Patrice Hill
Articles by Patrice Hill
Bernanke out of moves, critics say
With interest rates near zero and the Federal Reserve already owning a large share of the mortgage and Treasury securities markets, many investors fear the central bank may be out of ammunition should the economy take a serious turn for the worse. Published September 2, 2010
Banks post strong quarter, but woes persist
A lull in loan defaults this spring enabled the nation's banks to post their biggest quarterly industry profit in nearly three years, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. reported Tuesday. Published August 31, 2010
Obama, GOP debate small-business tax
This year's debate over extending President George W. Bush's tax cuts has turned into a brawl over which party is doing more for small businesses, with assertions that the health of the economy and thousands of future jobs are at stake. Published August 30, 2010
SEC backs labor on corporate board votes
The Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday handed labor and social-activist groups a big victory by approving rules making it easier for them to put allies on corporate boards throughout the country. Published August 25, 2010
Sales of existing homes plunge
Sales of existing homes plummeted 27.2 percent to a 15-year low last month despite record-low mortgage rates, shocking markets and heightening worries that housing's steep slide will drag the rest of the economy back into recession. Published August 24, 2010
Debate on taxes affects the savers
The nation's highest income groups predictably did better during the recession and socked away their money, new government figures show, but wealthier Americans' newfound penchant for savings is already driving Democratic calls to raise taxes on them this fall. Published August 17, 2010
Economic outlook divides Fed
The dramatic economic slowdown this summer has provoked an increasingly contentious debate among analysts, including an unusually public split among members of the Federal Reserve Board, over the U.S. economy's long-term outlook and the possibility of a Japan-like "lost decade." Published August 11, 2010
Ailing public sector leads in layoffs
State and local governments this summer gained the dubious distinction of being the nation's biggest source of job losses — a trend that likely helped to break a stalemate in Congress last week over providing states with additional aid. Published August 8, 2010
More private jobs in July, but economy overall lost 131,000
Businesses took on another 71,000 new workers in July, continuing the trend of creating a trickle of new jobs since the beginning of the year, the Labor Department reported Friday morning. Published August 6, 2010
Consumers find thrift, but lose fast recovery
The deep recession and widespread joblessness appear to have taught Americans an important lesson about living within their means and setting aside more money for economic emergencies. Published August 1, 2010
Growth slowed to 2.4% in spring quarter
The nation's economic recovery lost speed in the spring quarter, growing at a 2.4 percent annual rate after surging by 3.7 percent in the winter, the Commerce Department reported Friday morning. Published July 30, 2010
Bank reforms to pinch consumer credit
Call it the law of unintended consequences. That's what many finance experts are saying will be the result of Congress' latest attempt to micromanage the world of consumer credit through the financial-reform measure President Obama signed into law last week. Published July 28, 2010
Heavy liability could sink small oil drillers
One of the biggest of the big oil companies may be responsible for the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history, but Washington's response to the BP PLC spill would give an advantage to such major oil companies while threatening to put their small competitors out of business. Published July 25, 2010
Economic future ‘unusually uncertain’
With the outlook for the economy "unusually uncertain," Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke advised Congress on Wednesday not to precipitously cut stimulus spending in a drive to rein in the deficit. Published July 21, 2010
Senate appears set to approve more benefits for jobless
A political logjam over extending long-term jobless benefits appeared to be breaking Monday as senators reacted to signs that a recent loss of momentum in the economic recovery could snowball into a more serious economic reversal. Published July 19, 2010
Senate passes financial-reform bill
The Senate on Thursday approved and sent to President Obama a landmark bill to rein in unregulated Wall Street markets for the first time while covering America's financial landscape with an intricate thicket of new regulations. Published July 15, 2010
Senate passes landmark financial overhaul
The Senate on Thursday approved and sent to President Obama a landmark bill to rein in unregulated Wall Street markets for the first time and cover the financial landscape with an intricate new thicket of regulation. Published July 15, 2010
Finance bill favors interests of unions, activists
The financial reform bill expected to clear Congress this week is chock-full of provisions that have little to do with the financial crisis but cater to the long-standing agendas of labor unions and other Democratic interest groups. Published July 14, 2010
Both parties mull raising retirement age
In a rare departure from this year's intense political posturing over the soaring budget deficit, House leaders of both parties recently signaled that they are prepared to tackle a leading long-term liability — Social Security — by raising the retirement age. Published July 13, 2010
U.S. trade deficit goes up by 5 percent
The U.S. trade deficit with the rest of the world surged to $42.3 billion in May, a nearly 5 percent increase over April's numbers that reflects strong growth in imports of cars, computers and clothing, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday morning. Published July 13, 2010
