News and Trends
Wholesale prices rose 0.2% in March, less than expected - CNBC--4.11.24
The producer price index increased 0.2% for the month, less than the 0.3% estimate from the Dow Jones consensus while initial filings for jobless benefits fell to 211,000, seeing a decline of 11,000 from the previous week's upwardly revised level and below estimates. 
Stocks are headed for a decade-long 'dead' zone with losses on par with the dot-com bust, fund manager says - Yahoo! Finance--4.10.24
The stock market could be in for a decade of next-to-nothing returns, one top fund manager is warning. This is because inflation and interest rates could remain stubbornly high. Stocks could see near-term losses on par with the dot-com bust and the 2008 crash.
Inflation comes in hotter than expected in March - Yahoo! Finance--4.10.24
U.S. consumer prices came in hotter than expected in March. The data complicated the Fed's next move on interest rates as the central bank works to bring inflation back down to its 2% target.
US national debt interest exceeds defense spending: CBO - Fox Business--4.10.24
The latest budget update from the CBO found that the federal government has spent more on paying interest on the national debt than on the military in fiscal year 2024. The dramatic increase in the cost of servicing the debt is due to higher interest rates brought about by the Fed's fight against inflation.
The 'magic number' to retire comfortably hits a new all-time high - Fox Business--4.9.24
Inflation has made the cost of just about everything in the U.S. more expensive, including retirement. A new study has found the "magic number" that Americans believe they need in order to retire comfortably hit $1.46 million this year, the highest level on record.
Why US Public Debt Is Unsustainable And Is Destroying The Middle Class - Zero Hedge--4.8.24
Excessive public debt is unsustainable when it becomes a burden on productive growth and leads the economy to constantly rising taxes, weaker productivity growth, and weaker real wage growth.
US job growth blows past expectations; unemployment rate falls to 3.8% - Reuters--4.5.24
U.S. employers hired far more workers than expected in March and continued to lift wages at a steady clip, suggesting the economy ended the first quarter on solid ground. The Labor Department's closely watched employment report on Friday also showed the unemployment rate fell to 3.8% last month from 3.9% in February.
Powell still expects Fed to lower rates this year as inflation follows a 'bumpy' path down to 2% - Yahoo! Finance--4.3.24
Federal Reserve Chair Powell doubled down Wednesday on his belief that inflation was on a path down to 2% and that central bank officials expect to lower rates sometime this year. Powell's comments marked the second time in the last week where he offered assurances that the overall outlook had not changed much despite hotter-than-expected readings at the start of the year.
A million simulations show US debt is on an 'unsustainable' path - Fox Business--4.2.24
The U.S. is almost certainly on an unstable path with regard to the rise in national debt. Bloomberg reported Tuesday that it conducted a million simulations on the U.S. debt outlook and found 88% of them show borrowing is on an "unsustainable path."
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