Keating’s CyberColumn

SMALL BUSINESS INSIDER by Raymond J. Keating – Myriad issues and factors affect entrepreneurship, specifically, the decision to become an entrepreneur. And that includes assorted aspects of a country’s culture, including what we might call “pop culture.” I was reminded of this when coming across an online article – titled “The TV You Watch When […]

SMALL BUSINESS INSIDER by Raymond J. Keating –  The employment report for May from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics presented some potentially troubling signals. First, it must be noted that two favorite takeaways from this report are in obvious contradiction. The report opens: “Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 339,000 in May, and the […]

by Raymond J. Keating – As chief of staff to then President-elect Barack Obama, Rahm Emanuel infamously declared, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that, it’s an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before.” While cynical, this turns out to be […]

by Raymond J. Keating – If you’re concerned about government spending and the size of the federal government – and you should be – then the data from the latest Monthly Budget Review report from the Congressional Budget Office ranks as downright distressing. This report offers a look at the federal budget halfway through fiscal […]

SMALL BUSINESS INSIDER by Raymond J. Keating – In my thirty-plus years of observing, analyzing and writing about the economy, I’ve learned a few lessons, including how to assess matters during a crisis. First, don’t react in a knee-jerk fashion, thinking that the issues and causes are immediately clear, and likewise, don’t put too much […]

by Raymond J. Keating – According to the latest ISM Services PMI report, purchasing managers said the services sector of the U.S. economy expanded for the second straight month in February. The services sector data contrasted sharply with the ISM Manufacturing PMI that pointed to manufacturing declining for the fourth consecutive month in February. Coming […]

by Raymond J. Keating – At best, Congress and the White House have been dithering in terms of implementing pro-growth policies. At worst, and far closer to the truth, Washington has been pushing an anti-growth agenda, including higher taxes, more regulation, protectionism and more government spending. However, there are examples of elected officials making positive […]

by Raymond J. Keating – The Federal Reserve announced on November 2 that it would raise the federal funds rate by 0.75 percentage points to a targeted range of 3-3/4 to 4 percent. The Fed added, “The Committee anticipates that ongoing increases in the target range will be appropriate in order to attain a stance […]

Economic Insider  by Raymond J. Keating – Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell took part in an interesting discussion, courtesy of the Cato Institute, on the morning of September 8 about monetary policy. A few points jumped out, and further raised questions in my mind as to whether or not the Fed has any idea as […]

  by Raymond J. Keating – As part of a poll done in July, Gallup asked Americans what they thought about taxes on high-income earners. There are some lessons to takeaway Gallup’s presentation regarding their findings, as well as the need to think more clearly in economic terms. Gallup asked the following question: “People feel […]