Archive

Many people I know have been feeling heavy with the news. I get it. I consume more news than is advisable, checking the homepages of the Journal, the Times, and The Economist at least a few times a day. A swipe of my finger on my laptop’s trackpad reveals

When markets decline, entrepreneurs often rise. Businesses lay off employees as a recession kicks in, and a number of those go on to start their own businesses. In 2020, as the pandemic shut down many types of work, workers started a record 4.4 million new businesses, according to the

To know where the economy is headed, it’s helpful to look where it’s been. Investor and author Ray Dalio might know this better than anyone. He founded what is now the world’s largest hedge fund — Bridgewater Associates. In the latest chapter of his life, he’s dedicated

Last month, we talked about how the Fed raised interest rates. Now, the question is this: When do they stop? Economists believe, according to Reuters, that the Fed will raise interest rates by half a percentage point in both May and June. Half of a point may not sound like

Last time, we discussed how moralizing is often driven by market opportunities rather than a sense of purpose. I’ve criticized the New Capitalist movement enough. The biggest critique involves the conflicts of interest with purpose-driven companies: Milton Friedman argued that doing “social good” in the world is likely to

After months of pleading from analysts and motioning by central bankers, the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates. The Fed raises the so-called federal funds rate in fractions of a percent. The current rate sits between 0.25 percent and 0.5 percent, or 25 to 50 basis points (bps)

Everything is chaos. That’s the sentiment driving the Street over the last few weeks, especially now that Russian forces have invaded Ukraine. This is how The Wall Street Journal put it last week: “Global markets for everything from stocks to oil to wheat are recording some of the most

Last time, we discussed how unclear comparisons and data make for unclear hypotheses, which make for unclear solutions to the problems proposed. Today, we’ll talk about how leaders may have unclear intentions, intentions that may contradict the rhetoric we so often hear. Unclear intentions A recent opinion piece in

If we’re hurried, we have no room for others. And we have no room for God. A podcast series I listened to last week really drives home this point. Over 10 episodes in a series called Fight Hustle, End Hurry, John Mark Comer and Jefferson Bethke talk about their

In my last post, we discussed some of the unclear definitions and goals surrounding debates on purpose in new capitalism. Today, let’s look at how we often make comparisons that muddy the waters of these important issues. Unclear comparisons A good economist responds to any proposition with “Compared to