Archive for October, 2008

Saving the Economy - Do we Spend or Save?

Thursday, October 30th, 2008

Citizens may be feeling the pressure from the media or government to get out there and save the economy by spending – it’s their patriotic duty to spend. According to the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book report, consumers have been pulling back on spending since September, with a resounding moan from ...

The Federal Reserve

Tuesday, October 28th, 2008

The Federal Reserve, simply put, is the central banking system for the United States. The Federal Reserve is ran by an appointed board of governors, and is located in Washington, D.C. These individuals are chosen by the acting President. The Federal Reserve itself is composed of the Board of Governors, ...

The Dow Jones Industrial Average

Saturday, October 25th, 2008

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is one of the most important economic indexes in the world and has been that since its inception in 1896. This index is especially important not only because of its age and heritage, but also because of the fact that it is easily one of ...

The Nasdaq Composite Index

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008

Financial indexes play a major role in how Americans, in fact how people globally, determine how their economy is doing. A financial index measures the day to day movement of stock markets. Indexes have become a yardstick of the economy. One of those financial indexes is the NASDAQ Composite Index. The ...

What is the S&P 500?

Saturday, October 18th, 2008

A discussion or news report on the stock exchange and investing would not be complete without mention of the S&P 500. The term “S&P 500” is the acronym for Standard & Poor’s 500 index which is a grouping of 500 stocks that have been selected by the S&P Index Committee. ...

Economic Crisis 2008: Where the US Economy is going

Thursday, October 16th, 2008

So, like most, my thoughts have been on where the US economy is right now and where we are headed. We've known this was coming for years. Unqualified home buyers in bulk. Large mortgage companies collapsing. Credit Card Debt out of control. Spending 3 trillion on the war in Iraq. Last ...

How the Economy Effects Credit

Monday, October 13th, 2008

Trying to understand how the economy, the Federal Reserve, and even gas prices affect the credit card in your wallet can be difficult. However, along with other factors, they are all closely related. Most financial transactions involving banks revolve around the Federal Reserve and the interest rates they set. The Federal ...

Managing Your Credit Card Account Online

Tuesday, October 7th, 2008

Managing Your Credit Card In order to make full use of your credit card, you need to manage it well and don't spend more than what you can afford to buy. You need to file up all your credit card statements that are sent monthly, so that should there be any ...

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the Financial Crisis

Wednesday, October 1st, 2008

In September 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced the federal takeover of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The bailout of the two government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) occurred in the midst of the current credit crisis, further fueling anxiety of the US market as well as concern ...