The Housing Crisis has claimed its two largest victims: Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Plans have been announced to place these institutions into conservatorship (I'll get to that in a minute). What follows is

1.) A brief explanation of what Fannie and Freddie do and why they are so...

Today, the Central Valley Business Times ran an interview with the President of the American Small Business League, Lloyd Chapman. The interview was published in conjunction with an article, which covered the Presidential candidates and their respective small business platforms, as well as the continued diversion of small business contracts...

In the rush to globalization, the United States has tossed aside a crucial principle that guided the economic prosperity of the twentieth century: corporate leaders have a responsibility to their country, their community, and their employees that goes beyond maximizing share value.

Many shareholders will surely wince at this statement,...

"Sacre Bleu!" (liberal translation: "Holy Cow!") -- the Wall Street Journal informs us that "Commodity-Market regulators are investigating whether energy market players are injecting false data into the marketplace to influence perceptions about crude oil supply and demand" ("Oil-Supply Data Probed for Manipulation," 09.04.08). That inventory numbers are being...

Starbucks customers ready to order a latte and cinnamon twist noticed a few menu changes this week. At 11,570 U.S. and Canada locations, five wholesomely titled new breakfast items appeared: "perfect oatmeal," "berry stella" pastry, "chewy fruit and nut bar," "multigrain roll," and "apple bran muffin." Select Starbucks even offer...

Until two years ago, I had never given much thought to the millions of people who work from home.

But I began to learn about this rapidly growing army when, in conjunction with my workplace segments on Good Morning America, Diane Sawyer issued me a challenge: Find ways for our...

In late July, the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced it would release its official federal small business contracting statistics for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 by the end of August. On August 25, 2008, attorneys representing the SBA told Federal District Court Judge Marilyn H. Patel that the SBA did not...

From the Fed:

Reports from the twelve Federal Reserve Districts indicate that the pace of economic activity has been slow in most Districts. Many described business conditions as "weak," "soft," or "subdued." Cleveland and St. Louis reported some weakening since their last reports while Boston and New York...

For too long Democrats have been derided as economically clueless tax-and-spenders. No wonder Americans so often vote against their own common interests.

We should know better. And now we do.

Alan S. Blinder, in The New York Times, drew recently (9.30.08) from Unequal Democracy, a new book by...

Neither Obama nor McCain can save you, your family, or your business during these current economic times and neither have plans sufficient enough to ensure your future. Only you and Your Team can get you to the "success" side of the existing economic conditions. The recent pullback in the market...

There's been a lot written lately in the New York area press about how renters can get an edge in the busy summer and fall season. The New York Times even dedicated a Sunday real estate section cover story to what was supposed to be Renting 101. That story,...

Look around you. If you're like me, your life is filled with technology and tools that help you work, live, and play. New devices like iPhones, social networks like Facebook, "breakthrough" pharmaceuticals, and sleek household products are all around us. It seems like innovation in many fields -- from Web...

You won't hear much about gay marriage this week at the Republican convention, but it remains a hotly-contested political issue, particularly in California, where a fall ballot initiative would overturn the state Supreme Court decision giving same-sex couples the right to wed. John McCain supports the ballot Proposition 8...

Every year, Dalbar, Inc., a respected independent market research firm, publishes a study entitled Quantitative Analysis of Investor Behavior. The study measures the actual performance of stock and bond investors and compares that performance to various benchmarks.

The latest study found that, for the 20 year period ending December 31,...

Regardless of what you think of John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate, it has become clear that his campaign blew the Palin vetting and selection process...and that McCain himself made a last-minute impulse decision designed to appease critics within the party who objected to his preferred...

I am writing this post on a laptop that is no bigger than a bible you find next to a hotel bed. The screen measures 9-inches diagonally and the lilliputian keyboard requires my hands to be almost touching each other as I type. When I leave the New York City...

Want to know how to take back this country, or start a revolution? The answer is as obvious as the nose on your face. Banks.

Take your money out of the banks. Get a safe. Personally, I don't hold money long enough to even need one. As soon as I...