A "zombie company" refers to those barely alive companies that may be highly leveraged or unprofitable. They may not have earnings to pay their debts, so they walk among us waiting for lightning to strike.

Topics include remarks on various themes impacting markets and the economy, notably: Financial and labor markets, fiscal policy, and inflation.

These three months were eventful; the U.S. stock market experienced periods of price movements ranging from +5% to -5%, while longer-term interest rates fluctuated more than in recent history. Financial markets absorbed new economic data and moved swiftly to adjust to new expectations.

The cost-of-living adjustment for social security benefits for 2022 is 5.9%, the largest increase since 1982 when it rose to 7.4%.

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month. In this week's Market Perspective, Jason and Suzy discuss common financial cyber-crimes and straightforward steps to fortify your online accounts.

Interest rates and bond prices often have an inverse relationship. For example, when interest rates rise, bond prices can fall. When the Fed recently signaled it might reduce bond-buying, financial markets began repositioning asset prices.

Since 1960, Congress has acted 78 separate times to permanently raise, temporarily extend, or revise the definition of the debt limit. In other news, the Chinese real estate developer Evergrande faces a liquidity crisis.