Onto Fiscal Cliff #2 (and #3, and #4, and . . . ???) Statistician Nate Silver has advanced an interesting explanation for ever more frequent (and seemingly more acute) attacks of political gridlock nationally — the just-averted Fiscal Cliff fiasco serving as Exhibit A. Namely, politicians on both sides of the aisle have conspired to...Read More
Renting vs. Owning: Shifting Consumer Preferences? Before explaining the “tectonic plates” of the housing market, this preliminary question: What was the biggest factor in the stock market’s almost 12X(!) appreciation between 1982 and 2000? A. Increased corporate earningsB. Low interest ratesC. An increase in stocks’ price-earnings multipleD. Reduced taxes on capital gains Answer: C Although...Read More
