Main Street 9

  Oil prices fell Thursday, testing a 5-month low, as the market remained focused on slumping demand and the stronger dollar but also watched the threat that Hurricane Ike poses to the Texas Gulf Coast. Crude futures traded down 94 cents at $101.64 a barrel, having been as low as $100.18 earlier. On Wednesday, U.S. [...]

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The federal government’s takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may save the battered real estate market from a complete meltdown. But financial experts say the bailout won’t lead to a housing recovery just yet. Instead, some on Wall Street said the housing sector is in as tough shape today as it was before Sunday’s [...]

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Investors looking for a silver lining to the weak jobs picture in the United States should consider this: the recent rise in unemployment may move the U.S. further away from the danger of stagflation. At least that will be the case if the historical relationship between the jobless rate and inflation holds up. It suggests [...]

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(Fortune Small Business) — With commodity, fuel and insurance costs hitting record highs, small-business owners are anxious about next week’s federal minimum wage hike, which will require employers in 26 states and the District of Columbia to raise their base to at least $6.55. Next week’s increase of the current $5.85/hour minimum wage is the [...]

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Americans are feeling a lot more economic pain than the government’s official statistics would lead you to believe, according to a growing number of experts. They argue that figures for unemployment and inflation are being understated by the government. Unemployment and inflation are typically added together to come up with a so-called “Misery Index.” The [...]

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