News
WSJ | Consumer Spending Ticks Up
U.S. personal spending rose the most in five months in July, a sign that wary consumers may be coming out of their shell despite broad economic uncertainty.
CNN Money | Consumers cut up credit cards, but buy cars
At 10.9%, credit card delinquencies are at their lowest level since the end of 2008. And credit inquiries, an indicator of demand, fell for the second consecutive quarter.
Bloomberg | Distressed Home Prices Jump With Inventory Shrinking
Demand for distressed properties is driving up prices for the first time in two years as investors from Blackstone Group LP (BX) to Colony Capital LLC chase shrinking inventory.
Market Watch | Euro-zone Aug. economic sentiment index falls
The European Commission on Thursday said its euro-zone economic sentiment indicator fell to 86.1 in August from 87.9 in July, reflecting an across the board decline in its sector indexes.
Econ Comments & Analysis
CNN Money | Unhappy with the economy? Here's why
For the third year in a row we've experienced a thaw in the economy only to be followed by some real dog days. The U.S. is barely growing, and a lot of the reason is that you aren't spending.
WSJ | Reagan and Obama: A Tale of Two Recoveries
How these two presidents responded to a deep recession reveals polar extremes in policy. And in results.
RCM | Don't Believe the Near-Term Data, We've Not Reached a Housing Bottom
This time around the cause of the uptick is that there were fewer foreclosures being processed over the past year which, thanks in part to the robo-signing scandal, has effectively taken existing housing supply off the market.
CNN Money | Citi to pay $590 million to investors
Bank has paid out or agreed to $2.3 billion in penalties related to the financial crisis in the past year.
Blogs
AEI | Cronyism is just as threatening to free enterprise as big government
Statism and cronyism are fundamentally about the same things: Letting political power allocate economic resources rather than markets. Both reduce competition and entrench stagnation.
