in the months October through May due to Holiday spending (includes "paying off" credit cards).
             There are two methods in which Corporate Profits are reported by the government. "Tax-based" profits are derived from corporate tax returns, and "adjusted" profits reflect earnings from current production. Just as increases in Personal Income are vital to the growth of the U.S economy, increases in Corporate Profits are just as important on an even larger scale. The greater the profits, the more potential for growth. This in turn has a direct effect on employment rates, spending, etc. Profits reported from current production increased $3.7 billion in the third quarter of 1999. This is a dramatic improvement from a decrease of $6.5 billion in the second quarter. Profits would have been about $10 billion more than they were in the third quarter if not for the effects of Hurricane Floyd. Insurance companies paid benefits resulting in about $8 billion in reduced profits, with uninsu
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