Barring a late flood of snail-mail entries, all of the predictions are in for my 2009 Economic Challenge. The headline: Readers are pessimistic about the economy, but think they can make money in the stock market.

The 44 entries are about…

The Dow Jones industrial average ended last week at 8,579. That’s down 39 percent since October of last year, which means we’re in a vicious bear market. But it’s also up 14 percent in the past month, so an optimist might say…

Deflation has been the big topic of discussion among economists lately, especially at the Federal Reserve. This Chicago Tribune piece even says that a little inflation would be a good thing. Many ordinary people, though, aren’t so quick to cast aside their…

It’s the time of year when we reporters ask professional forecasters what the new year will look like. I’m also asking you, the readers of Mound City Money. Here’s your chance to make a collective prediction about where unemployment will…

If you read today’s column, you know that it’s time to enter my annual Economic Challenge for 2009. You can enter by email (click on the byline at the top of this item) or by posting your predictions in the…

Today’s column announces the winner of my 2007 Economic Challenge, but I didn’t have space to say much about the runners-up. It was an extremely close race, coming down to the fact that Mark Jelavich’s GDP forecast of 2.8 percent was…

This year’s Economic Challenge is now closed, except for 2007-postmarked pieces of snail mail that may yet trickle in. The 47  of you who have been brave enough to make predictions are an optimistic lot overall, but you’re  worried about inflation.

The…

As I announced in Sunday’s column, I’m now taking entries for the 2008 Economic Challenge. The rules are simple: You submit your predictions by Dec. 31;  I collect the entries and announce a winner early in 2009.   The prize…

As I announced in Sunday’s column, I’m now accepting entries for the 2007 Economic Challenge. It requires you to submit four predictions:

– The growth rate of gross domestic product from the fourth quarter of 2006 to the fourth quarter of…