Economics

It seems pretty clear that President Donald Trump is not a big fan of the current Chairman of the Federal Reserve (“the Fed”), Jerome (Jay) Powell. At the root of President Trump’s problem with Mr. Powell is Powell’s reluctance to lower interest rates as quickly as the President would like. I first wrote about this issue in April 2025 when the President intimated in social media posts that Powell’s firing might be imminent. However, when financial markets reacted negatively to such an attack on the Fed’s independence, the President backed

Publisher’s Note: What happens in the economy, financial markets, the Federal Reserve, and government/politics affects our business environment and personal finances in the CSRA.  Dr. Rick Franza’s 2025 predictions graded out as a “B”, which would make his students proud! WHAT WILL HAPPEN ECONOMICALLY IN 2026? In some cases, Dr. Franza is separating his predictions from his hopes. Without further ado and in ode to David Letterman, here is Dr. Rick Franza’s Top 10 List. The U.S. Economy, Financial Markets, and the Federal Reserve Prediction #1: GDP Growth for the

The Medcalfe family bought their Christmas Tree from Clarks Hill Christmas Tree Farm last weekend. I know this is late by American standards, but the English don’t have the Friday Thanksgiving tradition. We have been cutting down live Christmas trees since our sons were little boys. We have always enjoyed making an afternoon of the activity, taking the dogs, drinking hot chocolate, decorating, and enjoying the scent in the house. The Farm Bureau has just provided some economic data on Christmas tree farming. Over half of all Christmas trees are

Publisher’s Note: Twice a year, Dr. Rick Franza, AU’s Professor, puts our economy into perspective with his predictions. He’s wrapped up his semester and his presents with his bi-annual tradition! A couple of reminders are necessary before I start.  First, please note that my predictions focused on how President Trump might implement some of his campaign promises and what impact those policies might have on our economy. Second, I wrote a column in early July in which I provided a mid-year evaluation of my predictions and also provided a “bonus