Embracing risk key to economic revival
A strong economy requires risk-takers, and it is the bold and brash who will seize opportunities as the economy rebounds.
Economy
Articles
Lessons from a small bank
Sometimes one extreme sheds light on another extreme, and in a day when the nationâ??s financial system is
under the microscope for making all manner of rotten loans, the experience of tiny Kentland Federal Savings
& Loan Association might be…
Indiana wages now well below average
Last week the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released its estimates of county personal income and all the detail comprising
those data.
Data can be deceiving when the economy slows
Investors today are dealing with a variety of calculation problems when attempting to determine if stocks
are attractive values. Some of the more common ratios and statistical measures that investors regularly employ to value businesses
become skewed in an economic downturn.
Return of the gas-guzzler?
Americans are gravitating toward the kinds of vehicles theyâ??ll be buying for the next several years, says
one of the nationâ??s leading automotive forecasters.
John Wolkonowicz, senior auto analyst at IHS Global Insight, says the dominant vehicle of the future will…
Central Indiana could lead economic recovery
Every day, we get more bad economic news. While I’m not smart enough to know when the global economy will rebound or how strong
the rebound will be, I do believe central Indiana and the Midwest are well-positioned to lead the recovery.
‘Buy local’ offers no protection for bad businesses
These days, the "buy local" crowd seems to have a stronger voice. I am gleeful about this for a variety of reasons, but it
is helpful to view some of their claims with a bit of skepticism. At least that is what economists should do.
Is poor management Indiana’s problem?
Hoosiers identify many factors contributing to our state’s long-term economic difficulties. It is fashionable to blame our
workers. It is easy to decry a lack of natural amenities: no mountains, no coral reefs. Our public schools are inferior and
perhaps our higher education is overrated. Our taxes are too high but we have substandard government services. We ain’t got
no culture. Rarely do we hear anyone say that our problem is management.
Federal stimulus trickles down
There’s a smorgasbord available for small businesses in the federal stimulus package. The trick is figuring out how to get a plate. Plenty of local experts are serving up access to the buffet. And some entrepreneurs are digging in. But others consider the
stimulus warmed-over leftovers.
Fearful business buyers
You might think people would be hankering to buy businesses, what with the frail economy tripping trap doors
beneath more and more jobs.
Not so, says the managing partner of the stateâ??s largest business brokerage.
Ed Mysogland says the Web site for…
Preparing for the turnaround
In his conversations with business owners and CEOs, Carmel consultant Bud Roth sees attitudes about the recession
changing, but not changing enough.
Many leaders have figured out whether or not their organizations will survive, says Roth, who was vice president
of…
Lauth, a once-booming developer, has sliced 90 percent of work force, lost control of some properties
Struggling developer Lauth Group Inc. has cut about 90 percent of its staff and lost control of part of its portfolio to a
major equity partner-developments that raise doubts about whether the locally based company can survive the recession.
White River Capital negotiating new terms for its First Chicago Bancorp merger
In a March 13 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, publicly traded White River revealed it’s postponed its merger with First Chicago Bancorp, and now is negotiating new terms.
Recession slices into golf business; courses roll out promotions
Indiana golf course operators are nervous about how the recession might lead to fewer golfers and lost revenue.
Prolonged woes reshape Connersville, city once known as ‘Little Detroit’
With economists predicting the statewide unemployment average will reach 10 percent this year, the experience of a hard-hit
city like Connersville offers a glimpse of what lies ahead for other manufacturing-reliant Hoosier communities.
Erosion of capitalism undermines market
A healthy economy can only be sustained under a true free-market capitalist society of producers and savers.
Youth program may promote sense of purpose
Though I’m an economist, and not much skilled at matters of the heart, it seems to me there’s something amiss in today’s national psyche. There’s no real sense of purpose or unity. For those of us old enough to have had very close relatives who lived through the Great Depression, today just feels different from […]
Foreclosure investors shift to buy-and-hold strategy
Instead of buying and selling, investors with ready cash are buying houses at substantial markdowns, turning them into rental
properties and sitting tight until the market improves.
Hungry for customers, restaurateurs dangle deals
Restaurateurs are responding to the recession, be they the proprietors of fine-dining establishments or burger joints, by offering low-cost dining deals.
Auto sellers want refuge from industry fallout, but trio of bills have fallen flat at Statehouse
Car dealers fearful of losing their flagship brands if auto manufacturers crash and burn aren’t getting much help from the
Indiana General Assembly.