Articles

Mark to Market Accounting and the Financial Crisis

“Once upon a time, in a land far away…” is how Ed Scribner opens his fairy tale. The tale goes on to tell how market to market affects the lives of the inhabitants of a magic kingdom. If only all financial commentators wrote as clearly as Ed, we would all be able to better understand the shenanigans that have pushed the economy into the worse recession in at least 25 years.
Complete Article

Stock Market Volatility

If you have the feeling that the stock market in 2008 was volatile, you would certainly be right! Volatility skyrocketed in 2008 to a record number of declines of 2% or more (at least since 1962). What accounts for this and what does it mean for the economy.
Complete Article

Talking Points

The state of New Mexico saw its first job decline since the mid-1980s. Jobs declined by .3 percent in November compared to 12 months previous (2500 jobs). The standard definition of a recession when looking at regional economies is a decline in jobs. By this standard, New Mexico has entered a recession. The Las Cruces MSA continues to buck the trend both nationally and statewide, however. The city saw a 1.9 percent increase in payroll employment in November compared to twelve months previous.
Complete Article