Department of Numbers

Monday April 25, 2011

Barry Ritholtz points out another flawed affordability article. It's disturbing that multiple high quality sources have now erroneously stated that homes are the most affordable in a generation.

Wednesday April 20, 2011

Tough new lending regulations have been proposed.

Lenders would be required to make sure prospective borrowers have the ability to repay their mortgages before giving them a loan.

Also: Skydivers are required to wear parachutes.

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Monday April 18, 2011

Things continue to look bad for the Euro.

The euro, in retrospect, appears to have been a misguided attempt to equalize the values for some very unequal assets, namely the bank deposits of strong countries and those of weak countries.

Tuesday April 12, 2011

The growth in student loan debt is stunning and the implications potentially far-reaching.

"If you have a lot of people finishing or leaving school with a lot of debt, their choices may be very different than the generation before them," said Lauren Asher, president of the Institute for Student Access and Success. "Things like buying a home, starting a family, starting a business, saving for their own kids' education may not be options for people who are paying off a lot of student debt."

In some circles, student debt is known as the anti-dowry. As the transition from adolescence to adulthood is being delayed, with young people taking longer to marry, buy a home and have children, large student loans can slow the process further.

Sunday April 10, 2011

The NY Times has a nice, simple chart that breaks out the sources of our current debt.

Saturday April 9, 2011

The "Chinatown Bus" concept has become quite popular over the last few years.

Much of the recent success of the curbside business derives from its nimbleness. In February the Obama Administration unveiled some specifics of its long-term plan for high-speed rail, requesting $53 billion over the next six years to build and upgrade intercity service — a proposal that has already met opposition. By contrast, the bus simply uses existing roads, requiring no policy debates, government funding, or land management studies. It needs only a curb and a sign. Bus companies are also able to gauge demand quickly, gather rider input online, then alter pickup locations or routes just by posting changes to their websites. While we're having coffee, Moser explains that since he's seen numerous requests on transit blogs for new service from Chicago to Memphis, he figures he might as well give the route a try. A couple of weeks later he has the buses up and running.

I'd love to see ubiquitous high-speed rail across the US, but it's hard to compete with the affordability and dynamic nature of bus routes.

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Monday April 4, 2011

The EPA reports that greenhouse gas emissions in the US dropped by 15% from 2000 to 2009.

Over the same period, the US population grew by about 9 percent. Combining the two trends, net per capita GHG emissions fell by 21 percent over the decade. And most of that reduction occurred prior to 2007 — when the economy hadn't yet slumped, and before energy prices hit the roof.

Surprisingly under-reported news.