Business & Economy ECONOMY
What a Credit Rating Is
A plain-language guide to credit ratings, the letter grades that estimate how likely a borrower is to repay its debts on time.
Business & Economy
Markets, companies and the economy that connects them. Sourced business and economic analysis from Cubed News — explainers and context, not investment advice. Edited by David Mensah.
Business & Economy ECONOMY
What a Tariff Is, and Who Pays It
A tariff is a tax a government places on imported goods, and although the importer pays it at the border, the cost…
Business & Economy ECONOMY
What Quantitative Easing Is
Quantitative easing is a tool central banks use to stimulate the economy by creating money to buy large amounts of government bonds…
Business & Economy ECONOMY
What a Bond Is, and How It Works
A bond is a loan made by an investor to a government or company that pays interest over time and returns the…
Business & Economy ECONOMY
What GDP Is, and What It Actually Measures
Gross domestic product is the total market value of the goods and services a country produces in a period, and it is…
Business & Economy ECONOMY
What Inflation Is, and How It’s Measured
Inflation is the sustained rise in the general level of prices, and statistical agencies track it using price indexes built from a…
Business & Economy BUSINESS ECONOMY
What Fiscal Policy Is, and How It Differs From Monetary Policy
Fiscal policy is a government's use of spending and taxation to steer the economy, distinct from the interest-rate tools of central-bank monetary…
Business & Economy BUSINESS ECONOMY
What a Subsidy Is, and Who Really Pays for It
A subsidy is government financial support that lowers the cost of a good or activity; the benefit goes to recipients while taxpayers…
Business & Economy BUSINESS ECONOMY
What a Monopoly Is, and How Regulators Respond
A monopoly is a market with one dominant seller and no close substitutes, giving it power to set prices that regulators police…
Business & Economy BUSINESS ECONOMY
What a Supply Chain Is, and Where It Breaks
A supply chain is the network that turns raw materials into finished goods and delivers them, breaking wherever a stage cannot keep…
Business & Economy BUSINESS ECONOMY
What a Mortgage Is, and How Repayment Works
A mortgage is a loan to buy property, secured by the home itself, and repaid over years in monthly installments of principal…
Business & Economy BUSINESS ECONOMY
What a SPAC Is, and How It Differs From an IPO
A SPAC is a shell company that raises money on the stock market first, then merges with a real business to take…