Stuart Hoffman
Stuart Hoffman
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The results show a stable outlook among business owners for their own sales and profits during the next six months, which suggests they are adapting to higher energy prices and interest rates. Many, however, are taking aggressive steps to counter continued increases in costs for employees' health care coverage, which could mean reductions in benefits for some employees.
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He agrees that another ... rate hike at the March 28 (meeting) will be needed.
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Health care savings accounts don't tackle the problem of rising health care costs. This is not an attempt to rein in the cost of health care. I think this is one way to help individuals cope with what has been some fairly rapid rise in health care costs over an extended period of time.
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The economy is regaining momentum and will have a very solid first half of the year. We all feel more confident than we did three months ago, when we were still wondering about the impact of the hurricanes.
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The economy is off to a strong start in 2006 and has fully rebounded from the fourth-quarter setback.
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The first half of the decade has not been good for Pittsburgh and Southwestern Pennsylvania in the sense of economic growth. But for this year, I believe we have turned the corner.
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The underlying message here is that the Fed is rounding for third and heading for home plate. But they are not finished playing yet.
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These are exactly the kinds of things the Fed likes too see. Signs of a slowing in housing and still-contained inflation are the kinds of numbers that speak to the Fed stopping in May, making that their last rate hike.