Treasury Bonds: Is There a Growing Bubble?
Rick Mathews in Business 4 weeks ago
What is the bubble economists keep talking about? Why is it important? How will it affect me?
- 5 Mics
- 7 Comments
- 3 Shares
5 Things I Learned From President Obama's Budget
Rick Mathews in Business 1 month ago
President Obama's budget has some surprising lessons. Here are five of the biggest ones.
- 6 Mics
- 15 Comments
- 2 Shares
House and Senate Finally Prove They Can Work Together
Rick Mathews in Politics 2 months ago
Congress actually did something bipartisan for once, passing a continual resolution on the budget Thursday morning and sending to the White House to be signed.
- 4 Mics
- 4 Comments
- 3 Shares
Medicare Reform is Necessary to Save It
Rick Mathews in Politics 2 months ago
For 50 years Congress has been addressing the pending insolvency of Medicare. It is time to save Medicare and lay the cornerstone to long-term deficit reduction.
- 6 Mics
- 34 Comments
- 5 Shares
Government Shutdown 2013: Encouraging Signs That It Will Be Avoided Emerge
Rick Mathews in Politics 2 months ago
Something serious is going on in Washington. The House passed a bill to avoid a government shutdown and both the Senate and White House may approve it.
- 3 Mics
- 5 Comments
- 14 Shares
Sequester 2013: 4 Things That Guarantee More Partisan Gridlock
Rick Mathews in Business 3 months ago
Why the sequester is a recipe for more gridlock.
- 2 Mics
- 1 Comments
- 0 Shares
Sequestration 2013: Don't Expect It to Hurt the Bullish Stock Market
Rick Mathews in Business 3 months ago
The stock market is on a historic bull run in 2013, despite multiple economic crises.
- 4 Mics
- 9 Comments
- 2 Shares
SEAL Team 6 Shooter: He Deserves a Hero's Reward, Not a Nightmare On Earth
Rick Mathews in World 3 months ago
When killing the most wanted terrorist in the world is rewarded by a living nightmare without a job, health insurance, or a military pension, something is very, very wrong in America.
- 3 Mics
- 17 Comments
- 3 Shares
January Unemployment Rate Tops the Worst Week For U.S. Economic News Since the Great Recession
Rick Mathews in Business 4 months ago
Unemployment is up, GDP growth is negative, and consumer confidence is at a four year low. Is the U.S. economy tearing at the seams?
- 7 Mics
- 113 Comments
- 20 Shares
Double Dip Recession Coming? Consumer Confidence Falls, Foreshadows GDP Drop
Rick Mathews in Business 4 months ago
GDP has turned Negative. Consumer Confidence is at three year low. Is a double-dip recession coming?
- 4 Mics
- 20 Comments
- 0 Shares
White House Chief of Staff Isn't the Position You Think It is
Rick Mathews in Politics 4 months ago
Inside the beltway, the White House chief of staff is sometimes considered "the most powerful man in Washington." Almost the opposite is true.
- 2 Mics
- 3 Comments
- 8 Shares
U.S. Government Shutdown, Not a Default, is the Far More Likely Scenario
Rick Mathews in Politics 4 months ago
Don't believe the hype: the U.S. government will not default under any circumstances. But a government shutdown is a completely different story.
- 1 Mics
- 2 Comments
- 4 Shares
5 Headlines That Prove the Debt Ceiling War Has Raged For Decades
Rick Mathews in Business 4 months ago
As we approach yet another debt ceiling fight, let's take a deep breath and remember that our battle in Congress over the debt ceiling is arguably our longest civil war.
- 5 Mics
- 3 Comments
- 4 Shares
Debt Ceiling Crisis: As GOP Readies to Let Us Default, Dems Consider Invoking the 14th Amendment
Rick Mathews in Business 5 months ago
With the Fiscal Cliff thankfully now behind us, last week, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner raised our next crisis: Federal borrowing has reached the $16.394 trillion debt ceiling.
