When you talk about veterans, they don't get much more veteran-y than William Dunkelberg.
Bill is a professor of Economics at the School of Business and Management, Temple University, and served as dean from 1987-94. He was director of the Center for the Advancement and Study of Entrepreneurship from 1991-94.
He's also been the chief economist at the NFIB (National Federation of Independent Business) since 1971. Yes, you read that right: '71!
Expansion, recovery, recession, inflation, stagflation: If it's happened in the U.S. economy in the past 40 years, Bill has had a front row seat.
So when I hear that he is taking to the Inter-webs, I think I'd best alert folks to tune him in. "Your Bottom Line With Bill Dunkelberg” is a new web series geared at simple, clear, demystifying information on what drives the economy and how small business owners fit in.
Check it out.
Showing posts with label economy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label economy. Show all posts
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
A Woman in DC
Why was outgoing FDIC chair Sheila Bair routinely ignored and frozen out of the old boys' club in DC?
That's the question Joe Nocera asks in this excellent NY Times magazine cover story.
Bair anticipated the subprime mortgage crisis, tried to increase regulations on the industry and opposed big-bank bailouts, instead favoring initiatives designed to help homeowners, not bond owners.
Was she venerated for her foresight and celebrated for her savvy strategy?
Well, not exactly.
Actually, she was vilified for being "difficult" and informed about decisions already made by her male government counterparts. As she leaves her post, she speculates - was she marginalized for being a woman in a man's world, or patronized because she is not an Ivy Leaguer in a power-hungry society?
Read the article and see what you think.
That's the question Joe Nocera asks in this excellent NY Times magazine cover story.
Bair anticipated the subprime mortgage crisis, tried to increase regulations on the industry and opposed big-bank bailouts, instead favoring initiatives designed to help homeowners, not bond owners.
Was she venerated for her foresight and celebrated for her savvy strategy?
Well, not exactly.
Actually, she was vilified for being "difficult" and informed about decisions already made by her male government counterparts. As she leaves her post, she speculates - was she marginalized for being a woman in a man's world, or patronized because she is not an Ivy Leaguer in a power-hungry society?
Read the article and see what you think.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Feast or Famine
This is the rhythm of the freelance life.
After 21 years of self-employment, I've learned that work begets work and vice-versa. One on-hold project turns into another and the downward slide begins. Suddenly, you think about using all your free time to tackle that book you always wanted to write.
And then, assignments start trickling in, the snowball starts rolling, and suddenly, you're piled on two weeks before a busy holiday season.
You learn to roll with it, and be thankful. The upswing always feels better than the downturn.
If, as I've always contended, my work load is something of an early indicator of the economy, things are definitely looking up for 2011.
That book will just have to move over to the back burner yet again. One of these years.
After 21 years of self-employment, I've learned that work begets work and vice-versa. One on-hold project turns into another and the downward slide begins. Suddenly, you think about using all your free time to tackle that book you always wanted to write.
And then, assignments start trickling in, the snowball starts rolling, and suddenly, you're piled on two weeks before a busy holiday season.
You learn to roll with it, and be thankful. The upswing always feels better than the downturn.
If, as I've always contended, my work load is something of an early indicator of the economy, things are definitely looking up for 2011.
That book will just have to move over to the back burner yet again. One of these years.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
We're All Keynesians Now
My hero, Warren Buffet (aka the Oracle), has featured rather prominently in the financial reform debates going on in Congress this week, due to his close ties to Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson.
In light of that situation, and Buffet's annual meeting coming up this weekend, financial writer James Altucher poses a hypothetical Top 10 question list for Mr. B.
Meanwhile, a bit closer to home than Omaha, UCLA econ professor Roger Farmer will be speaking at Caltech on Sunday. His topic: Untangling the economics of the recent financial meltdown and parsing the Keynesians from the - what, Friedman-ites? - in the crowd. (I wonder if we'll have to sit on "bride and groom" sides of the auditorium?)
Yes, this stuff is dry as dust to most people - and about as appetizing - but I've been trying to get a handle on economics for most of my adult life. It will be interesting to see if I can at least follow the discussion.
A couple of years ago, theoretical physicist extraordinare Lisa Randall addressed the Skeptics Society. I may have followed about one-third of what she said. But it was a great workout for my brain, which had to be taken home and coddled (not like an egg!) afterwards.
In light of that situation, and Buffet's annual meeting coming up this weekend, financial writer James Altucher poses a hypothetical Top 10 question list for Mr. B.
