TheMReport

10 | TH E M REP O RT FROM THE SOURCE On Certainty and Uncertainty READ THIS: The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail — but Some Don't Nate Silver earned wide media attention in 2008 for accurately forecasting the 2008 presidential winner in 49 out of 50 states and also the winners of all 35 senatorial elections taking place at the time. His book on how he so accurately makes predictions—from baseball to soccer and politics to climate change—includes a section on the financial crisis and the likelihoods that gave way to terrifying certainties. For anyone who has lost faith in "the forecast," this book proves there is a better way to understand what to expect of the future. WATCH THIS: "Scholarslip: A documentary about the student debt crisis" From the JAT Productions YouTube Channel If you haven't heard about renter culture yet, all you need to know is that young Americans are having a tough time scraping together the money to qualify for mortgages, which means they are renting in greater numbers than ever before. But where is their money going? The answer is "schooling," as this documentary lays out the manner in which places of higher education have gotten away with charging ever-greater tuitions that leave young people in debt even after declaring bankruptcy. For any agents who want a new generation of clients to sell homes to, this is a must-see. SHARE THIS: Fed Has Little Uncertainty, Despite Forecasting Misses The economic forecasts that come from the Fed are usually more optimistic than they should be about how the markets will turn out, but that doesn't stop the Fed from being confident in its predictions. In fact, the number of analysts who are "more uncertain than usual" about their predictions is down from a peak in June 2012. This little article covers the relationship between the markets and the forecasts that the Fed has had to revise. TWEET THIS: @morningmoneyben Ben White contributes to CNBC and is the chief economic correspondent for POLITICO.com, and he uses his close ties to the financial world and Washington, D.C., to explain how politics are affecting the markets and vice-versa. White is not afraid to talk about issues as they are, which makes his Morning Money columns and his Twitter feed a good place to check in for solid commentary or a quick laugh on how the U.S. and the world are doing these days. Political and financial weathermen weigh in this month, and a documentary on student debt tells why real estate markets should be worried for the future.

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