Jan 16, 2017

IMF: Trump stimulus will boost growth

Christopher Matthews

Trump's economic policies are up in the air, but the IMF likes what it's hearing. Its new economic forecast predicts the U.S. economy will grow by 2.3% this year and 2.5% in 2018, well above the 2016 pace of 1.6%.

The IMF's sunnier forecasts rests on the idea that the Trump Administration will usher in an era of higher deficit spending and growth-friendly tax reform.

Don't get too excited: The IMF said its updated forecast is "particularly uncertain," given the unpredictable politics of Washington in 2017. It cautioned that any deficit spending should be aimed at productivity boosting infrastructure spending or shoring up social safety nets. And the Trump Administration risks higher inflation, unproductive increases in debt, and a strong reaction from the Federal Reserve if its stimulus is too large or overly generous toward the rich.

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Axios

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Photo: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

Catch up on today's biggest news:

  1. Mike Bloomberg offers to release women from 3 NDAs
  2. Wells Fargo to pay $3 billion to settle consumer abuse charges
  3. Bloomberg campaign says Tennessee vandalism "echoes language" from Bernie supporters
  4. Scoop: New White House personnel chief tells Cabinet liaisons to target Never Trumpers
  5. Nearly half of Republicans support pardoning Roger Stone
Keep ReadingArrowUpdated 38 mins ago - Politics & Policy
Orion Rummler

Wells Fargo agrees to pay $3 billion to settle consumer abuse charges

Clients use an ATM at a Wells Fargo Bank in Los Angeles, Calif. Photo: Ronen Tivony/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Wells Fargo agreed to a pay a combined $3 billion to the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday for opening millions of fake customer accounts between 2002 and 2016, the SEC said in a press release.

The big picture: The fine "is among the largest corporate penalties reached during the Trump administration," the Washington Post reports.

Go deeperArrow40 mins ago - Economy & Business
Fadel Allassan

Bloomberg offers to release women from 3 nondisclosure agreements

Mike Bloomberg. Photo: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

Mike Bloomberg said Friday his company will release women identified to have signed three nondisclosure agreements so they can publicly discuss their allegations against him if they wish.

Why it matters, via Axios' Margaret Talev: Bloomberg’s shift in policy toward NDAs comes as he tries to stanch his loss of female support after the Las Vegas debate. It is an effort to separate the total number of harassment and culture complaints at the large company from those directed at him personally. That could reframe the criticism against him, but also protect the company from legal fallout if all past NDAs were placed in jeopardy.

Go deeperArrow48 mins ago - Politics & Policy