28 September 2018
Question: According to MSN:Money, what are 6 things other governments provide that Americans still have to pay for?
Kavanaugh’s accuser stands by her allegations in gripping testimony – Pg. 1
– …recounted a 36-year-old ordeal…
– (Prof Note: How does one prove/disprove an event that occurred 36 years in the past without documentation?! Contemporaneous notes!!!)
Chinese household debt rise compounds fears for growth – Pg. 2
– The country’s ratio of household debt to GDP hit a high of 49.1% in 2017, marking an increase of nearly 20% over the past five years…
– The report comes amid concern over the extraordinary rise in Chinese debt since the 2008 global financial crisis
– …steep rises in house prices have led to an increase in mortgage debt, which, combined with the rapid rise of online consumer lending – which barely existed four years ago – have caused a sharp rise in household debt in the past two years
– Household consumption as a share of GDP remains low by international standards at 39.1%. In the US and EU, the same ratio is 68.4 and 55.6%, respectively
– Rising debt and slower growth of household income are causing concern at the impact on consumption and growth
Fed faces questions on whether gentle tightening is at odds with booming economy – Pg. 4
– The latest quarter-point increase leaves policy closer to neutral settings, but, as Mr Powell stressed, rates are still low enough to support growth
– …the Fed envisages an expansion running above 3% this year, as strong household spending and fiscal stimulus more than outweigh an drag from Mr Trump’s trade wars
– The Fed’s median forecast sees rates plateauing at 3.4% in 2020 and 2021, which is above its forecast for longer-run levels
– That suggests policy will become restrictive the year after next, but only marginally…
– Inflation is forecast to stick obediently close to the Fed’s 2% target – even as unemployment tumbles to just 3.5% – far below the Fed’s best guess of its sustainable rate
Answer: (1) College; (2) Healthcare; (3) Vacation; (4) Parental Leave; (5) Baby items; (6) Daycare