Fact of the Week

  by Raymond J. Keating- The U.S. Census Bureau’s latest durable goods report has two stories to tell. First, it’s important to keep in mind that durable goods orders serve as a kind of leading indicator on the economy, specifically, gauging both business and household confidence when it comes to making investments. It also offers […]

Small Business Insider   by Raymond J. Keating- On August 15, the Federal Reserve served up its latest measure of industrial production, i.e., the output of the nation’s industrial sectors, i.e., manufacturing, mining and utilities. Specifically, industrial production edged up by 0.1 percent in July. Over the previous five months, however, growth averaged 0.5 percent. […]

Small Business Insider   by Raymond J. Keating- First quarter real GDP growth in the U.S. was lackluster, with growth registering a meager 2.0 percent. However, that, of course, does not mean that growth was the same across the nation. Indeed, as we see in the state GDP report from the U.S. Bureau of Economic […]

by Raymond J. Keating- Texas is a big state that welcomes entrepreneurs and small businesses. Small Business Policy Index 2018: Texas ranked second best – number 2 – among the 50 states. SBE Council’s “Small Business Policy Index 2018” ranks the 50 states according to 55 different policy measures, including a wide array of tax, […]

Small Business Insider   by Raymond J. Keating- Inflation, as measured by changes in the Consumer Price Index, has notably calmed in recent months. As reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI inflation registered 0.1 percent in June. That came after 0.2 percent in both April and May, -0.1 percent in March, and […]

Small Business Insider by Raymond J. Keating- Nothing in this world is perfect, especially when it comes to government. But we Americans came up with the best form of government known to man, with ideas, principles and specifics laid out in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. When a president is given the […]

Small Business Insider  by Raymond J. Keating- According to the latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, personal income in May showed solid growth. The 0.4 percent rise in May was up from 0.3 percent in March and 0.2 percent in April. Meanwhile, the personal consumption expenditures price index, a limited inflation measure, […]

by Raymond J. Keating- In its Federal Open Market Committee statement released on June 13, beyond the quarter-point increase in the federal funds rate to a targeted range of 1.75 percent to 2 percent, the Fed was quite upbeat in its assessment on the state of the U.S. economy. For example, the statement opened: “Information […]

by Raymond J. Keating- In the second estimate of first quarter GDP released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis on May 30, the topline real GDP growth number actually got a tiny bit worse – revised from 2.3 percent real growth to 2.2 percent. The key problem remained with the consumer, with sluggish real […]

by Raymond J. Keating- With National Small Business Week upon us, it’s a great time for a reminder on the importance of entrepreneurship and small business to the U.S. economy. Successful Big Businesses Started as a Small Business First, let’s state the obvious because even the obvious somehow manages to elude many, including assorted so-called […]