U.S. Federal Government Spending on Social Benefits Is Rising

Have you ever wondered how much the U.S. Federal Government spends on the various social benefit programs?. My analysis shows that federal spending on social benefits is rising fast. Source: Flow of Funds Accounts of the United States report, 1Q-2009  & BEA NIPA tables Data for 2009 is for the first quarter annualized. The huge …

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The Latest US Rail Traffic Report

Summary of U.S. Rail Freight Traffic for the Week Ending June 20,2009: Click to Enlarge Image Source: Weekly Railfax Rail Carloading Report, Railfax The number of autos carried by the railroads is still at worse levels. Forest products sector is also heavily affected since that is tied to the construction industry. Every commodity group traffic …

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Why Are Many U.S. States Facing Budget Deficits ?

Many states in the U.S. are facing budget deficits this year. According to one estimate states collectively will face an estimated $80 B in deficits. California is one of the states with a huge budget shortfall. Today the rating agency Fitch downgraded California to A-minus and is just eight days away from issuing IOUs unless …

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Charts: India’s Banks Lend Very Conservatively

“Despite the apparent strength of the banking system, the ratio of private sector credit to GDP is still low by international standards (see Chart 3). Some of the restrictions on the banking system, and the incentives for banks to hold government bonds rather than make loans, have stifled lending. Consequently, the average ratio of loans …

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