Connecting the Dots

Everyone is talking about bitcoin, even people who otherwise know little about investing. That’s probably a bad sign for bitcoin.

According to the more cynical pundits, government programs usually achieve the opposite of their intended goal. And sometimes they do.

The US Senate may vote on its tax “reform” plan this week. If it passes, they’ll have to reconcile it with the somewhat different House plan.

Remember when everyone wanted to cut the federal deficit? Fiscal policy was much simpler back then: balanced budget good, deficits bad.

Congress is deciding your portfolio’s future right now—so you might want to pay attention.

The US is about to fire another salvo in the international trade war, and this one may actually make sense.

Happy Halloween. Whether you’ll get a trick or a treat is hard to know in this zombified economy.

If you think economics is boring, bring up “free trade” and see what happens. I guarantee sparks will fly.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the US economy is at full employment, or close to it. Yet it doesn’t feel that way for many Americans. Even if you have a secure job, you probably know people who don’t.

Wall Street endlessly gushes about retirement. Its TV commercials show how wonderful life will be in our golden years—when we are old, yet still healthy and wealthy enough to go hang-gliding every day.

In theory, capitalism is all about healthy competition, which makes producers deliver quality goods and services at lower prices.

Here’s a loaded question for you: “What could go wrong?”