- 3 Mics
- 6 Comments
- 6 Shares
BLS Unemplolyment Rate: At 7.8%, Could the Government Be Fudging the Numbers?
Rick Mathews in Business 5 months ago
BLS estimated America’s unemployment rate for December to have been 7.8%. New job growth from the employer survey came out at 140,000+.
- 4 Mics
- 9 Comments
- 11 Shares
Who Should be Next U.S. Treasury Secretary?
Rick Mathews in Business 5 months ago
Larry Fink would be a good insider candidate, and Mitt Romney would be a solid out-of-the box candidate.
- 2 Mics
- 2 Comments
- 1 Shares
Christmas 2012: This is the Greatest Gift This Year
Rick Mathews in Millennials 5 months ago
This Christmas season, the greatest gift we can share is the love of family and friends, and a renewed faith in our ability to believe in other people.
- 5 Mics
- 4 Comments
- 5 Shares
Housing Report: New Construction Down 3% in November, Full Analysis
Rick Mathews in Business 5 months ago
Housing has been considered a major factor in the recovery, leading to questions on its future potential to impact economic growth.
- 3 Mics
- 4 Comments
- 0 Shares
Fiscal Cliff 2013: Presidents Clinton and Bush Should Broker Deal
Rick Mathews in Business 5 months ago
President Obama and Speaker Boehner could break the gridlock surrounding the fiscal cliff by bringing in former Presidents Clinton and Bush to broker a deal.
- 4 Mics
- 8 Comments
- 22 Shares
Fiscal Cliff Explained: How We Got Into This Fiscal Cliff Sequester Mess
Rick Mathews in Business 5 months ago
Congress and the White House legislated the sequester into existence. It's how it all began.
- 2 Mics
- 12 Comments
- 2 Shares
November Unemployment Numbers: No Miracle But Happier Holidays For Millions
Rick Mathews in Business 6 months ago
November's unemployment numbers didn't represent a repeat of our 2011 Christmas Miracle dropping below 9% for the first time in 2 1/2 years. But for millions it will be a happier holiday.
- 0 Mics
- 1 Comments
- 1 Shares
Fiscal Cliff 2013: Show Washington How To Balance the Budget With the Deficit Puzzle Challenge
Rick Mathews in Business 6 months ago
The online you-fix-the-deficit puzzle allows all Americans to balance our budget in three minutes or less. It lends a basic insight into spending and revenue complexity.
- 5 Mics
- 19 Comments
- 0 Shares
Fiscal Cliff Vote: We Need to Jump Off the Cliff in 2013, Then Put The Pieces Back Together
Rick Mathews in Business 6 months ago
There is growing consensus that we should go over the fiscal cliff. That's good news. It's better than a lot of other options.
- 6 Mics
- 27 Comments
- 1 Shares
Fiscal Cliff 2013: Fiscal Cliff Negotiations Will Destroy Holiday Retail Sales
Rick Mathews in Business 6 months ago
The Obama administration fears consumer confidence will take a nosedive this holiday season if no compromise is reached over the fiscal cliff, but payroll taxes may be key to holiday shoppers.
- 2 Mics
- 5 Comments
- 0 Shares
Fiscal Cliff Definition: The Most Critical Part of the Debt Crisis That No One is Talking About
Rick Mathews in Business 6 months ago
The Social Security disability trust fund is going bankrupt and 9 million Americans could lose benefits. It is the fiscal cliff no one is talking about. Here's how to fix it.
- 7 Mics
- 42 Comments
- 2 Shares
Fiscal Cliff 2013: These Fiscal Crises Are Even Worse
Rick Mathews in Business 6 months ago
The fiscal cliff pales in comparison to the insolvency of quickly pending for our entitlement programs. But this doesn't need to be our future. Simpson-Bowles offers a way out.
