Your Pulse On America: Live And Unfiltered
The Trump administration’s resumption of collection efforts on defaulted federal student loans has far-reaching consequences for delinquent borrowers. For starters, borrowers who are in default may have wages, tax returns and Social Security payments garnished. But involuntary collections could also have a “spillover effect,” which puts consumers at risk of falling behind on other debt repayments, according…
Inflation was slightly lower than expected in April as President Donald Trump‘s tariffs just began hitting the slowing U.S. economy, according to a Labor Department report Tuesday. The consumer price index, which measures the costs for a broad range of goods and services, rose a seasonally adjusted 0.2% for the month, putting the 12-month inflation…
As of Monday, the U.S. Department of Education is restarting “involuntary collections” on federal student loans that are in default, which may seriously damage the credit scores of millions of borrowers. Student loan collections efforts have largely been on pause since the pandemic began in March 2020. A new analysis by TransUnion found that consumers who faced default in…
China is the world’s second-largest economy and second-largest importer of U.S. goods. Entities in China hold at least $784 billion in U.S. federal debt. The country also controls much of the world’s rare element supply, which is vital for manufacturing technology. China could weaponize these assets if an all-out trade war breaks out, to the…
Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack said Thursday she thinks policymakers need to be patient rather than preemptive in assessing how tariffs will impact inflation and growth. In her first broadcast interview since taking the reins at the central bank district in August 2024, Hammack noted the high level of uncertainty now and did not commit…
The threat of rising tariff rates on U.S. imports could hobble the economic trajectory of countries such as Vietnam. Foreign direct investment in Vietnam has increased in recent years as firms search for ways to manage risks stemming from production in China. Vietnam has received approximately $18.5 billion in net foreign direct investment, according to World Bank…
Wholesale prices unexpectedly fell in March, setting up a favorable inflation backdrop as President Donald Trump began intensifying tariffs against U.S. trading partners, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The producer price index, considered a leading indicator for pipeline inflation pressures, declined a seasonally adjusted 0.4% for the month, after rising 0.1% in February….
Consumer price inflation eased more than expected in March as President Donald Trump prepared to launch tariffs against U.S. trading partners, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday. The consumer price index, a broad measure of goods and services costs across the U.S. economy, fell a seasonally adjusted 0.1% in March, putting the 12-month inflation…
The U.S. government is set to increase tariff rates on several categories of imported products. Some economists tracking these trade proposals say the higher tariff rates could lead to higher consumer prices. One model constructed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston suggests that in an “extreme” scenario, heightened taxes on U.S. imports could result…
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks alongside entertainer Kid Rock before signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on March 31, 2025 in Washington, DC. Andrew Harnik | Getty Images President Donald Trump is set Wednesday to begin the biggest gamble of his nascent second term, wagering that broad-based tariffs on…