◆ THE ECONOMY
How Money Works
Start at the source — inflation, interest, the Fed, and the forces moving every dollar.
47 articles
◆ THE COVER STORYWhat Is Stagflation?Economic stagnation combined with inflation—simultaneous unemployment and rising prices. Learn from the 1970s stagflation crisis.Read the breakdown →Deep Dives
◆ MACRO
What GDP Actually Measures (and What It Misses)
U.S. GDP grew 1.6% in early 2026. Here is what that one number is built from, and the large parts of life it was never designed to count.
◆ HISTORICAL CASE STUDIES
What Was the Dot-Com Bubble?
From 1995 to 2002, the internet turned a generation of investors into believers, then cost them $5 trillion. Here is how it happened.
◆ DATA & INDICATORS
What Is Core Inflation?
Core inflation strips food and energy from the price index to reveal underlying pressure. Here is what the number shows, where it misleads, and why the Fed watches it more than the headline.
◆ MACRO
Why Does Inflation Happen?
Inflation isn't one thing going wrong. It's demand, costs, and money supply all pulling in the same direction. Here's how the machine works.
◆ DATA & INDICATORS
Headline vs. Core Inflation: Which Number Should You Watch?
Headline inflation hit 4.2% in May 2026; core sat at 2.9%. Here is why they split, and which one belongs on your radar.
◆ FACTOR MARKETS
The Rental Price of Capital: How Interest Rates Decide What Gets Built
The interest rate is the rent on capital. Here is the net-present-value logic firms use to decide what to build, and why the Fed's moves reach every project.
◆ DATA & INDICATORS
What Is the Yield Curve?
The yield curve plots Treasury yields across maturities. When it inverts, short rates beat long rates, and every U.S. recession in the past 60 years followed.
◆ HISTORICAL CASE STUDIES
The 1970s Stagflation: What It Took to Break It, and Why Today Isn't 1979
Inflation hit 14.8% in 1980. Breaking it cost a brutal recession. Here's the 1970s story, and why June 2026's energy spike rhymes but isn't a repeat.
◆ SUPPLY & DEMAND
How Markets Find Their Price: Solving for Equilibrium
Where supply meets demand: step-by-step equilibrium math, a surplus/shortage table, and comparative statics showing exactly how curve shifts move price and…
Quick Answers
What Is Nonfarm Payrolls?
Monthly jobs added or lost, excluding farm workers. The most market-moving economic release.
Read more →What Is Monetary Policy?
Government actions to control the money supply and interest rates to achieve economic goals like price stability and employment. Learn the difference between…
Read more →What Is Quantitative Easing?
A monetary policy tool where the central bank buys large quantities of government and mortgage securities to inject money into the economy when interest rates…
Read more →What Is Short Selling?
Selling shares you don't own with the goal of buying them back at a lower price. Betting on stock prices falling.
Read more →Trade Surplus and Trade Deficit: What They Mean and What They Don't
A trade surplus means a country exports more than it imports; a deficit means it imports more than it exports.
Read more →What Is PCE?
Personal Consumption Expenditures. The Fed's preferred inflation measure.
Read more →What Is Basis Points?
A unit of measurement for interest rates and yields, where 100 basis points equals 1%. Learn why basis points matter in financial markets and loan comparisons.
Read more →What Is the Federal Reserve?
The central bank of the United States, responsible for monetary policy, regulating banks, and maintaining financial stability. Learn its role in the economy.
Read more →What Is a Bear Market?
A market where stock prices fall 20%+ from recent highs, characterized by pessimism and selling pressure.
Read more →