Category:
Economy

U.S. consumer concerned about debt

Consumer Debt Grows as U.S. Economy Expands

By Bill Fay | August 27, 2019

Americans are taking on ever larger debt loads as they struggle to maintain living standards. They are borrowing more on their credit cards, taking on a soaring levels of student…

Interest rates will not budge

Interest Rates Probably Not Budging in 2016

By Bill Fay | July 13, 2016

During Alan Greenspan’s nearly 20-year reign as Chairman of the Federal Reserve, commentators used to look at the heft of the briefcase he carried to meetings to guess whether interest…

graph showing upward economic trends

2014 Great Year For U.S. Economy, Can We Repeat In 2015?

By Bill Fay | January 8, 2015

By most accounts, the United States economy had a glowing year in 2014. Unemployment was down, spending was up, housing prices continued to bounce back and gas prices plunged to…

People shopping on the holidays in a store

Holidays a Tough Time to Reduce Debt

By Bill Fay | December 10, 2013

The inevitable collision between year-end spending and budget restrictions is making this an uncomfortable holiday season for two vital groups in the American economy: Consumers and the federal government. American…

Black hole of debt in the U.S.

Is Debt Affecting our Economic Freedom?

By Bill Fay | July 3, 2013

As we approach July 4, the 237th anniversary of our nation’s independence, it’s also worth noting that our country is in its fourth year of a sluggish recovery from the…

Highest consumer confidence index rating since 2007

U.S. Consumer Confidence Highest Since July 2007

By Bill Fay | June 3, 2013

The bull run on Wall Street and a continued surge in home prices pushed consumer confidence to its highest level in almost six years. The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer…

Economic indicators show the economy is improving

U.S. Economy Is Slowly Improving

By Bill Fay | May 7, 2013

The snapshot of the U.S. economy in the first week of May looks unusually promising. Almost every arrow economists want pointing up – home sales, auto sales, stock market –…

Economic indicators like housing and spending are confusing.

Despite Positive Economic Indicators, Consumer Confidence Continues to Decline

By Bill Fay | April 17, 2013

American consumers are a step slow in accepting the news that the U.S. economy really is on the mend. Consumer confidence and retail spending dipped in March, while the rest…

Airline ratings are up, but so are complaints and fares.

Airline Ratings Are Up — So Are Complaints and Fares

By Bill Fay | April 10, 2013

The U.S. airline industry is coming off its second-best year ever in terms of customer service, but it comes with a price: Complaints were up, and so was the average…

Sequestration has not slowed the economy. Obama prepares to submit budget to Congress.

As Budget Talks Continue, Sequestration Has Yet to Stall Economy

By Bill Fay | April 4, 2013

A month after sequestration kicked in, the alarms sounded by President Obama – “It will cost us jobs and slow down our economy,” he said Feb. 5 – have not…