_Economy and Finance

A Crucial Leading Indicator Of Commercial Real Estate Hits Its Best Level Since 2007 Dec. 19, 2012, 1:07 PM Note: This index is a leading indicator primarily for new Commercial Real Estate (CRE) investment. From AIA: Architecture Billings Index Signaling Gains for Fourth Straight Month Billings at architecture firms across the country continue to increase. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the November ABI score was 53.2, up from the mark of 52.8 in October. This score reflects an increase in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 59.6, up slightly from the 59.4 mark of the previous month.

Business Insider 30 Bernanke Quotes That Are So Absurd You Won’t Know Whether To Laugh Or Cry Michael Snyder, The Economic Collapse | Dec. 8, 2010, 11:05 AM Did you see Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on 60 Minutes the other night? Bernanke portrayed the Federal Reserve as the great protector of the U.S. economy, he claimed that unemployment would be 15 percent higher if the Federal Reserve had sat back and done nothing during the financial crisis and he even started laying the groundwork for a third round of quantitative easing.