Where Does Profit Come from in the Payments Industry?
The recent development in the payments industry, namely the rise of Fintech companies, has created an opportunity to revisit the economics of the payment system and the puzzling nature of…
Is Labor Market Signaling the Weakening of Macroeconomic Models?
U.S. labor department's latest statistics, published on January 10th, suggested that the unemployment rate remained at a 50-year low of 3.5 percent. However, the same report indicates thatU.S. wage growth dropped below…
Is the Recent Buyback Spree Creating Liquidity Problems for the Dealers?
The anxiaties about large financial corporations' debt-funded payouts—aka "stock buybacks"—is reemerging a decade after the financial crisis. Companies on the S&P 500 have poured more than $5.3 trillion into repurchasing…
Is Debt a Sin?
In the recent world bank report published in the first week of January, the Washington D.C.-based group said there had been four waves of government debt accumulation over the last…
Is the Fed Losing Steam in Controlling Interest Rate?
As the final countdown to bring in 2020 begins, new concerns have emerged regarding the Fed's continuous ability to control the interest rate. Developments in the financial market such as…
Paid in Full? The Student Loan Crisis
Student loan debt is a universal crisis in our nation that is transcending race, age, and gender groups. A CNBC report illustrates that while student loan debt has slowed in…
In Vino Veritas…Ceteris Paribus
Prices for California wines are expected to drop to the lowest they have been in the past five years. Wine consumption in the US has consistently grown over the past…
Organic Dairy Farmers in Decline
Sales of organic products in the US exceeded $50 billion in revenue for the first time ever in 2018. Organic sales have more than doubled since 2010. Despite this tremendous…
Price Increases at The Happiest Place on Earth
In the wake of opening new Star Wars themed attractions in their parks, Disneyland and Walt Disney World recently announced a price increase on tickets to visit their theme parks.…
Coronavirus Outbreak Could Have Major Economic Impact
Last week, the world learned that a deadly, fast-moving disease called the coronavirus had appeared in several Chinese cities. The mysterious illness has already killed more than a hundred people…