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Last year will go down as record setting.  The number of global billionaires increased by more than ever before.  According to a study by Oxfam there were 2043 billionaires in the world at year’s end 2017, with a new one now being minted every two days.  When juxtaposed against some of the poorest people on earth, this growth rate seems to be a bit much; Oxfam estimates bil

Output accelerated during December 2017 according to data from the Chicago Federal Reserve National Activity Index (CFNAI).  This comprehensive indicator rose to +0.27 from the downwardly revised count of +0.11 (originally +0.15).  Additionally, the three-month moving average held relatively steady at +0.42 versus +0.43 in November, suggesting the economic expansion is not overheated.

America’s output of physically made goods improved 0.9 percent in December 2017 according to the Industrial Production figures from the Federal Reserve.  This strong uptick followed the downwardly revised count of 0.1 percent in November (originally up 0.2 percent).  Versus twelve months earlier, this indicator is 3.6 percent higher.

Retail sales added to economic output as 2017 came to a close according to the Census Bureau.  Spending totaled $495.4 billion in December, rising 0.4 percent.  Compared to a year earlier, retail sales improved 5.4 percent.  Additionally, November’s count was revised upward to 0.9 percent from the already impressive 0.8 percent jump in the initial release.

Prices paid by Americans were higher in December 2017 according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  However, the rates of change were mixed.  For instance, the month-over-month Consumer Price Index (CPI) decelerated to just 0.1 percent after hitting 0.4 percent a month earlier, and the year-over-year tally slowed to 2.1 percent from 2.2 percent.  However, core-CPI (whic

As the dust settled, it became apparent that 2017 was one for the records.  Unfortunately, natural catastrophes were what set many of the records.  According to Munich Re (a reinsurer), insured disasters globally reached an all-time high cost of $135 billion., nearly three times higher than the annual average of $49 billion.  Sadly, this figure covers just 41 percent of the total

Prices paid by wholesalers and producers fell during December according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Their Producer Price Index (PPI) declined 0.1 percent in the period.  Versus a year earlier, this measure decelerated to 2.6 percent from 3.1 percent in November.  Core-PPI, which removes food and energy because of their volatility, fell 0.1 percent to end the year and slow

Winter temperature weren’t the only things cooling off as last year came to a close.  The December 2017 reading of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) small business optimism index shed some of its recent heat as well.  Fortunately, the cooling was more like that of Southern California and not the East.

America’s leadership in the global economic expansion is evident in the November 2017 Trade Balance report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.  America is increasing its purchases from foreign countries faster than trading partners are increasing their purchases from our nation; an important takeaway is that both imports and exports are expanding.  With a shortfall of $50.5 bi

Our modern world is full of distractions.  Beeps, buzzes, custom ringtones, and dings interrupt thoughts daily.  These intrusions often keep us from completing tasks at hand because they consistently cause our interests to change.  In other words, our rate of interest grows for the present distraction while declining from a relatively longer-term goal, possibly sacrificing poster