getty First, the background: With Congressional negotiations on a “second stimulus” bill going nowhere, President Trump signed a set of executive orders yesterday, of dubious legality or effectiveness, regarding student loans, evictions, unemployment benefits, and, yes, Social Security. After having called for a payroll tax cut since the start of the crisis (as far back
The economy faces a major output gap, and executive orders can’t generate enough funding to address it. Only significant Congressional spending can provide the necessary level of funds. US President Donald Trump signs executive orders extending coronavirus economic relief, during a … [+] news conference in Bedminster, New Jersey, on August 8, 2020. (Photo by
Popular summer vacation spot Provincetown, Massachusetts, is taking Covid-19 seriously, mandating mask-wearing and limiting the number of customers in stores, but consumers are still out. (Photo by Zach D Roberts/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto | NurPhoto | Getty Images Small businesses are feeling somewhat more optimistic, adapting operations to the new economic and public health
U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, joined by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, speaks to reporters in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, July 29, 2020. Erin Scott | Reuters Top Democrats on Sunday criticized President Donald Trump’s executive actions on coronavirus relief as “absurdly unconstitutional” and “way off base.” The measures, which Trump signed on Saturday
Trader Michael Urkonis works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, January 28, 2020. Bryan R Smith | Reuters U.S. stock futures slipped on Sunday night after President Donald Trump signed several executive orders aimed at extending coronavirus relief. Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 55 points, or 0.2%. S&P 500 futures fell 0.2%
President Trump signed four executive orders on Saturday. They direct the Treasury to extend the federal bonus for unemployment insurance, order the Treasury and HUD to provide temporary funds to renters and struggling homeowners, extend a payment moratorium on student loans, and defer the 6.2% Social Security tax, also known as the payroll tax. All
ASSOCIATED PRESS On August 6, 2020, the Senate adjourned without passing a stimulus package. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) wasn’t involved in the talks, leaving Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to work directly with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. As
Many Americans are struggling to meet their credit card mills during the pandemic. zenstock | iStock | Getty Images Amid one of the worst downturns in U.S. history, nearly 80% of credit card holders say they’re worried they won’t be able to continue making even the minimum payments on their debt. The figure comes from
Downtown Greenville, South Carolina getty I’ll state right away that I still see promise in certain big-city real estate investment trusts (REITs). So this is not a hit against that entire focus. You may have seen the recent news that Facebook (Nasdaq: FB) signed a massive lease with Vornado Realty Trust (VNO). And that’s in
Medics transfer a patient on a stretcher from an ambulance outside of Emergency at Coral Gables Hospital where Coronavirus patients are treated in Coral Gables near Miami, on July 30, 2020. Chandan Khanna | AFP | Getty Images The United States has surpassed 5 million Covid-19 cases, a grisly milestone that represents roughly a quarter
Economic Security Planning, Inc. Today’s column addresses questions about having no income in the years before filing, potentially filing early with minor children, potential effects of continuing to earn income and how spousal benefit amounts are determined. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University and the founder and president of Economic Security
ASSOCIATED PRESS On August 6, 2020, the Senate adjourned without passing a stimulus package. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) wasn’t involved in the talks, leaving Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to work directly with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. As
Tenants and housing activists in Brooklyn, New York, protested in a Bushwick park on July 5. Erik McGregor | Getty Images Negotiations over the next coronavirus stimulus package on Capitol Hill ended the week in a stalemate. But there’s one form of help lawmakers reportedly agree on: a second set of stimulus checks. This week’s
In the days following the death of George Floyd, Brooklyn-based entrepreneur Aurora James was skeptical of the deluge of corporate support for the Black community. “As a Black woman, and also as a business owner, I was reading it, but I wasn’t necessarily feeling it to be true,” said James, who runs Brother Vellies, a company
Spencer Platt | Getty Images As earnings season wraps up, analysts are reviewing their short-term and long-term take on the stocks they cover. While some companies delivered blowout quarters (see below), other stocks are suffering as global restrictions continue. And while government-backed stimulus programs can provide some relief, the truth remains that the pandemic- and
Mortgage interest rates have dropped even lower getty As the weeks go by, the rates get lower. A few weeks ago mortgage interest rates dipped below the 3% barrier—which was a line in the sand many industry experts doubted would ever be crossed. Now, according to Freddie Mac’s latest weekly report, mortgage interest rates reached
Young elementary school students and their parents attempt to get the attention of passing motorists on Church Street in Winchester, MA on July 30, 2020. A group of Winchester parents hold an event on the town common, voicing their concerns about younger students being able to learn remotely and advocating for the full return of
People gather at the entrance for the New York State Department of Labor offices in Brooklyn on March 20, 2020. The Federal Reserve estimates that 47 million people could lose their jobs before the COVID-19 crisis ends. Andrew Kelly | REUTERS Futures tied to major U.S. equity averages held steady in overnight trading on Thursday
getty Professor Marshall Ketchum eyed the young graduate student. His colleague, Professor Marschak, former director of the Cowles Commission for Research in Economics, had directed the student to get a reading list from the learned academic. That student would go on to win the Nobel Prize. And it was all because of one of the
WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 03: U.S. President Donald Trump makes remarks as he meets with U.S. Tech … [+] Workers and signs an Executive Order on Hiring Americans, in the Cabinet Room of the White House on August 3, 2020 in Washington, DC. The executive order bans federal agencies from firing American citizens or green