Tag: inflation rate

ECONOMICS: 2% inflation = 47 cents of purchasing power after 30 years

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://contrakrugman.com/ep-35-debt-default-good-or-bad/

Ep. 35 Debt Default: Good or Bad?
15 May 2016     |     Tom Woods     |    

You’ll never guess: Krugman contradicts himself this week, but only Bob Murphy, who knows Krugman’s columns inside and out, caught him. This week the topic is whether it’s a good idea at some point to repay the national debt at less than face value. Krugman is horrified, so maybe it’s a good idea….

Krugman Column“The Making of an Ignoramus” (May 9, 2016)
“Keynesians on Treasury Default: Depends Who’s in the White House,” by Robert P. Murphy
“Trump’s Right — Paying Back the National Debt with ‘Discounts’ Is Already Official Policy,” by David Stockman
“Repudiating the National Debt,” by Murray N. Rothbard

Related EpisodeEp. 33 Krugman and Hamilton Sitting in a Tree

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Key takeaway: 

If the Fed does meet its target inflation rate of 2%, then arithmetically over thirty years your dollar’s purchasing power is down 53%.

It’s a silent theft of your wealth.

Good luck saving with that scenario. Back to the analogy — what do you want find a pirates chest full of: US “dollars”, Confederate dollars, or gold coins?

Argh!

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MONEY: The tomato soup standard of value

Published on by reinkefj1 Comment

http://keywestlou.com/a-good-time-last-night

*** begin quote ***

Then to Publix. I bought nothing. Cost $51. How do families do it?

When I was in high school, I worked in what was then called a supermarket. The time 1949. Supermarkets then were not the huge stores of today. Not even close. One of my jobs was to stock the shelves. One of the items was Campbell Tomato Soup. Five cents a can. I noticed Publix was having a Campbell Tomato Soup sale. Four cans for $4.95. $1.24 a can.  Although more than 60 years later, still a major increase!

*** end quote ***

I would suggest to you that the difference is not “a major increase”, but a way to recognize that the value of “a dollar” — whatever that is — has dropped from 0.05 to 1.24.

Some economists — mostly from the Von Mise’s “Austrian School” — have asserted — I believe correctly — that the dollar has lost anywhere from 99.9% to 90% of its value depending on the interval you choose to measure.

In your specific example, it’s 95%!

Argh!

It’s about the Federal Reserve System, that is the OPEC of American Banks, Gooferment debt, Gooferment spending, cowardly politicians, and spendthrift bureaucrats.

The dollar, like the history of the French Franc, has been “devalued” day by day. Today the dollar is a shadow of its former self.

That’s the problem. 

Tomato soup hasn’t become more expensive; the dollars used to buy it are worth so much less. Ditto gas. Ditto every other product or service.

Argh!

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MONEY: US 90 percent silver coins minted before 1965

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://www.alt-market.com/articles/2229-the-immorality-of-paper-money

The Immorality Of Paper Money
Monday, 14 July 2014 16:44 Bob Livingston

*** begin quote ***

I still like U.S. 90 percent silver coins minted before 1965. They can be purchased in bags of $1,000 face amount or in smaller increments — even individually. (Find a local, reputable coin dealer with a good rating with the Better Business Bureau and a history in the community.) Buy for great price explosion upward as well as for survival coins. As paper money fails, a silver dollar will buy a week’s groceries any time.

*** end quote ***

A silver dollar is probably worth 19 U$D in melt value.

Don’t think that buys a week’s groceries. That’s probably hype.

But, it’s not hard to look at Zimbabwe, Argentina, Venezuela, or the pre-WW2 Germany experiences for an approximation of what could happen here.

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MONEY: THOSE SAME THREE SILVER DIMES

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://www.kitco.com/ind/Brecht/2014-07-03-Gas-Prices-Near-6-Year-Highs-No-Inflation-Who-Says.html

Gas Prices Near 6-Year Highs, No Inflation? Who SaysThursday
July 03, 2014 12:59

*** begin quote ***

While official government statistics show U.S. inflation at still low levels, anyone who buys gas, food or health insurance can attest to the fact that inflation exists in our everyday lives. GasBuddy has predicted that U.S. consumers will see the most expensive July 4th since 2008 at the gas pump.

Despite the dramatic increase in U.S. oil production in recent years, GasBuddy estimates that Americans are likely to pay about $1.435 billion per day for gasoline during the holiday week, about $50 million more each day, or $350 million more per week than last year.

*** end quote ***

Any wonder why the “stock market” is going up while the “standard of living” is going down like the Titanic!

The value of the Federal Reserve Note!

THREE silver dimes from 1964, when I started buying gas, would buy ONE GALLON of gas. At $21.15 per silver ounce, those SAME THREE SILVER DIMES are worth $5.70. Far more than a gallon of gas. (Never mind that today’s gas is better, cleaner, and healthier.)

So what’s changed?

The value of money has been inflated away by the Gooferment politicians and bureaucrats for the benefit of the Crony Capitalists and the Banking Cartel.

When do The Sheeple wake up?

