http://www.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis en-us Copyright 2000 Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis webmaster@stlouisfed.org Sun, 01 Apr 2012 12:00:00 CDT Sun, 01 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT The benefits of a college diploma are many, including higher pay, lower unemployment, maybe even better health. Yet many high school graduates still do not pursue a college degree. This article examines several key reasons why more people aren’t making this investment in themselves.

]]> PUB: The Regional Economist RATED: 2.5 Sun, 01 Apr 2012 12:00:00 CDT Almost 8 million jobs were lost in the Great Recession of 2007-09 when the average unemployment rate peaked at over 9 percent. Roughly 1 million jobs have been regained since early 2010, but the unemployment rate remains persistently high. Some policymakers fear a prolonged “jobless recovery”—a period of rising average income, measured by gross domestic product (GDP)—with little or no employment growth.

]]> PUB: Inside the Vault RATED: 1.5 Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:00:00 CDT The true potential of prepaid cards has yet to be discovered, but consumers who are still navigating alternatives to pay off their bills during the slow economy, as well as people who prefer to use options other than traditional banking to manage their finances, are at the heart of this growing market.

]]> PUB: Bridges UNRATED: Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:00:00 CDT The collapse of trade during the financial crisis can be tied, for the most part, to a drop in demand.  Less talked about, however, is the role of financing—or lack thereof.

]]> PUB: The Regional Economist RATED: 2.0 Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:00:00 CDT It is possible ROE will settle in at a lower-than-precrisis historical rate, leading to a resetting of performance expectations by community bank stakeholders.

]]> PUB: Central Banker UNRATED: Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:00:00 CDT To those who don't know, the term "shadow banking" probably has a negative connotation. This primer draws parallels between what has been termed the shadow banking sector and the traditional banking sector—showing that they are similar in many ways.

]]> PUB: The Regional Economist UNRATED: Sat, 01 Oct 2011 12:00:00 CDT This Q&A on the federal deficit is a preview of the "Dialogue with the Fed" that the public is invited to Oct. 18 at the St. Louis Fed.

]]> PUB: The Regional Economist UNRATED: Sat, 01 Oct 2011 12:00:00 CDT St. Louis Fed Senior Advisor Ray Boshara has referred to the weak household balance sheet as one of the core economic challenges of our time, suggesting that households must focus on rebuilding their balance sheets—including securing the right levels and types of savings, debts and assets. Read an abridged version of his congressional testimony in the first of a series of articles on this topic.

]]> PUB: Bridges RATED: 1.5 Sat, 01 Oct 2011 12:00:00 CDT All of the attention given to raising the debt ceiling this past summer might lead some to believe that spending by the federal government only recently became unsustainable.  Hardly.  We've been on this path a long time.

]]> PUB: The Regional Economist UNRATED: Sat, 01 Oct 2011 12:00:00 CDT With soaring commodity prices and farmland values in recent years, banks with an agricultural focus (where at least 25 percent of total loans are production and farmland loans) have outperformed their community bank peers. Find out what risks agriculture banks may face.

]]> PUB: Central Banker RATED: 1.0 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 12:00:00 CDT Commodities of all sorts have risen in price over the past few years.  Some say that the prices reflect a bubble, driven by low interest rates and excessive speculation.  Others say the price gains can be fully explained by supply and demand. 

]]> PUB: The Regional Economist UNRATED: Fri, 01 Jul 2011 12:00:00 CDT Although some believe the changes could lead to more loans reported as troubled debt restructurings, the update’s purpose is to explain and expand on previous guidance.

]]> PUB: Central Banker RATED: 2.0 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 12:00:00 CDT Every year, 1.2 million students drop out of high school in the United States. A clear moral and policy failure, this ongoing crisis is also an economic disaster.

]]> PUB: Bridges RATED: 1.0 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 12:00:00 CDT At least early in the financial crisis, the high rate of foreclosures seemed to be due more to households' overreaching than to predatory lending.  A disproportionate number of those being foreclosed on were well-educated, well-off and relatively young people.

]]> PUB: The Regional Economist UNRATED: Fri, 01 Jul 2011 12:00:00 CDT Today's high unemployment rate is often linked to a structural imbalance—a mismatch between the skills and location required to fill vacant jobs and the skills and geographical preferences of the unemployed.  But the evidence downplays the role of this mismatch.

]]> PUB: The Regional Economist UNRATED: Fri, 01 Jul 2011 12:00:00 CDT ]]> PUB: Inside the Vault UNRATED: Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:00:00 CDT ]]> PUB: The Regional Economist UNRATED: Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:00:00 CDT Find out why community banks will benefit from the new FDIC assessment base as called for under the Dodd-Frank Act. 

]]> PUB: Central Banker UNRATED: Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:00:00 CDT ]]> PUB: Inside the Vault UNRATED: Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:00:00 CDT This issue of Bridges is devoted to topics covered during the Exploring Innovation conference in St. Louis. For more in-depth coverage of conference happenings, visit 2011.exploringinnovation.org

]]> PUB: Bridges RATED: 1.5 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:00:00 CDT Better-educated people appear to be in better health than less-educated people. But does more education cause better health, or are there other factors at play – such as income and access to information?

]]> PUB: The Regional Economist RATED: 1.5 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:00:00 CDT Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger once called Bangladesh the world’s “basket case.” Unfortunately, the perception that many people still have of this little country consists of one simple idea—it’s one of the poorest countries in the world. But Bangladesh—poised for record growth—is the cradle of modern-day microfinance. Daniel Davis traveled there as a participant in the 17th Biennial International Consortium on Social Development Symposium and discovered a different world, one with some potential solutions for economic development in America.

]]> PUB: Bridges RATED: 3.5 Sat, 01 Jan 2011 12:00:00 CDT ]]> PUB: Bridges RATED: 3.0 Sat, 01 Jan 2011 12:00:00 CDT ]]> PUB: The Regional Economist RATED: 1.5 Sat, 01 Jan 2011 12:00:00 CDT In late December 2007, most economists realized that the economy was slowing. However, very few predicted an outright recession. Like most professional forecasters, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) initially underestimated the severity of the recession.

]]> PUB: Inside the Vault RATED: 2.0 Sat, 01 Jan 2011 12:00:00 CDT