Comparing the U.S. to Other Nations

• 50 Years of Growth: Comparing the U.S. economy to the troubled European nations and large emerging economies Valeo Financial Advisors
• Transaction costs are 10-15% of the price of a house in Greece, Italy & Spain, compared with 5% in US The Economist
• See how the dollar is faring against currencies of a broad group of U.S. trading partners St. Louis Federal Reserve

U.S. Economy

• Consumer spending in U.S. increases as incomes rise Bloomberg
• Businesses added only 115,000 jobs in April, but the unemployment rate came down from 8.2% to 8.1%: USA Today

Housing

• Fixed Mortgage Rates Average New All-Time Record Lows Freddie Mac
• Homeownership rate in U.S. falls to lowest since 1997 Bloomberg

Markets

• A simple explanation of credit default swaps and their impact on Europe’s debt crisis St. Louis Federal Reserve

Financial Planning

• Will Medicare Costs Outpace Social Security Benefits? The Wall Street Journal
• How Soon Will States Close Their Estate Tax Loopholes? Financial Planning

Miscellaneous

• Canada Prepares to Go Penniless The Wall Street Journal

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