, which means that States (and Commonwealths) requested federal stimulus money have forty-five days to start spending some of that money on public works and improvements. No matter ... Continue reading this article…
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A little earlier today, the House of Representatives passed the compromised form of the stimulus bill (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009), and the Senate is expected to pass the stimulus tonight. It won’t be long before the bill is signed into law by President Obama and the appropriated funds are doled out to ... Continue reading this article…
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When talking about the 790 billion dollar stimulus bill currently nearing the end of its congressional marathon, it’s tempting for people to focus on the direct, short-term benefits, namely a $400 tax credit, and how such a thing won’t go very far in benefiting most people. I tend to agree, but I’m also the first to ... Continue reading this article…
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In the past few minutes, the conference including the Senate and the House of Representatives was concluded. They’ve come to a compromise between the two versions of the economic stimulus bill to be sent to the President of the United States to be signed into law. I’ll post more details when the Congress provides them. Update: House ... Continue reading this article…
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Today, CEOs from the largest banks receiving the first batch of funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), billions of dollars initially designed to loosen the credit crunch, will be visiting Washington today to be grilled by the House of Representatives’ Financial Services Committee. There is no doubt that the bankers will be asked ... Continue reading this article…
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The Senate voted on and passed their version of the 2009 stimulus bill today, but that doesn’t mean homebuyers who stand to receive a tax credit of up to $15,000 should start celebrating yet. The Senate’s version of the bill is somewhat different from the House’s version. For example, the $15,000 credit for all homebuyers ... Continue reading this article…
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Once the stimulus bill is signed into law, states and cities will receive funding for local shovel-ready projects that may help stimulate the economy. The Stimulus Watch website has compiled all of these projects and is presenting them in a way that allows visitors to browse, search, and participate. The website contains a wiki, ... Continue reading this article…
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If President Obama’s economic stimulus plan is signed into law is it currently stands, individuals stand to receive a tax credit of $500 and couples stand to receive a tax credit of $1,000. Provided you’re not disqualified for earning too much money, $75,000 for an individual or $150,000 for a couple. Taxpayers might receive this ... Continue reading this article…
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It won’t be long before the second half of the original Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds are authorized to be distributed to banks to help prop up the economy. This $350 billion, or even more, is following the first $350 billion that banks received. While the government’s public intent was for the banks to ... Continue reading this article…
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Consumerism Commentary readers: Please complete this readership survey for a chance to win a $50 Amazon.com gift card! At the pump, gas prices are “low” now. Remember last May when Chrysler was offering a $2.99 gas guarantee while the price per gallon continued to climb towards $4.00? It seemed like a good deal at the ... Continue reading this article…
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Updated March 20, 2009: The stimulus plan has become a law, and we’ve rounded up the many ways you can benefit. President-Elect Barack Obama pitched his economic stimulus proposal to Congress earlier this week. Here are the main points.
The total cost is $775 billion over two years. Tax cuts and breaks will account for $300 billion of ... Continue reading this article…
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The company has spent the past few months managing expectations. With the economy tanking and our company’s performance following the trend of all other companies in the industry, there won’t be much in the way of annual raises and bonuses this year. (We receive these incentives a few months after the end of the ... Continue reading this article…
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This is today’s big news, and you’ve probbably heard about it already. This morning, President Bush approved three-year loan to GM and Chrysler which would give these companies $13.4 billion now and $4 billion in February. There are strings attached. Although the loans have terms of three years, the government will require the companies to ... Continue reading this article…
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The Federal Reserve is expected to drop the federal funds rate to 0.5 percent today, the lowest it has ever been. When the Fed drops rates, its intent is to increase lending between banks. This drop, however, will likely have no effect on the bank’s lending practices. This rate is just a target, and it doesn’t dictate ... Continue reading this article…
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About the author: This guest post comes to you from Mr. ToughMoneyLove, a baby boomer who dishes the hard truth about money and personal finance at his Tough Money Love blog. I cannot count the number of times I have seen or heard statements proclaiming with great certainty that Social Security will “disappear” or that “it ... Continue reading this article…
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CNN Money is presenting an in-depth feature explaining where President-elect Obama stands on a variety of economic issues. Here are some highlights:
Temporarily eliminate taxes on unemployment benefits. Tax oil profits and use the money to help fund $1,000 rebate checks for consumers hit by high energy costs. Tax carried interest as ordinary income rather than as ... Continue reading this article…
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