Debt, simply defined, is an amount of money borrowed by one party from another. Debt is used by many corporations and individuals as a method of making large purchases that they could not afford under normal circumstances. The U.S. government uses debt in the same way, though it hasn’t been as central an issue in Read more
Bowen Reports
The 2021 Outlook: How Can We Recover From 2020?
As 2020 has ended, we began to look forward to 2021 in hope the year arriving will be better than the one just departing. How could it not be, after months filled with pandemic, toxic politics, and violence in the streets? What do we anticipate for the economy in 2021? Given the promise of the Read more
The Next Show: Counting the Electoral Votes
On January 6, 2021, Congress will meet in joint session to count the Electoral College votes in the 2020 presidential election, won by Joe Biden, 306-232, over Donald Trump. This is usually a pro forma event, little noticed except by the most devoted followers of political pageantry. However, given the drama that has ensued since Read more
Wrap It Up: Time for Year-End Planning
The holiday season is a time for good cheer, greeting family and friends, celebrating the present (and presents), and reflecting on the year just ending. (Though, given how tumultuous 2020 has been and the likelihood the effects of the global pandemic will extend into 2021, you may want to keep those reflections brief and go Read more
New Route: The Fed Rides to the Rescue with Unconventional Monetary Policy
In the eight months since the global COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States and its economy, the Federal Reserve has reached far beyond its playbook from the 2007-09 Great Recession, using unconventional monetary policy while growing its balance sheet from roughly $4 trillion to $7 trillion through emergency lending programs and moves to bolster the Read more
What Happens Next? Election Reactions and Market Reflections
The 2020 election polls illustrated that predicting what will happen in American politics with any confidence is becoming ever more difficult. Though the general prediction of a presidential victory for Joe Biden was correct, polling at a more granular measurement level seems accurate only in as much as the pollsters sampled the intent of those Read more