- 8 Mics
- 54 Comments
- 9 Shares
Fiscal Cliff 2013: What It Means For You
Rick Mathews in Business 6 months ago
Return to the Clinton-era tax rates doesn't represent a fiscal cliff to majority of America. We are talking about $450 for single filers and $900 for couples for most Americans.
- 4 Mics
- 10 Comments
- 12 Shares
Fiscal Cliff 2013: Why Falling Off the Cliff May Be What America Needs Right Now
Rick Mathews in Business 6 months ago
Both major parties are claiming complete disaster if the Bush Tax cuts are allowed to expire, payroll taxes are raised and the sequester kicks in. Here's why they're wrong.
- 8 Mics
- 14 Comments
- 35 Shares
Obama Second Term: From Reagan to Clinton, Second Term Presidents Can Still Make History
Rick Mathews in Politics 7 months ago
Obama has the opportunity to accomplish quite a bit in his second term. Liberated from partisan politics, history proves second term presidents have accomplished truly monumental things.
- 10 Mics
- 15 Comments
- 4 Shares
Markets Drop After Obama Reelection: American Investors Panic Causing 2 Percent Drop
Rick Mathews in Business 7 months ago
After Obama re-election, three major equity indexes drop by over 2%. Split governance causes panic in U.S. markets while fiscal cliff looms.
- 4 Mics
- 10 Comments
- 15 Shares
Unemployment Numbers Are Up, But Consumer Confidence is on the Rise
Rick Mathews in Politics 7 months ago
Consumers and perhaps voters don't care about monthly unemployment numbers. They care about what they see, housing prices, retail sales and the security of their jobs.
- 5 Mics
- 10 Comments
- 1 Shares
Presidential Polls: Sandy Might Have Wiped Out Obama Early Voting Lead
Rick Mathews in Politics 7 months ago
The devastation caused by Frankenstorm Sandy could well prove the truth of that adage changing the course of this presidential election.
- 4 Mics
- 16 Comments
- 9 Shares
Post Tropical Storm Sandy: Hurricane Sandy Aftermath Limited Thanks To Public Safety Networks
Rick Mathews in Science 7 months ago
Now a post-tropical storm, Hurricane Sandy reminded us of the importance of having a robust public safety network to avert even bigger catastrophes.
- 1 Mics
- 1 Comments
- 12 Shares
Real Unemployment: Jobs and Economic Growth For 2013 Will Be Tepid
Rick Mathews in Business 7 months ago
A repeat of Black Monday was avoided. But 3rd quarter earnings continue to disappoint, unemployment remains discouraging and we sit on a fiscal cliff which could lead back into recession.
- 3 Mics
- 8 Comments
- 4 Shares
Presidential Polls 2012: Political Polls Can Determine if Romney or Obama Wins the Election
Rick Mathews in Politics 7 months ago
If you've never taken the time to answer a telephone political poll, you might want to rethink your position. Your opinion in this election process represents 300,000 votes.
- 4 Mics
- 5 Comments
- 3 Shares
Who Won the Presidential Debates: It Was a Draw, But Millennials Were the Biggest Losers
Rick Mathews in Politics 7 months ago
Millennials and America's future were once again punted down the road as talking points firing up the base, not solutions, continue to dominate the 2012 presidential race.
- 9 Mics
- 34 Comments
- 4 Shares
Real Unemployment Rate: GE CEO Jack Welch is Wrong About Jobsgate, Obama Did Not Cook the Numbers
Rick Mathews in Politics 8 months ago
Welcome to what the conspiracy wing of America contends could be this generation's Watergate.
- 9 Mics
- 22 Comments
- 18 Shares
Unemployment Rate Drops to 7.8 Percent as 350,000 More Americans Quit: How This Relates to the 2008 Election
Rick Mathews in Business 8 months ago
America has now added 200,000 net new jobs the past two months and lost 700,000 Americans from the roles of job seekers which caused our unemployment rate to drop from 8.3% in July to 7.8% today.
