By Mark G. Neil, ChFC, CLU President Northwest Wealth Advisors, Radio Host, Your Money and Your Life Now that the elections are over and the political bickering is on hold for awhile we can take the time to look at where we have been and where we might be headed. […]

By Bill Conerly, Businomics, Conerly Consulting We’re in recession. The Business Cycle Dating Committee of the National Bureau of Economic Research, a non-profit foundation, announced that the last economic expansion peaked in December 2007.  Read the full report. I’ve been asked frequently why it takes so long for an official […]

Which of the three US auto firms indicated that they might need to use bailout funds from Congress? A) Chrysler B) Ford C) GM Which NW based company Saw annual sales rise 50% compared to the other companies which reported declines this week? A) Cascade Corp. B) Alaska Airlines C) […]

Dr. Eric Fruits, Ecobnomist Econinternational Portland housing prices dropped another 1.3 percent in September, marking the fourth straight month of declining home prices. Nationwide, the Case-Shiller composite index continued 27 months of declines. While Portland’s market has not seen the same declines as the composite, the graph to the right […]

By University of Oregon Index of Economic Indicators Analysis The University of Oregon Index of Economic Indicators™ fell sharply in October to 90.2 (1997=100), a 0.7 percent decline from the previous month. Compared to six months ago, the UO Index is down 8.0 percent (annualized). Indicators pointed to widespread weakness; […]

“Estimates for what the government is willing to spend on bailouts and stimulus efforts for this year reach as much as $7.7 trillion according to Bloomberg.com — a full half of the United States’ yearly economic output…That trillion-dollar figure is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to checks […]

Andy Davidson, president & CEO Oregon Assoc. of Hospitals and Health Systems Oregon’s hospitals have a shared objective with the governor, the Oregon Health Fund Board and members of the Oregon Legislature when it comes to increasing health care access for all Oregonians, especially children.  Access to appropriate care, as […]

Global visitors per minute comparisons: 2008 =  6.7 million 2007 = 4.6 million ZDNet reports that web traffic (although not sales) was significantly up on Cyber Monday — the heavily watched day for internet shopping after Black Friday.

By Nike Kern, Biz Reporter With today’s economy in a tailspin one of our state’s leading industries is being hit harder than most.  The Oregon restaurant industry employs an estimated 110,000 and creates a whopping economic impact of 9.7 billion dollars annually into our economy.  With more than 9,000 restaurants […]

FAST FACTS: 2008  — Shoppers: 172 million,  Average spent: $372.57 2007 — Shoppers: 147 million, Average spent: $347.55 National Retailers Foundation shows shoppers spent 7% more. and 30 million more shoppers durign Black Friday weekend.