Now that the Congressional Super-Committee’s attempts to produce deficit cuts have failed, the Budget Control Act calls for specific budget cuts that commence in January 2013. If this actually comes to pass, the resulting defense-related cuts would have a significant impact in Massachusetts and elsewhere. Read the full article

I was unable to attend last week’s New England Economic Partnership conference, but it sounds like it was a fairly somber gathering. Read the full article

Earlier this week I noted that it's getting harder to find banks that don't charge for checking accounts. Here are the names of several MA banks that still offer full-service checking accounts for free. Read the full article

The IRS has announced that in addition to relief already announced for taxpayers in Federal disaster areas, it is giving a one-week extension of the September 15th filing deadline to taxpayers whose preparers are located in areas that were under a severe weather warnings or an evacuation order as a result of Hurricane Irene. Read the full article

Today’s earthquake centered near Mineral, Virginia caught New Englanders by surprise as its shock wave rumbled through the area. Although we tend to think of earthquakes as a west coast phenomenon, today’s tremor reminded easterners that we get them sometimes too. How much does a standard homeowner’s policy cover in the event of an earthquake? Read the full article

Boston Restaurant Week, now in its 11th year, starts next week. For two weeks, August 14-19 and 21-26, fine restaurants in the Greater Boston area will offer discounted fixed-price menus to draw customers in during a traditionally slow month. Over 200 restaurants will offer 2-course lunches for $15.11, 3-course lunches for $20.11 and 3-course dinners for $33.11. Boston holds Restaurant Week twice a year, in August and March. Read the full article

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts will have its sales tax holiday this year on August 13-14. Read the full article

The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) extended higher limits for so-called conforming mortgages, which helped keep mortgage rates lower for home buyers living in high-priced areas of the US, including New England. Barring a change in current law, the conforming mortgage limit extension will run out for loans originated at the end of September. Read the full article

The IRS announced yesterday that taxpayers who were victims of storms in parts of Vermont on April 23 and the June 1 tornadoes in certain counties in Massachusetts are granted additional time to make some tax payments. Read the full article

The Massachusetts economy continues to strengthen faster than the nation as a whole, according to state economists. Read the full article

The Boston Business Journal announced yesterday a new report on Massachusetts Housing “Leaders and Laggards” based on data from the first quarter of 2011. Our Fair City did not make it into the Top Ten, or even the Top Twenty. Read the full article

The Case-Shiller Index, the leading benchmark for housing prices, today reported new data updated through October and the news is less than cheerful. Boston housing prices showed a slight year-over-year decline, and several major housing markets slipped to price levels last experienced in spring of 2009. Read the full article

Which states are likely to have the worst pension liability problems in the future? A couple of studies, one from the Pew Center on the States and the other from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, indicate that while a few are in decent shape, some are much worse than others. Read the full article

The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston reported that economic activity in the First District is generally on the upswing versus last year. Read the full article

Looking for cities leading the way in job creation and economic growth? The Milken Institutes's report "Best-Performing Cities 2010" identifies the leading areas in a ranking of 379 metros, divided into large (>200,000) and small (< 200,000) population metropolitan areas. Texas came out far ahead among the states this year, with Lone Star State cities filling 11 of the top 25 slots among large-population areas. Read the full article

Melissa Korn at the Wall Street Journal interviewed me last month for the Journal’s Personal Finance feature, “The Game Plan,” in which readers write in and have their retirement planning strategies reviewed by a professional financial planner. The piece appeared in yesterday’s WSJ. Read the full article

Last week I attended a talk by Boston Federal Reserve Bank research economist Chris Foote. His subject was the Great Recession, but Foote also dropped a fairly big hint about the likely direction of short-term interest rates for the foreseeable future. Read the full article

The Bay State’s Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported today that despite the loss of 6,000 census jobs, the state added a net 13,200 workers to its rolls in July, marking the sixth straight month of employment gains in Massachusetts. Read the full article

After taking a one-year hiatus, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is again joining several other states in giving consumers a two-day “sales tax holiday.” Read the full article

The Massachusetts Association of Realtors (MAR) reports that the number of single-family homes and condominiums placed under agreement in July 2010 was well below last year's level. Read the full article

Owners of small businesses are upbeat about their own chances for success, yet most believe that we will still be in a recession a year from now. Read the full article

Now in its 10th year, Boston Restaurant Week | Summer 2010 will kick into gear next month. Fine restaurants in the Boston area will offer reduced-price versions of their cuisine, giving thrifty diners opportunities to eat well at a discount. Read the full article

Late last year, Congress extended an $8,000 tax credit for new homebuyers and created a $6,500 credit for some existing homeowners who sell their old homes and buy new ones. These credits were originally available for houses purchased under contracts signed by April 30, 2010 and closed by June 30, but new legislation may give a break to those who can’t meet the June 30 deadline. Read the full article

Yesterday the New England Economic Partnership (NEEP) held its Fall Economic Conference at the Boston Federal Reserve. Regional economists reported that they expect unemployment in New England to peak next year, despite improvements in the national economic outlook. Read the full article

Today I found a nice article at Smartmoney.com that summarizes several indicators that can help you make an educated guess as to whether housing prices in an area are likely to go up. Read the full article

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