- 9 Mics
- 21 Comments
- 182 Shares
Friday Jobs Numbers: Unemployment Should be Obama and Romneys Top Priority
Rick Mathews in Politics 8 months ago
Between 1948 and 2012 unemployment rates historically averaged 5.8%. At tonight's presidential debate, Romney and Obama need to outline how they will get unemployment back down to that number.
- 2 Mics
- 3 Comments
- 0 Shares
Obama vs Romney Presidential Debate: Why the Trade Deficit Should Take Center Stage
Rick Mathews in Business 8 months ago
With the groundwork laid we take a look at what President Obama and Gov. Romney intend to do about net exports, as GDP discussions enter the race to the White House.
- 5 Mics
- 44 Comments
- 0 Shares
US Trade Deficit: How Our Negative Balance of Trade is Harming the Recovery
Rick Mathews in Business 8 months ago
Examining GDP provides a valuable foundation to discuss finding the pieces of the puzzle, which will result in a healthy economic recovery.
- 3 Mics
- 11 Comments
- 3 Shares
Government Spending and GDP: a $5.4 Trillion Benefit Who Some Think is a Pending Disaster
Rick Mathews in Business 8 months ago
Understanding how GDP is calculated lends greater insight into an analysis on America’s economic struggles during the last decade.
- 8 Mics
- 9 Comments
- 2 Shares
US GDP: How Three Types of Investments Impact Economic Growth
Rick Mathews in Business 8 months ago
Part three of series on GDP and its effect on economy.
- 6 Mics
- 8 Comments
- 3 Shares
US GDP is 70 Percent Personal Consumption: Inside the Numbers
Rick Mathews in Business 8 months ago
Part II of series on how understanding GDP explains the nation's limited economic recovery. Appreciate not running this until Friday to give me time to complete next segment of seven-parter.
- 7 Mics
- 8 Comments
- 8 Shares
GDP and the US Economy: 3 Ways to Measure Economic Production
Rick Mathews in Business 8 months ago
There is a reason our Economic recovery continues to struggle. GDP has multiple components which are inter-related in a complex system which does not simply sum to E=MC2.
- 18 Mics
- 35 Comments
- 2 Shares
QE3 Announcement: What is QE3, and Will the Fed and Bernanke Silver Bullet Work?
Rick Mathews in Business 8 months ago
Not only is the Fed out of ammunition with which to fight high unemployment, it may have outlived its usefulness.
- 5 Mics
- 7 Comments
- 29 Shares
Euro Zone Crisis Fears Ease as German High Court Approves Bailout Mechanism
Rick Mathews in World 8 months ago
Germany's Constitutional Court on Wednesday ruled that the country may fund the country's share of the proposed European Stability Mechanism bailout fund, rejecting requests for an injunction.
- 2 Mics
- 4 Comments
- 2 Shares
August Jobs Data: How Obama and Romney Will Spin the Numbers Ahead of Election 2012
Rick Mathews in Business 9 months ago
The economy added a net seasonally adjusted 90,000 new jobs in August. So what does this all mean?
- 7 Mics
- 42 Comments
- 2 Shares
Labor Day 2012: How the American Dream Was Lost, And How We Can Reclaim It
Rick Mathews in Business 9 months ago
In 1979 "Made in America" had a 22 million person workforce. How many of our unemployed and underemployed would be celebrating this Labor Day if the Dream had not been broken by outsourcing jobs?
- 2 Mics
- 3 Comments
- 0 Shares
Mitt Romney's Speech Last Night: Transcript of the Speech He Should Have Given, But Did Not
Rick Mathews in Politics 9 months ago
Here's the speech Mitt Romney really should have given.
- 3 Mics
- 5 Comments
- 0 Shares
Great Recession Will Be Nothing Compared to Looming Catastrophe
Rick Mathews in Business 9 months ago
American consumers account for 70% of our economic activity. Leveraging them out of debt and back into a buying mode is key to long-term recovery.
