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March brought some long-awaited upbeat economic news, with the index of leading economic indicators rising 1.4 percent.  According to MarketWatch, the milestone represents 12 consecutive monthly gains and outperformed February’s 0.4 percent increase. Ken Goldstein, a Conference Board economist, said that “Improvement in employment and income will be the key factors in whether consumers push […]

Business travelers and vacationers on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean recently were stranded by the spectacular eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull Volcano that created an ash cloud so large it covered significant portions of Europe and disrupted air travel.  Although the flight delays were the result of an act of God, employees concerned about retaining […]

Despite the troubled economy, commercial building owners retain their commitment to making their properties more environmentally friendly.  Going green saves building owners and users money and makes sound business sense. “The fact of the matter is this is just good business – making buildings perform better,” said Dan Probst, an energy and sustainable development expert […]

The United States still faces “significant economic challenges”, with unemployment at “stubbornly” high levels and businesses that are reluctant to spend as government deficits rise.  This is the opinion of Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh, who said “Taking account of the broad range of economic and financial conditions, there is no wonder that the electorate […]

Worker productivity increased 3.8 percent in 2009, the best record since 2002. Writing in the Washington Post, Neil Irwin notes, “That means high-level gains in productivity – which in the long run is the key to a higher standard of living but in the short run contributes to sky-high unemployment.  So long as employers can […]

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are advocating for flexible workplaces by holding a Forum on Workplace Flexibility at the White House.  The forum was organized by the Council on Women and Girls, according to senior advisor Valerie Jarrett. “Millions of women and men across the country struggle to balance the demands of […]

Jon Levy is a European Union analyst with Eurasia Group and a frequent commentator on European issues, appearing on CNN, CNBC and NPR.  He was previously director of national security policy for John Kerry’s presidential campaign.  In a recent interview for the Alter NOW podcasts, Levy discussed several factors shaping European real estate markets – […]

One-fourth of American workers have saved less than $1,000 for their retirement, according to a report from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).  The EBRI survey reveals that 27 percent reported saving less than $1,000 for retirement, not counting the value of their home or defined-benefit plans.  A similar percentage reported saving between $1,000 and […]

Bank of America (BofA) is taking steps to write down mortgage principal owed by thousands of underwater homeowners in what has been termed “the mortgage industry’s boldest move yet” to resolve the nation’s foreclosure problem.  Bank of America can well afford the initiative. According to Betsy Graseck, a Morgan Stanley analyst, the ultimate cost of […]

Simon Johnson, a professor at M.I.T.’s Sloan School of Management and former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, raises the question of “As we move closer to a Senate – and presumably national – debate on financial reform, the central technical and political question is:  What would prevent any bank or similar institute from […]