News
Fed's Kashkari: Hassett comments about Fed researchers represent another attack on independence
2+ min ago (158+ words) WASHINGTON, Feb 19 (Reuters) - The call by a top Trump administration official for New York Federal Reserve staff to "be disciplined" for recent research on tariffs was just the latest move by the "administration to undermine the independence of the central…...
Trump touts decline in US trade deficit despite meager decrease
6+ min ago (338+ words) President Trump on Wednesday touted the decline in U.S. trade deficit ahead of official data showing a small reduction in the country's overall balance of trade. In a Wednesday night post on Truth Social, the president claimed credit for reducing the…...
US trade deficit surged in December, ending 2025 nearly identical to 2024 after year of erratic Trump tariff policy
1+ hour, 21+ min ago (469+ words) The US trade deficit jumped by almost 33% in December, rising for the second month in a row to $70.3 billion. Trade deficits were volatile throughout 2025 as importers responded to President Trump's shifting tariff announcements, which have upended the global landscape but…...
US trade deficit widens sharply in December; goods trade gap highest on record in 2025
1+ hour, 34+ min ago (412+ words) WASHINGTON, Feb 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. trade deficit widened sharply in December amid a surge in imports, and the goods shortfall in 2025 was the highest on record "despite President Donald Trump's tariffs on foreign manufactured merchandise. The trade gap ballooned 32.6% to $70.3 "billion,…...
US weekly jobless claims fall more than expected amid labor market stability
2+ hour, 27+ min ago (336+ words) WASHINGTON, Feb 19 (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, consistent with a stabilizing "labor market. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 23,000 to a seasonally "adjusted 206,0000 for the week ended…...
U.S. trade deficit slipped to $901 billion last year amid Trump tariffs
2+ hour, 31+ min ago (220+ words) The U.S. trade deficit slipped modestly in 2025, a year in which President Donald Trump upended global commerce by slapping double digit tariffs on imports from most countries. The gap the between the goods and services the U.S. sells other countries and what…...
Social Security COLA: 2027’s Increase Could Be as Low as 1.2%
3+ hour, 43+ min ago (197+ words) For retirees and disabled beneficiaries, COLA can make a meaningful difference in annual household budgets, especially when inflation is high. Recent years have seen large swings in COLA. In 2023, beneficiaries received an 8.7% increase, the largest in decades, in response to…...
The State Street SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF Could Soar If These 2 Things Go Right
4+ hour, 43+ min ago (512+ words) The State Street SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF enables you to invest broadly in the REIT sector. REITs are very sensitive to changes in interest rates. A falling 10-year Treasury yield and inflation rate could be the catalysts needed to…...
5 Things Retirees Should Be Paying Attention to in the Trump Economy
5+ hour, 12+ min ago (768+ words) Hold on to your budget lists, because the U.S. economy in 2026 presents a unique set of challenges for retirees and those nearing retirement. President Trump and the White House administration's shifts in economic policy, inflation trends, interest rates and market volatility…...
Feeling broke in a steady economy? Here's what's happening
8+ hour, 21+ min ago (801+ words) Inflation ticked down to 2.4%, the unemployment rate fell, and'U.S. employers added 130,000 jobs'in January, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, whose reports economists view as the "gold standard" of data. On paper, the economy'appears to be'stabilizing. Chief economist for Comerica…...