NEW YORK (PNN) - May 9, 2018 - After the party, the hangover.

Total consumer credit rose 5.1% in the first quarter, compared to a year earlier, or by $184 billion, to $3.824 trillion (not seasonally adjusted), according to the Federal Reserve. This includes credit-card debt, auto loans, and student loans, but not mortgage-related debt. That 5.1% year-over-year increase isn’t setting any records - in 2011, year-over-year increases ran over 11%. But it does show that Amerikans are dealing with the economy and their joys and woes the Amerikan way: by piling on debt faster than the overall economy is growing.

NEW YORK (PNN) - January 19, 2018 - New home sales decline 9.3% in December and there were significant negative revisions in both October and November. Yet, Econoday labeled the report "solid".

The headline 9.3% decline in new home sales for December masks what is actually a solid new home sales report. December's 625,000 annualized rate is the fourth best of the expansion and follows November's revised 689,000 rate, which is the very best; and importantly, supply moved into the market, up 3.9% at 295,000 units. On a sales basis, supply improved to 5.7 months from November's 4.9 months.

SEATTLE, Washington (PNN) - November 6, 2017 - If the Fascist Police States of Amerika economy is doing just fine, why have we already shattered the all-time record for retail store closings in a single year? I certainly can’t deny that online shopping is on the rise, but it still accounts for less than 10% of total FPSA retail sales. No, something bigger is happening in our economy, and it isn’t receiving nearly enough attention from mainstream media.