State of the Union: Highlights (and Lowlights) from Obama’s Speech

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Article by Jody Shenn, Lorraine Woellert and Prashant Gopal, Bloomberg President Barack Obama answered Ben S. Bernanke’s appeal for more action to fix the U.S. housing market that’s restraining the economic recovery by proposing a plan to help borrowers reduce their monthly mortgage payments. Obama is sending Congress legislation that would allow homeowners to tap record-low borrowing costs, potentially boosting [...]

Economy Improves But Recovery Hurdles Persist

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Article by Lucia Mutikani, Reuters The number of Americans filing for new jobless benefits dropped to an almost four-year low last week, and factory activity in the mid-Atlantic expanded moderately, suggesting the economy carried some momentum into the new year. But the pace of growth probably will slow. Analysts cautioned the drop in jobless claims [...]

Washington Insight: Financial Services

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From my partner, DCTripwire.com: FSOC Releases Three Studies, But Little Is Known About Final Rules Yesterday, the Dodd-Frank-created Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) held its third meeting at which it released three studies: 1. Recommendations on implementation of the “Volcker Rule,” limiting proprietary investing by banks; 2. Recommendations for implementing concentration limits for large financial [...]

Financial Reform: 5 Ways Dodd Frank is Making an Impact on Small Business Lending

Content provided by my partner, DCTripwire.com At yesterday’s FDIC Forum, “Overcoming Obstacles to Small Business Lending,” several panels of business leaders and DC policymakers discussed diverse strategies for increasing lending to small businesses. Throughout the meeting, participants sounded two main principles: the need to police bank lending for safety and soundness as well as the [...]

Washington Today: Bernanke Facing Tough Questioning in Rare Senate Budget Committee Appearance

Content below provided by my partner, DC Tripwire: Bernanke Facing Tough Questioning in Rare Senate Budget Committee Appearance In a rare appearance before the Senate Budget Committee on Friday, Federal Reserve Chairman will testify only one hour after the Department of Labor releases its December jobs report. Many expect the employment numbers will show a slight decrease in unemployment claims, from [...]