Capital Record

We all got a lesson this week in one of the most powerful forces in world history. It is maybe the most important political dynamic on the globe today -- even more powerful than the separation of powers found in the Constitution. Indeed, unlike the latter, market discipline cannot be willed away.

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The limit of a 10 percent interest rate on credit card debt is a perfect storm, an unintended consequence, a territory for bad policy. Since that Friday night announcement of the president, inspired by the Sanders/Warren wing of political ideology, we have now seen support from the president for the Credit Card Competition Act. Here, more nuances abound, and more opportunities for shaking one’s head exist. 
In this episode of Capital Record, David:
Takes on the “credit card fees are usury” argument, some conveniently jump onto.
Explains who is hurt the most by a government price control on credit card interest.
Unpacks the Credit Card Competition Act.
Reminds us of the most important law in economics -- “there’s no free lunch” -- accompanied by the most important question in economics -- “compared to what?”

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The president of the United States has ordered Fannie and Freddie to buy $200 billion of mortgage bonds (in a week where he has said and done a lot of things, some of which he is even allowed to do). On today’s Capital Record, David unpacks what this means, what it doesn’t mean, and why it doesn’t represent any solution to the housing affordability mess in which we find ourselves.
Show Notes: 
The Saddest Part of This Recent Economic Lunacy

 

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On Wednesday, January 7, President Trump sent out two messages via social media: First, that he was “banning institutional ownership of residential real estate.” Later, that he was “outlawing return of capital to shareholders.” The Warren/Sanders/Mamdani wing of the Democratic Party is celebrating. The Reagan/Hayek/Laffer wing of the Republican wing is scratching its head.
Today, David goes back to the utterly incoherent idea that institutions putting investment into residential real estate (all 0.4 percent of the single-family residences this represent) is behind the affordability issues. He reminds listeners what “supply-side” growth means. And he does a quick refresher on capital formation, and how capital is needed to innovate, and that how capital gets treated is somewhat relevant to that process. It’s a plea to remember first principles when it comes to economic policy, and why we have spent a lifetime rejecting this Marxian drivel.

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The new mayor of New York City is praising collectivism and urging optimism for what it can do. Many freedom lovers want to give a history lesson to the mayor about the 20th century’s horror of collectivist failures around the globe. But in addition to those needed history lessons, New Yorkers are welcome to their own current rent laws and the debacle they have created for those who claim to want more affordable rent options. In the first episode of Capital Record this new year, David explains how bad policies with good intentions do the same damage that bad policies with bad intentions do, and uses a real-life policy illustration to demonstrate why collectivism has always failed.

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