Cowboy Economics News - August 2008 Archives

Florida consumer confidence rises as residents adjust to bad economy (8/27/2008)

Consumer confidence among Floridians made huge gains in August, rising six points to 67 from its revised July index, suggesting a turning point as state residents come to grips with the bleak economic picture ...> Full Article

Household Health Largely Immune to National Economic Shocks, Study Finds (8/26/2008)

Researchers find that families adapt household spending to economic crises. ...> Full Article

When charities ask for time, people give more money (8/25/2008)

Simply asking people a question about whether they're willing to volunteer their time leads to increases in donations of both time and money ...> Full Article

U.S. economy: Light at the end of the tunnel (8/24/2008)

Sure, the U.S. economy is struggling, but the end to the "growth recession" may be in sight ...> Full Article

Low-Income? No Car? Expect to Pay More for Groceries (8/23/2008)

Households located in poor neighborhoods pay more for the same items than people living in wealthy ones ...> Full Article

Americans need to save paycheck-to-paycheck (8/22/2008)

Americans are better at saving money when they set goals in the near future -- such as next month -- rather than the more distant future ...> Full Article

79 million US adults have medical bill problems or are paying off medical debt (8/21/2008)

High cost of care and inadequate insurance leading more adults to delay or avoid getting treatment; working-age Americans spending more of income on out-of-pocket costs ...> Full Article

Toll Roads or Sales Taxes? (8/20/2008)

Most forms of transportation finance are regressive forms of taxation that burden the poor more than the rich ...> Full Article

Unclear whether or when mortgage rates will drop (8/17/2008)

Despite widespread expectation that banks should be passing on reductions in the official cash rate with cuts in mortgage interest rates, it is now very difficult to work out whether those hopes are justified. ...> Full Article

Family-Based Brand Identity Influences Customers' Purchasing Decisions (8/16/2008)

A new study shows that promoting the fact that the business is a 'family' business positively influences customer purchasing decisions. ...> Full Article

Americans spending, gambling, saving (8/15/2008)

Who's happiest, who's most at risk? ...> Full Article

Changes in Work Force, not Pay, Narrowing the Gender Wage Gap (8/13/2008)

Economists show that the apparent narrowing of the wage gap between working men and women is actually due to the type of women who are now working â€" not how much they’re being paid. ...> Full Article

Political candidates and other 'phantoms:' Consumer choice in changing markets (8/12/2008)

The Impact of Decoy Dynamics on Consumer Choice ...> Full Article

Job Growth Not The Only Factor In Reducing Poverty In Large Metro Areas (8/6/2008)

A new study suggests that it may be easier for people living in small metropolitan areas to get out of poverty than it is for those living in large metro areas. ...> Full Article

Subprime lending not main trigger of real estate bubble (8/5/2008)

Study points to 2003 credit market shift as key reason for runup in home prices ...> Full Article

Gasoline Stations Set Prices to Match a Small Number of Other Stations (8/4/2008)

A new study shows that to a large extent, gas stations set prices to match a small number of other gas stations. However, these stations are not necessarily the closest in distance. ...> Full Article

Florida consumer confidence rises as residents look to the future (8/3/2008)

Consumer confidence among Floridians rose one point to 60 in July from its revised index and all-time low record in June, signaling that state residents may be looking ahead to when the housing market picks up ...> Full Article

Florida dairy farmers made more on milk, spent more on feed in 2007 (8/2/2008)

Wholesale prices for Florida milk hit an all-time high in 2007, but dairy farmers’ potential profits were reduced by skyrocketing feed costs ...> Full Article

Why play a losing game? Study uncovers why low-income people buy lottery tickets (8/1/2008)

Research points to poverty's influence ...> Full Article

Report proposes strategies to ensure global energy security (8/1/2008)

A new policy report suggests strategies to deal with the current turmoil in the global energy markets, including the role of petrodollars in the U.S. credit bubble. ...> Full Article