A group of economists recently released a research paper that suggested Seattle’s increase to a $15/hour minimum wage has had a negative impact on the lowest skilled workers. It would seem the market clearing rate for…
Thought Leadership
I have recently written about the potential for some form of consolidated government in the Birmingham metropolitan area. For those not in the know, many, if not most, of our suburbs have incorporated themselves over the…
I am able to track how many people who directly receive Common Cents actually go to the trouble to open it. Last week, I apparently touched on a subject of particular interest, because the number of ‘click…
Years ago, I had an internationally recognized economist tell me it didn’t matter if the U.S. physically manufactured a single thing. After all, the value added proposition of many finished products, if not most, is in…
This is sort of part one in an intermittent series. Recently, I received an email with a link to a study about the need for a consolidated form of government in the Birmingham metro area (MSA).…
Last week, the Federal Reserve raised the overnight lending target rate between member banks by 0.25 percent, and said it wants to remove some of the stimulus it provided with its quantitative easing programs. Put another…
In a recent letter to clients, I wrote how the investment industry will likely have to reassess how it defines industry sectors. For instance, Google (Alphabet) is obviously, and correctly, classified as a technology stock. However,…
We seem to have entered the news doldrums, where our choices are: 1. an endless barrage of so-called analysis of the Administration’s perceived foibles and follies, or 2. stories which are the journalistic equivalent of delivery pizza. They might…
This morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released The Employment Situation report for the month of May 2017. I will cut to the quick, and tell you it might be one of the more boring…
This week, a reporter friend of mine asked my thoughts on the prospects of traditional banks and credit unions getting into, what can only be called, the payday lending space IF the Administration’s regulatory reform proposals…