Tuesday, May 7

Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates

Inflation: U.S. Prices Rose 6 Percent
14Mar By Patti MohrNo Comments
Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Bit

Inflation: U.S. Prices Rose 6 Percent

Energy And Used Car Prices Come Down While Food And Shelter Still Soars March 14, 2023—U.S. consumer prices increased by 6 percent for the 12-month period ending in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is the smallest 12-month increase since the period ending September 2021. It is still well below the 2 percent target long held by the Federal Reserve. Prices Dropping Prices fell in February for a few items on the index. For example, the prices of oil, gas, and energy services came down by 7.9 percent, 8 percent, and 1.7 percent, respectively. The cost of used cars and trucks came down by 2.8 percent following months of a downturn that have brought prices down by 13.6 percent for the year. Also, medical care services dropped by 0.7 percent. Prices Rising ...
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US Regulators Act Following Bank Collapses
14Mar By Patti MohrNo Comments
Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Finance, Investing, Types of News: Brief, United States

US Regulators Act Following Bank Collapses

Run On Bank Was First Sign Of Significant Volatility Amid Rate Hikes March 14, 2023—U.S. regulators and policymakers acted swiftly over the weekend following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank on Friday and Signature Bank on Sunday. The runs on the banks by customers are the first signs of major volatility following the Federal Reserve's multiple rate hikes to reduce inflation. The government through the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation provided a risk-exception guarantee for all bank deposits of the two banks. That mitigated the risk of additional runs on banks. The details are as follows: The FDIC's guarantee would not apply to investors or unsecured debt holders. Regulators removed senior management of the banks. The FDIC took over Silicon Valley Bank and opened Signatur...
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U.S. Government Owes $395.5 Billion In Interest On The Debt
26Feb By Patti MohrNo Comments
Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Bit, United States

U.S. Government Owes $395.5 Billion In Interest On The Debt

Feb. 26, 2023—Here's something to remember when discussing the U.S. budget, national debt, and debt limit: The U.S. government is expected to pay $395.5 billion this fiscal year on interest charges alone. That's a helpful reminder that comes from the Pew Research Center in a recent post. For more information on the U.S. budget, go to the White House's Office of Management and Budget. There you'll find historic tables of the U.S. budget. Moreover, the U.S. government is projected to spend over $1 trillion more this year than it collects in revenue. That money not only increases the U.S. debt, it also fuels rising inflation in America and beyond.
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U.S. Debt Fast Approaching Its Legal Limit
17Jan By Patti MohrNo Comments
Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Brief

U.S. Debt Fast Approaching Its Legal Limit

Treasury Secretary Warns That U.S. Government Likely To Hit Debt Limit On Thursday January 17, 2023—It's been a little over a year since Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told a Senate panel the U.S. debt of $28 trillion didn't matter. Now, 16 months and over two trillion dollars later, Yellen is warning that the government will hit its legal debt limit of $31.381 trillion on Thursday. She estimates Treasury can keep paying its bills until about June, but it won't be easy. In fact, Treasury is forced to take extraordinary accounting measures to keep the government running. The extraordinary has become ordinary in American federal bookkeeping. For Yellen, like many in Washington, the problem is still not the debt; it is the debt limit under U.S. law. It is that limit that the go...
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U.S. Inflation Remains ‘Highly Uncertain,’ Fed Chair Says
30Nov By Patti MohrNo Comments
Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Brief

U.S. Inflation Remains ‘Highly Uncertain,’ Fed Chair Says

November 30, 2022—Although increases in consumer prices ebbed slightly in the United States in the latest numbers, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned on Wednesday that inflation's path remains "highly uncertain." He noted that October's figure of 7.7 percent annual growth is better than the previous Consumer Price Index estimates but said the single-month improvement doesn't reflect a trend. Powell said the Fed policy is likely to remain "restrictive for some time to come." Addressing an audience at the Brookings Institution, he said price trends differ in three categories: core goods, housing, and services. Prices in core goods are moderating while housing service prices rose rapidly. Meanwhile, prices in services are likely to rise due to unmet demand in the labor market. ...
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For All The Fuss With Truss, It’s Over
20Oct By Patti MohrNo Comments
Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Brief