- 7 Mics
- 1 Comments
- 0 Shares
Why the Paul Ryan Medicare Plan is a Win for Seniors
Rick Mathews in Politics 9 months ago
Ryan Medicare will save, not destroy Medicare.
- 4 Mics
- 0 Comments
- 2 Shares
Ron Paul Gold Standard is an Impossible Dream
Rick Mathews in Business 9 months ago
Restoring Gold Standard remains a widely supported conservative agenda item. While the Gold Standard once offerred major benefits, today it is an impossible dream.
- 12 Mics
- 68 Comments
- 1 Shares
The Fed is Working Hard to Fix the Economy, Congress is Not
Rick Mathews in Business 10 months ago
On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve Board announced it would not currently undertake further actions to stimulate the economy.
- 13 Mics
- 17 Comments
- 3 Shares
27.3% of Single Parent Households Live in Poverty
Rick Mathews in Politics 10 months ago
Only 6% of married families in America live in poverty yet 29% of single moms and a growing number of our elderly have raise our poverty level to record heights.
- 7 Mics
- 9 Comments
- 3 Shares
Super PAC Money Will Not Matter in Obama and Romney 2012 Race
Rick Mathews in Politics 10 months ago
All the money in the world can't salvage a bad track record.
- 4 Mics
- 7 Comments
- 1 Shares
Erin Andrews and Tom Cruise: All the Big Stories From Monday
Rick Mathews in Culture 11 months ago
A look at Monday's top Google Trends.
- 0 Mics
- 1 Comments
- 0 Shares
30 Million Americans Are Not Eligible For Health Care Coverage Under ACA
Rick Mathews in Politics 11 months ago
SCOTUS allows states to drop 30 million from ACA coverage. Uninsured are biggest losers, state budgets the biggest winner.
- 2 Mics
- 13 Comments
- 3 Shares
Dow Index Plummets 251 Points, Oil Prices Drop 4%, and Nothing Has Changed
Rick Mathews in Business 11 months ago
Equities continue to jump up and down with little reason. Unless of course you wish to admit, fear remains the biggest factor moving the market on its wild ride.
- 8 Mics
- 6 Comments
- 0 Shares
Unemployment hits 8.2% and Growth Stalls, But America Shouldn't Panic
Rick Mathews in Business 12 months ago
What America should realize concerning the new unemployment rate is that the U.S. economy is doing as well as can be hoped for.
- 14 Mics
- 30 Comments
- 6 Shares
How Memorial Day Lost All its Meaning
Rick Mathews in Politics 1 year ago
For far too many, the upcoming three-day weekend marks the beginning of summer, not a chance to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in our nation's service.
- 24 Mics
- 45 Comments
- 82 Shares
Simpson Bowles Can Help America Avoid a 2013 Recession
Rick Mathews in Business 1 year ago
Simpson-Bowles offers a path toward restoring American fiscal sanity.
- 14 Mics
- 59 Comments
- 5 Shares
America Can Be the Oil Capital of the World, and North Dakota Can Be Like Kuwait
Rick Mathews in Science 1 year ago
The best kept secret in America is that the country is filled with vast amounts of energy resources.
- 7 Mics
- 15 Comments
- 580 Shares
Why Obama Banned Cell Phones at His Private Fundraisers
Rick Mathews in Politics 1 year ago
President Obama has asked participants at fundraisers to give up their cell phones before coming into the event. In this age of cell phone cameras and recorded-everything, is privacy allowed?
- 12 Mics
- 22 Comments
- 2 Shares
Millennials Have the Power to Determine the Winner of the 2012 Presidential Elections
Rick Mathews in Politics 1 year ago
If as few as 10,000 American millennials chose to act, they could claim the presidential nomination on the site Americans Elect 2012.
