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By 2015, people aged 50 to 75 will make up 40 percent of adult consumers and they will have the most spendable cash. Baby boomers account for more than 40 percent of the money spent on new household furnishing and equipment and one demographer believes marketers should rebalance their focus to this group to around 60 to 40 percent.

The proliferation of mutual funds and exchange traded funds tied to commodities indexes has helped speculative buying reach unusual levels. Index funds are estimated to account for 40 percent of all bullish bets on commodities. Commodities could drop by 30 percent as speculators retreat.

There is little evidence that say that high-paying U.S. service jobs are being outsourced. America's trade deficit is partly offset by its trade surplus in services which include business, professional and technical (BPT) services and the trade in BPT is seen more between the U.S. and other industrial economies and not developing economies.

The reasons behind the decline of United States official personal savings with relation to consumer attitudes are presented.

A history of office management practice accompanies analysis of how the US government counts the dwindling number of office workers formerly known as secretaries.

William Dudley, an economist with Goldman Sachs, advised the Governors of the Federal Reserve to tighten interest rates to reduce the chances of inflation despite good economic indicators. Dudley explains the analysis that led to this opinion.

Nobel laureate in economics, Milton Friedman, discusses free-market capitalism, environmentalism, Social Security, the Federal Reserve Bank, the European Monetary Union, the International Monetary Fund, and Asia.

The idea to privatize Social Security is meeting more favorable approval, as people realize that the financial security of Social Security is not as great as it once was. Proposals vary in their degree of privatization, but now may not be a wise time for such invesmtents because stock market returns may decline.

Economist Mark Zandi shares his views on the effects of a possible stock market correction and other issues. He believes that the bull market has influenced all areas of economic activity and that a correction would bring slower economic growth mostly through weaker consumption.

From 1979-1993 women went from earning 62.5 cents per every $1 earned by men to 77.1 cents per male dollar, but that has slipped back to 75 cents from 1993-96. How working women are seemingly running into a second 'glass ceiling,' after 14 years of consistent gains in salary is examined.

Three leading economists gathered to discuss the ongoing bull market in stocks and the prospects for its continuation. All look for a growth in the gross domestic product of 3%-4% in the third quarter of 1997. Comments on prices, trade balance, interest rates and other areas are also presented.

Tax cuts are a popular item on the political agenda, but the spending levels and needs of the US make such items highly unlikely to actually occur. Presidents Reagan, Bush and Clinton have approved tax policies that raised the effective tax rate to 34.8%, the highest rate ever.

Sharpe is known for an investment measure he calls the 'reward-to-variability ratio' but which is also called the Sharpe Ratio. It is a way to calculate how much return can be expected from an investment over T-bills unit risk. He discuses his ratio, index funds and managed funds.

Three stock and financial market analysts discuss the economy. They are William Cheney, Louis Crandall and Dana Johnson. All of the panelists predict that growth would be about 2% in 1996. Other topics discussed include interest rates, budget deficits and the US dollar.

Three economic forecasters, Michael Lewis of Free Market Inc, Charles Lieberman of Chemical Securities and Arnold X. Moskowitz of Moskowitz Capital Consulting, present their views on interest rates, consumer spending, exports and the economy in general.

Three economists discuss why the nation's economic growth is not as strong as it appears to be. Braverman believes the economic numbers were aided by disasters, while McKelvey believes household spending is down. Silvia attributes the slow growth to a change in consumer consumption.

Economists Louis Crandall, Steve Wood and Ed Yardeni agree that economic recovery is underway, but they disagree about whether the recovery will be moderate or strong. The men also discuss their beliefs about the outlook for employment, inflation and interest rates.

Top energy analysts Stan Harbison, Tom Petrie and Mike Rothman share their views on the outlook for gasoline, heating oil and natural gas prices. A variety of issues are discussed including the causes of the bear market in crude oil that aided economic recovery in the US.

Three analysts who track special metals believe that gold prices are likely to rise. Jeff Christian, Fred Demler and George Milling-Stanley offer their opinions about the price prospects for gold, silver, platinum and copper.

Economists Jason Benderly, Philip Braverman and Joseph G. Carson disagree about the rate of real GNP growth from mid-1993 to mid-1995. Their estimates range from 1.5% to 3% for that period. The economists discuss additional issues including interest rates, inflation and unemployment.

Barbera, Hunt and Munro provide their analysis on the future of the US economy. Predictions that the gross domestic product growth range from 1.8% to 4%. All three agree that inflation is not an immediate threat to economic recovery.

Pres Clinton's proposal to tax energy products will affect petroleum more than gas. OPEC members decided to lower production in 1993 in an effort to raise prices from $19.50 per barrel. The issues raised by changing the price of oil and taxing it are examined by three investment advisers.

The number of people renting houses in the US is projected to increase from 2010 to 2015, caused by the recession and a shift in demographics. The share of US households owning homes will fall to 64% by 2015, while the share of households renting homes will reach 36% by that year.

Investors should not worry about a second recession in 2010 as the U.S. recovery is likely to continue its moderate expansion. The struggling housing sector, depressed small businesses and hesitant consumers are greater worries for the economy.

Friedberg, Ijaz and Chandler discuss the effects of the proposed economic and monetary policies of President-elect Bill Clinton on the American dollar and other currencies. All agree that a strong economic package will help the dollar.