For All The Fuss With Truss, It’s Over

Proposed Deficit Spending Put The British Economy At Risk And Created Turmoil October 20, 2022--British Prime Minister Liz Truss announced today she'll be stepping down next week when her party chooses a new leader. She said she informed King Charles she is resigning as leader of the Conservative Party and head of the country's government. "This will ensure we remain on a path to deliver our fiscal plans and maintain our country’s economic stability and national security," Truss said on Twitter. It's been a bruising time for Truss. She served a total of 44 days after Queen Elizabeth made Truss's appointment to office official before peacefully passing away. As the country buried their beloved queen, an era of British strength faded with her. U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss resi...
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As The Fed Raises Rates, U.S. Debt Matters More
4Oct By Patti MohrNo Comments
Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Brief

As The Fed Raises Rates, U.S. Debt Matters More

October 4, 2022—For years, the policy wonks and heads of government departments told the public that the U.S. national debt didn't matter because borrowing costs were so low. Now, as the Federal Reserve leads central banks in raising interest rates, the price of debt suddenly matters. For the first time, the U.S. debt topped $31 trillion, U.S. Treasury reports. That's up from $16 trillion in 10 years. Moreover, that figure is set to rise. For one, Congress keeps spending more than it is taking in with revenues. By August, the government ran a budget deficit of $944 billion during the first 11 months of the fiscal year, the Congressional Budget Office reported. Here's a look at the FY2022 budget. Source: Treasury, August Monthly Statement Rising Costs of Deficits and D...
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U.S. Inflation Rattles Markets And Consumers
13Sep By Patti MohrNo Comments
Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Brief

U.S. Inflation Rattles Markets And Consumers

Once Dismissive Of Inflation, Fed Chair Draws Lessons About Economy From the 1970s September 13, 2022--One might guess that a fraction of a number like 0.1 would have little impact on the global economy. But that guess would be wrong. Today, the U.S. markets took a nose dive, and it was a fall unlike any other since June 2020. The S&P 500 fell 4.3 percent, while the tech-heavy NASDAQ fell 5.16 percent. It all came in response to inflation figures for August, and that's where the figure 0.1 matters. Inflation Holding Strong Economists had expected the inflation figure to drop by 0.1 percent for August. Instead, it rose by 0.1 percent. That means all items the Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks rose 8.3 percent for the year. According to the BLS release, food, shelter, and medic...
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Path To Normal For ECB Poses Challenges To High Debt Countries
15Jun By Patti MohrNo Comments
Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Europe, EU, Eurozone, Types of News: Bit

Path To Normal For ECB Poses Challenges To High Debt Countries

June 15, 2022— As the central bank for the Eurozone pursues a path to normal policies, the risk it now faces is uneven impact among the 19-member countries. Borrowing costs in so-called vulnerable countries like Italy, Greece, and Spain are soaring in response to monetary tightening last week by the European Central Bank (ECB). Now fragmentation of the Eurozone is a concern. As a result, the ECB announced today it is adjusting its plans. For one, the ECB will consider the vulnerabilities when reinvesting payments maturing from its pandemic relief program, known as PEPP. Those reinvestments of maturing PEPP payments are scheduled to continue through 2024. The program's worth is estimated at 1.85 trillion euro ($1.9 trillion), according to the New York Times.
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ECB Begins ‘Gradual’ Tapering Its Stimulus
10Jun By Patti MohrNo Comments
Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Brief

ECB Begins ‘Gradual’ Tapering Its Stimulus

Central Bank To Leave Some Interest Rates Unchanged While Raising Others By 0.25 Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com With worsening supply-chain disruptions and inflation in Europe rising to 8.1 percent, the European Central Bank is planning to taper its massive monetary stimulus policies. On July 1, the ECB plans to raise its set of interest rates by 25 basis points. ECB President Christine Lagarde signaled the bank would do so again in September if needed. The bank will also stop net asset purchases. The bank said its approach is one of "gradualism." "I think in times of great uncertainty, gradualism is probably appropriate, more so than if the path is clear, well-identified and we all understand where we are heading," Lagarde said. In line with that, the bank is leaving some...
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