Christopher A. Hopkins - Chattanooga Times Free Press

Personal Finance: Bond market flashing yellow on economy

by Christopher A. Hopkins ·June 25, 2019

An interesting dichotomy has developed between the stock and bond markets over the past few weeks.

Trader Jonathan Corpina works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, June 19, 2019. Investors are in wait-and-see mode hours ahead of a widely anticipated Federal Reserve decision on interest rates. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Personal Finance: China’s next trade weapon against US could be an embargo on rare earth elements

by Christopher A. Hopkins ·June 4, 2019

For the past two years, the United States has been engaged in an economic version of mutually assured destruction, instigating a trade war with friend and foe alike.

In this Dec. 30, 2010, photo, workers use machinery to dig at a rare earth mine in Ganxian county in central China's Jiangxi province. Facing new trade sanctions and a U.S. clampdown on its top telecommunications company, China issued a pointed reminder on Wednesday, May 30, 2019 that it has yet to unleash all its weapons in its trade war with the Trump administration. Chinese state media warned that Beijing could cut America off from exotic minerals that are widely used in electric cars and mobile phones. The threat to use China's rich supply of so-called rare earths as leverage in the conflict has contributed to sharp losses in U.S. stocks and sliding long-term bond yields. (Chinatopix via AP)

Personal Finance: Congress acts to promote retirement saving

by Christopher A. Hopkins ·May 28, 2019

In an age of contention and polarization in Congress, it is refreshing to see a truly bipartisan effort to address a serious deficiency.

IRA 401k ROTH handwritten in a note. Retirement plans. retirement savings tile retirement tile / Getty Images

Personal Finance: Ramifications of Trump’s tariff policy warrant a further discussion

by Christopher A. Hopkins ·May 14, 2019

For the past two years, the United States has engaged in an escalating trade war in which there are no winners.

Personal Finance: Why a vibrant stock market matters

by Christopher A. Hopkins ·May 7, 2019

It has often been observed that capital is the mother's milk of business.

FILE - In this July 3, 2014, file photo, specialist Jay Woods is reflected in a screen at his post that shows five years of the Dow Jones industrial average, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. The biggest change over the last 10 years, many professional investors say is that index funds have become the default way for many to invest. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

Personal Finance: Does anyone care about the national debt?

by Christopher A. Hopkins ·March 12, 2019

"Blessed are the young, for they shall inherit the national debt." - Herbert Hoover, 1936

Personal Finance: Bankruptcy is essential to capitalism

by Christopher A. Hopkins ·February 19, 2019

Toys R Us. Circuit City. PanAm. Lehman Brothers. All major corporations that no longer exist due to liquidation in bankruptcy.

FILE--In this July 14, 2010, file photo, gavels and law books are shown in the office of California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald George at his office in San Francisco, Calif. The State Bar of California on Monday, July 31, 2017, proposed lowering the minimum score on the most recent licensing exam for attorneys amid an alarming decline in people passing the test considered one of the toughest in the U.S. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, file)

Personal Finance: Government watchdog wants to loosen payday lending rules

by Christopher A. Hopkins ·February 12, 2019

Each year, roughly 12 million Americans face sufficient financial hardship that they turn to a costly and potentially hazardous alternative: short-term, high-interest consumer loans, colloquially referred to as "payday loans."

This undated photo shows a sign for Check City, which offers payday loans, in Salt Lake City. Americans take out roughly $50 billion in payday loans a year, each racking up hundreds of dollars in fees and interest. (Leah Hogsten/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP)

Personal Finance: Student loan debt preventing some millennials from owning a home

by Christopher A. Hopkins ·February 5, 2019

The rate of home ownership in the United States has declined from 69 percent in 2005 to 65 percent in 2014 (the latest data available), in great part due to the hangover from the financial crisis. But the picture is tougher for millennials age 24 to 32, among whom the rate of ownership has declined by 9 percentage points.

FILE - In this Sunday, Dec. 17, 2006, file photo, Eastern Michigan University graduates socialize before their commencement at the Convocation Center in Ypsilanti, Mich. In recent years, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission have closed only seven companies that lured consumers with rosy promises to reduce or forgive student loan debt. But more than 130 student loan debt relief businesses operating during the period had records of questionable or illegal behavior, according to a NerdWallet review of public records. (Leisa Thompson/The Ann Arbor News via AP, File)

The economy in 2019: A look ahead

by Christopher A. Hopkins ·December 31, 2018

Most investors are ready to leave 2018 behind and focus on the New Year.