Opinion

Is America sliding toward bankruptcy?  A lot of people were asking this question when the US reached its debt limit, the maximum amount of money the Treasury can borrow to pay its bills.  This problem is one that millions of people understand from firsthand experience: The bills keep mounting, there’s not enough money to pay them, and people keep falling further behind.  This is bad enough when it happens to individuals; when entire countries are in this predicament, it’s much worse. 

Congratulations!  After years of working into the night, dreaming of becoming an author, and writing and rewriting, you finally completed your version of the great American novel.  You can hardly wait to share your book with the world, and now the only hurdle left to clear is selling it.  And that’s when you discover that writing is the sweet part of this business, and selling your tome is the really tough part.  Dollars to donuts, many writers have come to the same conclusion.  Is it still possible to sell a book these days?

Here’s a glimpse into the future: Families will have fewer children, wait longer to have them, and their current lifestyles will give way to new ones.   

These are not the predictions of a fortune teller.  They are the conclusions of an NBC News analysis of data just released by the National Center for Health Statistics and other official statistics.  

Retailing has never been an easy business, but these days it’s harder than ever.  Supply shortages, inflation, and a weakening economy are making their problems worse. There’s one other issue that should be added to this list: shoplifting.

Are Bitcoin and some other digital currencies survivors, capable of withstanding intense market pressures? Or are they among the last of a dying breed?  

Investors interested in cryptocurrencies are asking this question - and with good reason.  Thousands of crypto coins have faded into history over the years, and nearly all of the others are on the ropes now.  And what happens to them ultimately could impact heavily on stocks and other assets.  

According to the calendar, 2022 is over, but its most important business stories remain headline news.  Even more, they very likely will continue to affect both the economy and the markets in 2023.  Following is a review of some of them.