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3 Reasons the Markets Might Tank
Tweet Share on Facebook November 15, 2011 Comment (1)Good investors are skeptical by nature. But not usually dour, depressed, or despondent.
These days, however, the worst-case scenarios are awfully dim. There's always something that can go wrong, but in today's economy, the shock absorbers are so worn that minor disruptions could have major consequences. The biggest worry, of course, is Europe, where there's a non-trivial chance that Greece and Italy could both default on their debts, plunging the continent and its banks into an unprecedented financial free-fall. In the United States, bungling policymakers grappling with ways to reduce the national debt could trigger further downgrades in the nation's credit rating and perhaps another recession. Then there's the bursting asset bubble and economic slowdown in China, which wouldn't be that much of a danger if the rest of the global economy were healthy. Unfortunately, it's not.
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How Corporate America Is Damning Itself
Tweet Share on Facebook November 14, 2011 Comment (5)For the last couple of years, many business leaders have complained about President Obama bad-mouthing their efforts and creating an anti-business climate. But lately, corporate America hasn't needed many critics, because it's become its own worst enemy.
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Why Europe's Debt Crisis Is Taking So Long
Tweet Share on Facebook November 10, 2011 Comment (1)The European debt crisis has been raging for more than 18 months. But get ready for more, because the true pucker moment won't arrive until next year, at the earliest.
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How Republicans Can Torpedo the Economy
Tweet Share on Facebook November 9, 2011 Comment (8)If you're already anxious about the economy, here's one more unnerving thought: The nation's prosperity depends far more than usual on politicians in Washington.
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Why the Herman Cain Sex Scandal Is Good For America
Tweet Share on Facebook November 8, 2011 Comment (6)There are four elements of the sexual allegations against Herman Cain that seem to represent progress:
- A successful male baby boomer, accustomed to getting his way, didn't.
- Young women who felt aggrieved stood up for themselves.
- The system, though imperfect, worked.
- Race could be an issue, but so far it hasn't been.
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Why a Growing Economy Is Leaving Many Behind
Tweet Share on Facebook November 7, 2011 Comment (1)Our economic milestones aren't very impressive these days.
It felt like cause for minor celebration recently when the nation's gross domestic product finally surpassed the level it was at the before the recession. At last! Now that we've dug ourselves out a big hole, maybe things will start to return to normal, right?
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Why Groupon May Fizzle
Tweet Share on Facebook November 4, 2011 Comment (3)The animal spirits have welcomed Groupon to the public markets, with a successful initial public offering that values the company at a hefty $16 billion or so. That's a much frothier start than other recent IPOs such as LinkedIn or Pandora.
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Lessons for Congress From the Chaos in Greece
Tweet Share on Facebook November 3, 2011 Comment (3)From afar, Greece seems to be more dysfunctional than a Kardashian in heat. But the turmoil in Europe's southernmost nation offers a glimpse of the tough choices that U.S. politicians are likely to face too, as they grapple with America's own mushrooming debt and the fading prosperity of many voters.
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Banks Ax One Fee—But Watch Out for Others
Tweet Share on Facebook November 1, 2011 CommentScore one for consumers.
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5 Good Ideas from 4 GOP Economic Plans
Tweet Share on Facebook October 31, 2011 Comment (9)Some dubious notions have burbled up from the GOP presidential campaign. Herman Cain wants to replace the entire U.S. tax code with a scheme that he and a couple of pals sketched out one day. Ron Paul would cut government spending so deeply that it would instantly induce a recession. Rick Perry has suggested turning Social Security—one of the most popular and well-run federal programs—over to the states, as if 50 administrative bureaucracies would stretch retirement dollars further than one.
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Rick Newman
The global economy is mysterious, even scary. Chief Business Correspondent Rick Newman demystifies it and explains what matters to you. Rick is the author of Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success and the co-author of two other books: Firefight: Inside the Battle to Save the Pentagon on 9/11, and Bury Us Upside Down: The Misty Pilots and the Secret Battle for the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
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