In July of 2009, following the bailout and the TARP passages, the U.S. government either owned or controlled 31 percent of the U.S. economy as a direct result of its dealings with banks, AIG and GM, etc. Now the new health care bill will increase this figure by 17 percent to 48 percent. Next on the agenda are Barney Frank's Financial Services Bill and the Cap and Tax bill, which will increase the percentage to 71 percent. ...more

December 28, 2009

The condo board at Westshore Yacht Club was at the end of its rope. Homeowners were walking away from their units because values had fallen. Others just stopped paying their quarterly dues. ...more

December 27, 2009

I have started to get used to the inane idiocy that our illustrious lawmakers in Washington have been spewing, but the new law I encountered today really takes the cake. Having been the victim of identity theft several years ago, I was advised by my bank and my lawyer to not sign credit cards but, instead, to print "Ask for ID" on the signature line. This made perfect sense to me as an excellent theft deterrent, so I have done it for years. ...more

December 18, 2009

Citigroup's surprisingly low pricing of a stock offer this week provides a clear sign that investors are still nervous about the banking giant's ability to regain its financial health. ...more

December 18, 2009

Citigroup and other banks starting to repay the billions of dollars they borrowed from the government are getting another boost as they exit the bailout program: Billions more in tax breaks. ...more

December 17, 2009

Citigroup said Monday it is repaying $20 billion in public bailout money, freeing the banking giant from the close scrutiny and pay restrictions that came with the rescue program. ...more

December 15, 2009

President Barack Obama says chronic unemployment isn't merely academic and is "a struggle that cuts deep and touches people across the nation." ...more

December 3, 2009

Bank of America's surprise move to pay back $45 billion in federal bailout money ratchets up pressure on rivals Wells Fargo and Citigroup to get out from under the government's thumb. But don't expect it to happen anytime soon. ...more

December 3, 2009

The American Bankers Association meetings in Chicago during late October drew a surprising variety of protesters. These ranged from unions to civic groups, political activists and even a person in a Downsized Man superhero costume. With the ABA in focus, I add my perspective and that of many other millions of American savers who decry the historically abysmal interest rates paid on savings. As banks grow healthier, the return on my savings just gets more anemic. ...more

November 28, 2009

Mildred Ballard, a retiree from Sun City Center, got a measure of assurance Monday that the drywall in her home is causing her thermostat to go haywire and the temperature to swing wildly. ...more

November 24, 2009