Sharkey, Howes & Javer

On this week’s Inside the Economy with SH&J, we discuss the effects of lower mortgage rates on the housing market. Which region in the U.S. is seeing home prices increase at the fastest rates? The answer may surprise you. Corporate earnings have seen robust growth since 2017. What are most corporations choosing to do with the excess profits? Tune in to find out these answers, and more!

On this week’s Inside the Economy with SH&J, we discuss the Federal Reserve meeting happening this week. It looks like the market is already assuming the Fed will cut interest rates, but how much lower could interest rates go in the future and what affect would that have on the economy? Speaking of low interest rates, there is now around $14 trillion in negative yielding debt around the world. What countries currently have the lowest interest rates and why are their citizens buying negative yielding bonds? Tune in to find out!

On this week’s Inside the Economy with SH&J, we discuss unemployment numbers. Job openings in May exceeded the number of people unemployed for the 15th straight month. Could there be a new natural rate of unemployment in a robust economy? Short term interest rates have already priced in an interest rate cut for July. What are the possible implications of the Fed’s decision at the upcoming meeting? Media bias aside, what is really going on with state and federal debt? Tune in to find out!

On this week’s Inside the Economy with SH&J, we discuss a slight slowdown in the manufacturing sector of the economy. Inventories and job cuts are increasing, but how important is manufacturing to the health of the overall US economy compared to service jobs? Could this play a role in whether or not the Fed decides to adjust rates? With the talk of tariffs affecting US trade with China, what other country in Asia has seen exports to the US increase? Tune in to find out!

On this week’s Inside the Economy with SH&J, we discuss how this week’s Fed decision could determine the future of inflation and bond prices. In a news-driven market, how will talks of trade negotiation and the upcoming election affect the S&P 500 in 2019? The U.S. stock market has been one of the best performing investments over the last 10 years; so why is it important to continue holding bonds in your portfolio? Tune in to find out!

On this week’s Inside the Economy with SH&J, we discuss the recent bond rally that have sent yields downward. What has been the cause of this rally and do the recent tariff talks have anything to do with it? The Midwest is experiencing near record flooding; what kind of impact will this have on agriculture in the area? Tune in to find out!

On this week’s Inside the Economy with SH&J, we discuss the ongoing tariff negotiations that have been dominating the news cycle. How much of an impact would tariffs have on Chinese-imported goods and is it likely to cause inflation? The state of California is single-handedly one of the largest economies in the world. Has job growth there been increasing or declining, and does the expensive real estate market in the state have anything to do with it? Tune in to find out!

On this week’s Inside the Economy with SH&J, we discuss the Federal Reserve’s decision to leave interest rates unchanged at last week’s meeting. What are some of the reasons for the Fed’s decision? There’s been a lot of media coverage about Social Security being depleted in the next few decades. How much of a surplus is there currently in the Social Security trust fund and how soon will social security have to make changes? Tune in to find out!

On this week’s Inside the Economy with SH&J, we take a look at the current economic expansion in the U.S. since the Great Recession. How does this compare to historical expansions and is there an end in sight? The lack of water supply in the western U.S. is causing farmers to leave in large numbers. Where are these farmers moving their operations? Tune in to find out!

On this week’s Inside the Economy with SH&J, we discuss the rising debt balance in the global economy. How does the total debt in the U.S. economy compare to debt in other parts of the world? The U.S. has imported less from China over the past year and a half due to the change in tariffs. Which country has picked up the slack and increased its exports to the U.S.? Tune in to find out!

On this week’s Inside the Economy with SH&J, we discuss the recent bounce back in the U.S. stock market. The market is close to the all-time high it reached last Summer, but is it starting to get overvalued? An inverted yield curve has historically been a reliable recession indicator. Is the current flattening of the yield curve a cause of concern for our economic outlook? The U.S. dollar strengthened in 2018 due to many factors, including higher interest rates and tariffs. Are these dynamics still affecting the direction of the dollar? Tune in to find out!

On this week’s Inside the Economy with SH&J, we take a look at how the U.S. consumer is doing. Personal Net Worth and consumer spending is up year-over-year, but is it trending in a positive direction? Germany’s Real Order growth just went negative, how will this affect growth estimates in economies around the world? Tune in to find out!

On this week’s Inside the Economy with SH&J, we take a look at the drivers of GDP in the United States. With current inflation numbers hovering around 2%, where in the economy are we seeing signs of high and low inflation? Prices at the gas pump have been climbing, what is to blame? With China dipping into recession territory, where does that leave the U.S. in the business cycle? Tune in to find out!

On this week’s Inside the Economy with SH&J, we take a look at wage increases. Wages have recently increased at the fastest rate since 2009. How much does the growth of the manufacturing sector play a part in this increase? There has been quite a bit of media coverage about raising the highest marginal tax rate. Have higher tax rates generated greater tax revenues historically? Tune in to find out!

On this week’s Inside the Economy with SH&J, we discuss the effects of the government shutdown on the U.S. economy. What percentage of U.S. GDP is comprised of Federal consumption and investment? The national unemployment rate remains below 4%. Tune in to find out which states have better unemployment numbers than others and where the chances of a global recession stand.

On this week’s Inside the Economy with SH&J, we look back at the stock market in 2018. After the fourth quarter volatility, is the stock market now more fairly valued? The German economy is a driving force in the EU. Could their slowdown signal a recession in the Euro area? Tune in to find out!

On this week’s Inside the Economy with SH&J, we take a look at corporate debt issuance in 2018 versus issuance in 2006. Are corporations taking on more or less debt than they did before the Financial Crisis? We also discuss how Brexit could complicate the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. What could be different with this border when the UK leaves the EU? Tune in to find out!

On this week’s Inside the Economy with SH&J, we take a look at how E-commerce is shaping economies across the globe. The U.S. accounts for the most revenue per user, but which country has the most E-commerce users? Unemployment in the U.S. continues to be below 4%, but which states are faring better than others? Tune in to find out!

On this week’s Inside the Economy with SH&J, we discuss the effects of rising interest rates. The Fed is expected to announce another interest rate hike in mid-December. How does this effect the U.S. housing market? With market unpredictability being a media focus, we compare stock market volatility in 2018 versus historical averages. How is Europe’s economy holding up with news of Brexit and China slowing? Tune in to find out!

On this week’s Inside the Economy with SH&J, we discuss the most recent GDP numbers. The GDP estimates point to a very strong economy, but is it growing too fast? With the holiday season on the horizon, we take a look at credit card borrowing and the growth of retail sales. How does retail growth in the U.S. compare to China? Tune in to find out!