Meanwhile, a bit closer to home than Omaha, UCLA econ professor Roger Farmer will be speaking at Caltech on Sunday. His topic: Untangling the economics of the recent financial meltdown and parsing the Keynesians from the - what, Friedman-ites? - in the crowd. (I wonder if we'll have to sit on "bride and groom" sides of the auditorium?)
Yes, this stuff is dry as dust to most people - and about as appetizing - but I've been trying to get a handle on economics for most of my adult life. It will be interesting to see if I can at least follow the discussion.
A couple of years ago, theoretical physicist extraordinare Lisa Randall addressed the Skeptics Society. I may have followed about one-third of what she said. But it was a great workout for my brain, which had to be taken home and coddled (not like an egg!) afterwards.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Medicare For All
I am not an expert, but I have tried to follow the ongoing health care debate through all its twists and turns this year. Reform is crucial for small business owners, who consistently say that providing health care benefits for their employees is the most costly problem they face.
So while I'm not sure exactly what's in this newest Senate compromise plan (no one is sure because the details haven't been released, pending a cost analysis), I am intrigued by the idea of extending Medicare coverage to individuals 55 and older.
For years, as a retirement columnist, I wrote about efforts aimed at keeping middle-aged and older people in the job market. They could semi-retire and continue on a part-time basis at their jobs. Or they could retire outright but work as consultants, perhaps training employees for their previous employers. Many were encouraged to freelance a few days or weeks a month as a way to supplement their income and retain their expertise.
Why the focus on stopping or slowing retirement? Believe it or not, just a few years ago the worry was about too many seasoned employees leaving the workforce early. It's hard to believe in our current jobs crisis, but back then (early to mid-2000s) the experts were panicked about a potential lack of U.S. workers.
Baby boomers, the first of whom are now in their early 60s, are such a huge demographic that economists worried when they retired there would not be enough younger workers to replace them. And the numbers bear that fear out - Gen. X and Y'ers can never match the 78 million Boomers for sheer size and clout.
Of course, life is strange and now we have the exact opposite problem. Boomers who saw their retirement funds evaporate last year have stayed on at their jobs longer than anticipated and canceled plans for early retirement. In fact, while we have record youth unemployment, Boomers are the only demographic actually seeing job growth in this recession.
So where, you ask, does expanding Medicare come into this equation? I think that Boomers may revisit their ideas about retirement over the next couple of years as they see the economy begin to right itself. Already, stock portfolios are recouping losses. If reasonable medical coverage were available through buying into Medicare before 62 or 65, some of those Boomers might feel comfortable at least exchanging full-time jobs for part-time, or consulting.
And as the behemoth generation begins to back away from the workforce, that will open up slots for the younger employees who right now are in holding patterns, either in grad school or living in mom and dad's basement.
A perfect solution? Probably not, because they simply don't exist. But it's an idea that may have found its time.
So while I'm not sure exactly what's in this newest Senate compromise plan (no one is sure because the details haven't been released, pending a cost analysis), I am intrigued by the idea of extending Medicare coverage to individuals 55 and older.
For years, as a retirement columnist, I wrote about efforts aimed at keeping middle-aged and older people in the job market. They could semi-retire and continue on a part-time basis at their jobs. Or they could retire outright but work as consultants, perhaps training employees for their previous employers. Many were encouraged to freelance a few days or weeks a month as a way to supplement their income and retain their expertise.
Why the focus on stopping or slowing retirement? Believe it or not, just a few years ago the worry was about too many seasoned employees leaving the workforce early. It's hard to believe in our current jobs crisis, but back then (early to mid-2000s) the experts were panicked about a potential lack of U.S. workers.
Baby boomers, the first of whom are now in their early 60s, are such a huge demographic that economists worried when they retired there would not be enough younger workers to replace them. And the numbers bear that fear out - Gen. X and Y'ers can never match the 78 million Boomers for sheer size and clout.
Of course, life is strange and now we have the exact opposite problem. Boomers who saw their retirement funds evaporate last year have stayed on at their jobs longer than anticipated and canceled plans for early retirement. In fact, while we have record youth unemployment, Boomers are the only demographic actually seeing job growth in this recession.
So where, you ask, does expanding Medicare come into this equation? I think that Boomers may revisit their ideas about retirement over the next couple of years as they see the economy begin to right itself. Already, stock portfolios are recouping losses. If reasonable medical coverage were available through buying into Medicare before 62 or 65, some of those Boomers might feel comfortable at least exchanging full-time jobs for part-time, or consulting.
And as the behemoth generation begins to back away from the workforce, that will open up slots for the younger employees who right now are in holding patterns, either in grad school or living in mom and dad's basement.
A perfect solution? Probably not, because they simply don't exist. But it's an idea that may have found its time.
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