Economists Ed Yardeni, Ed Hyman and Phil Braverman have different views as to the direction of the economic recovery. Each economist explains his interpretation of the trend of economic conditions. The effects of high debt and current policies are analyzed.

Former Pres Reagan subscribed to the theory of supply-side economics, which basically cuts marginal tax rates to encourage economic growth and increase government revenues. An analysis of the theory is presented.

Economic analyst Philip Braverman predicts that the economy will not grow much in 1992. Braverman predicts low growth and high unemployment for 1992 and believes the US economy could slide despite recent growth.

Precious metals prices are stagnant because of supply and demand. Gold, silver, platinum, aluminum, and copper prices will likely remain steady in 1992, and rise in 1993 or 1994 as the global economy recovers.

The shares of Compass Minerals, J2 Global Communications, K12, Middleby, and Pactiv should be shorted by investors. These companies suffer from weaknesses in their business models, making them vulnerable to a share price decline.

The US economy is unlikely to experience a deep recession due to increased consumer spending brought about by lower energy prices. The economy could also benefit from companies rebuilding their inventories and a positive balance of trade.

Skilled jobs would rise by 2025, providing opportunities to old and young people. The share of 'knowledge workers' in the labor force would continue to rise that include executives, scientists and advertising copywriters.

Commodities exchanges are burgeoning as equities markets flounder, with indexes such as the Reuters/CRB, which tracks 17 commodities, up as much as 35% since Fall, 2001. Commodities were overshadowed by stocks during the false prosperity of the tech-bubble years. Prospects for continuing strength in the sector are examined.

The influx of 20 million immigrants, largely from Latin America and Asia, that followed the signing of the Immigration Act of 1965 is profiled, with a focus on the positive impact immigrants have had on the U.S. economy.

Stephen Roach, chief economist at Morgan Stanley, details the reasons why he believes the United States is already in a recession, that it will be long-lasting and severe, and that recovery will be difficult and take time. Roach believes the reason the U.S. has not yet seen negative GDP is that consumers are struggling to hang on to present spending patterns.

Lou Crandall, chief economist for New York financial consulting company Wrightson Associates, is a respected observer of the Federal Reserve Board. Crandall discusses the significance of the Federal Reserve's reduction of prime interest rates by 250 basis points in the first quarter of 2001. Analysis of current economic indicators in the United States, and forecasts for the remainder of the year, are examined.

Defined-contribution and salary-reduction plans such as 401ks will swell to $8.5 trillion by 2007. How much of that the newly-retiring baby boomers will be able to keep from being taxed at regular rates depends on how much political weight they can muster to press for tax breaks from Congress.

Despite gushing tributes from many quarters upon his re-appointment and confirmation, Federal Reserve chief Alan Greenspan, his economic foresight has been faulty. He wanted to slow the economy in 1996, and he adheres to outmoded theories of inflation. Doubts about his ability to guide the boom economy to a soft landing are beginning to surface.

Some demographers have predicted that baby boomers will retire early, putting a huge strain on the stock market and the social security system. However, other analysts predict that this generation will delay retirement much as it delayed work, marriage, and childbirth. If this is the case, a big tax windfall will occur and the Social Security and Medicare will remain stable.

The Federal Reserve Board needs to evaluate its management practices to bring them more in line with changes it has forced upon industry. The central bank has more than 23,000 employees and 12 regional banks, as well as its own offices even though it is part of the government. Property should be sold, offices should be consolidated, and its functions should be reduced to the chief concerns for which the system was originally created. Competition with the private sector should also be examined.

For the November issue, James Bennet interviewed Bill Gates, who has committed his influence and his personal fortune to propelling the world beyond fossil fuels before climate change wreaks cataclysmic [...]

Cary Leahey believes that the economic crisis in Asia may reduce the US gross domestic product by as much as 1%, but that the fallout should be no worse than that. Overall, Leahey sees the gross domestic product increasing by 2.75%, thanks to job growth, low unemployment, and high consumer confidence.

Economist Leonard Nakamura believes that the way the government measures economic indicators such as GDP, productivity and consumer prices is seriously flawed. As a result, he believes the US economy has grown since the 70's and has had 5% annual growth over the last six years.

Chandler believes the rate of the US dollar against other currencies will continue to rise. He credits a strong demand for dollars, understated numbers for exports and high unemployment in Europe. He believes the dollar will rise even more than expected. He also discusses the gold market.

Shepardson believes that growth in the US gross national product will slow in 1997 due to the increasing strength of the dollar. He also believes export growth will slow to about 2% in 1997, and that interest rates could increase.

An analysis of the tax bills under consideration in the Senate and the House of Representatives and their attempt to reduce the deficit is presented. One analyst believes that budget deficit reduction will not occur despite tax increases.

In reading Alex Kotlowitz's thoughtful article (Aug. 5), I came out with a greater appreciation of the problems Mexican immigrants face in small-town America but with no clearer idea of [...]

Presents several letters to the editor related to articles published in various issues of the journal "Business Week." Discussion on the article "The New Era of Lifestyle Drugs"; Focus on the article "He's Rich. Now he Wants Some Respect" related to entrepreneur Kenny Troutt; Observation on the article "The euro."

Economic indicators that would be modest in a normal economy are actually cause for celebration in light of the numerous factors working against the economy, such as war rumors, corporate corruption, and mismanagement at the Securities and Exchange Commission.