- 9 Mics
- 25 Comments
- 22 Shares
Obama Afghanistan Speech: Bin Laden Dead, But More U.S. Troops Through 2024
Rick Mathews in World 1 year ago
President Obama cannot ask America to continue putting our loved ones and economy at risk by staying in Afghanistan through 2024.
- 8 Mics
- 16 Comments
- 31 Shares
Ron Paul Yard Signs Dot Pennsylvania Primary Landscape
Rick Mathews in Politics 1 year ago
Still, enthusiasm is low. Less than 1 in 5 are likely to vote in the primary.
- 4 Mics
- 9 Comments
- 63 Shares
Why is Mitt Romney Leading Barack Obama in Polls?
Rick Mathews in Politics 1 year ago
The 2012 race boils down to who Americans will believe most.
- 0 Mics
- 5 Comments
- 2 Shares
Tax Day Debate: To Raise Revenue or Cut Spending? That is the Question
Rick Mathews in Business 1 year ago
The right wants spending slashed. The left wants to raise taxes on the rich. So how do you actually balance a trillion plus deficit?
- 7 Mics
- 19 Comments
- 0 Shares
5 Reasons Democrats Should Love GOP Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum
Rick Mathews in Politics 1 year ago
Ten votes by Rick Santorum which Democrats should love for, and which prove he is not the pro-growth, fiscal conservative he claims to be.
- 7 Mics
- 68 Comments
- 25 Shares
Solving the National Debt is the Biggest Issue in the 2012 Campaign
Rick Mathews in Politics 1 year ago
There are no more trust fund surpluses to raid. Interest debt will equal total personal tax collected. It's time to deal with our national debt crisis.
- 3 Mics
- 29 Comments
- 3 Shares
GOP Candidates Should Focus on Common Sense Solution to America's Problems
Rick Mathews in Politics 1 year ago
The GOP field has so confused voters, none know who should be elected president..
- 4 Mics
- 14 Comments
- 1 Shares
When the Payroll Tax Holiday Ends in 2013, Taxes Will Go Through the Roof
Rick Mathews in Politics 1 year ago
Come 2013, America is scheduled for its largest tax increase ever, and the majority of Americans will feel the impact deeply.
- 6 Mics
- 63 Comments
- 2 Shares
Rick Santorum Can Win the GOP Nomination if Social Conservatism Trumps Fiscal Conservatism in 2012
Rick Mathews in Politics 1 year ago
If this election is about social conservatism, Rick Santorum could become the GOP nominee. If it's about fiscal conservatism, he has no chance.
- 5 Mics
- 33 Comments
- 11 Shares
Congress Should Not Stonewall President Obama's $8 Billion Community College Initiative
Rick Mathews in Politics 1 year ago
Neither party in Congress is willing to fund our community college system to expand our workforce.
- 12 Mics
- 17 Comments
- 2 Shares
Falling Education Rates Leading to Higher Prison Populations, More Poverty
Rick Mathews in Politics 1 year ago
During Obama's State of the Union Address, our decreasing high school graduation rates were addressed – a possible cause of both the poverty and imprisonment concern.
- 4 Mics
- 11 Comments
- 0 Shares
What Is Political Conservatism? Competing Brands From Ron Paul to Rick Perry to Mitt Romney
Rick Mathews in Politics 1 year ago
There are so many types of conservatives and the devil is in the details when anyone attempts to place their conservative badge of honor on public display.
- 6 Mics
- 36 Comments
- 4 Shares
VIDEO: Obama Turned to Jon Corzine for Economic Advice
Rick Mathews in Business 2 years ago
When preparing to take office in October 2009, the Obama administration turned to disgraced chairman of MF Global Jon Corzine for economic advice. Will this come back to haunt Obama in 2012?
- 5 Mics
- 4 Comments
- 7 Shares
Uncertainty Preventing U.S. Job Growth
Rick Mathews in Business 2 years ago
Economic uncertainty is causing American businesses to hold $2.3 trillion in cash on their balance sheets.
- 8 Mics
- 21 Comments
- 2 Shares