Real Time Economics
Real Time Economics is the Wall Street Journal's blog looking at the world of economics. It covers a wide range of issues, from Federal Reserve governors to gas prices. But unlike other blogs that roam into food or wine, RTE stays focused on its topic.
Even so, it's eclectic and lively. More than informative, it's quite accessible to the layperson. Many blogs give you links to other stories. But their daily list of economic stories around the Web, "Secondary Sources," offers beefy summaries and is well chosen.
Still think economic analysis is useless? Consider this: of all the blogs that cover the Federal Reserve, RTE seems to have been the first to recognize the significance of Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's Jackson Hole speech this summer regarding the central bank's QE2 bond-buying program on the market. The speech was followed by a 28%, six-month stock rally.
Ritholtz is the head of stock-market research firm Fusion IQ, wrote the book Bailout Nation and is the author of the blog the Big Picture.