The demise of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. was just one short year ago. With over $600 billion in assets, it would be the largest bankruptcy filing in the history of the United States. Just as a point for comparison, this figure is greater than the GDP (2008, nominally) of all but 17 nations in the entire world (just behind Turkey and ahead of Poland). In the mere 7 hours of a bankruptcy court hearing, the $1.35 billion dollar sale of Lehman’s core business (and Manhattan office) to Barclays Continue Reading

REMI just wrapped up its ‘Cash for Clunkers’ WebEx series, which proved to be tremendously popular. What remains to be seen is the impact this program will have on eliciting new consumer spending. Would this increase in new consumer spending justify the expansion of the program by the government for an additional $2 billion? There have been reports or claims that this government spending is not effective for long term growth and not the most effective use of taxpayer money. Reg Continue Reading

I traveled on the Hickory Creek, part of the 20th century limited on January 10, 2009 from New York Penn Station to Washington, D.C. for the 88TH annual TRB meeting. Other travelers on the train included business leaders from the transportation community as well as local, state, and federal agencies. The observation car only holds a maximum of 18 people, so we easily became get acquainted with the other guests. They told us stories from their past work experiences including those who had ope Continue Reading

Now that Fed Chair Ben Bernanke has given his blessing to the next stimulus package, it is no surprise that many industries, individuals, and governments are asking for a little stimulus. So far, the auto industry, the housing industry, transportation associations, renewables proponents, and state and local governments have requested assistance. With a recession that may become much worse, and an economy which has pushed the limits of monetary policy, new government spending in a variety of ar Continue Reading

This month marked my 21st anniversary as an employee of REMI. It is hard to believe that I have spent almost half of my life working on the REMI model, yet there is still so much left to do! I value all of the professional interactions I've shared over the years with hundreds of REMI clients. Please continue to share ideas and feedback with me. I hope the model and I both continue to improve with age. Sherri Continue Reading