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MONEY: Nickels are “poor man’s gold”

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http://www.lewrockwell.com/2014/01/robert-wenzel/machinations-at-the-mint/

Price Inflation Will Force the US Mint to Once Again Change the Metal Content of Coins
By Robert Wenzel
Economic Policy Journal

*** begin quote ***

The Mint is considering a change to the mix of metals it uses to make quarters, dimes and nickels, because of the climbing cost of production of the coins. reports WSJ.

It now costs 1.8 cents to make a penny and 9.4 cents to make a nickel, costing the federal government about $104.5 million last year.

*** and ***

I fully expect that in the next bout of accelerating price inflation that the value of the metal content of current nickels will soar. Thus, nickels are a great no downside investment. If the price inflation I anticipate doesn’t develop, just spend the nickels. For more on nickels as an investment see: Why You Need to Own Nickels, Right Now

http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2011/02/why-you-need-to-own-nickels-right-now.html

*** end quote ***

Nickels are “poor man’s gold”.

Argh!

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MONEY: A negative on bitcoin

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://dont-tread-on.me/?p=31861

26 Reasons Why I Will Never Support Bitcoin
By Silver Shield, on December 21st, 2013

*** begin quote ***

20. Then there is that anti government aspect of it.  Really? It seems the Anglo American bankers love it, including Ben Bernanke and JP Morgan.  It is right up their alley with something for nothing.  They may crack down on Bitcoin only to launch their own brand.  Look at the Lotto.  They went after the mob for running numbers, but then made it legal for them to profit off of.  They went after Charles Ponzi and then created their own Ponzi Scheme with Social Security.  I am telling you Bitcoin or something just like Bitcoin will be used to sell to the people after the dollar collapse, a new electronic worthless currency.  Who knows maybe we will get bonus points for watching TV and using it?  They already have millions hooked on EBT cards, get the corporations involved and the government muscle and you could see the final realization of a digital currency where they can cut you off if you get out of line.  How many stories do we already hear about bank bailins and IRS and NSA messing with people’s bank accounts.  Having real wealth outside of the system is the only antidote for that.

*** end quote ***

It’s the “intrinsic value” argument that hits me hardest.

In POW camps of WW2, cigarettes were “money”.

Gold and silver have the advantage of “intrinsic value”. Junk silver, (i.e., pre-1964 US coins), will be the money of TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It)!

The survivalist community plans to use ammo as money. As well as commodities, like liquor, can be barter fodder. 

Remember barter will precede “money”.

So, save wealth in forms that are not paper!

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GOLD: Cash is not a “store of value”

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://news.yahoo.com/ap-impact-families-hoard-cash-5-yrs-crisis-042042926.html

AP IMPACT: Families hoard cash 5 yrs after crisis

Associated Press BERNARD CONDON 3 hours ago

*** begin quote ***

NEW YORK (AP) — Five years after U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers collapsed, triggering a global financial crisis and shattering confidence worldwide, families in major countries around the world are still hunkered down, too spooked and distrustful to take chances with their money.

An Associated Press analysis of households in the 10 biggest economies shows that families continue to spend cautiously and have pulled hundreds of billions of dollars out of stocks, cut borrowing for the first time in decades and poured money into savings and bonds that offer puny interest payments, often too low to keep up with inflation.

“It doesn’t take very much to destroy confidence, but it takes an awful lot to build it back,” says Ian Bright, senior economist at ING, a global bank based in Amsterdam. “The attitude toward risk is permanently reset.”

A flight to safety on such a global scale is unprecedented since the end of World War II.

The implications are huge: Shunning debt and spending less can be good for one family’s finances. When hundreds of millions do it together, it can starve the global economy.

Weak growth around the world means wages in the United States, which aren’t keeping up with inflation, will continue to rise slowly. Record unemployment in parts of Europe, higher than 35 percent among youth in several countries, won’t fall quickly. Another wave of Chinese, Brazilians and Indians rising into the middle class, as hundreds of millions did during the boom years last decade, is unlikely.

*** end quote ***

“Money is a matter of functions four, a medium, a measure, a standard, a store.” He repeated that four times like poetry. “Six Characters in Money: Portable – Durable – Divisible – Uniformity – Limited Supply – Acceptability.” — CHURCH 10●19●62 (Vol 1) 978-0-557-08387-9 page 110

Sorry, but “cash” isn’t money these days. While it is a “medium of exchange” and “measure”, it fails as a “standard” or “store”.

And maybe if it fails “standard”, it may be failing “measure”.

OK, it does serve as a “medium of exchange”. 

But that’s it.

Note that in disasters and civil unrest, there is no exchange.

And, the TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It) preppers point out you can eat money. But you can make an expensive fire and poor quality toilet paper out of it.

Let’s tackle “standard” next. What is a “dollar”? It’s got no measure. It’s purchasing power decreases year over year due to inflation. An ounce, a gallon, a meter — they don’t change.

Back to “measure”, a 100 is still a 100. But it’s like baseball and football records. How do we measure if every year they change the definition of distance?

And cash is certainly not a “store”. The “rats” are eating the “seed corn” of value.

Argh!

I suggest the preppers’ mantra — beans, bullets, bandaids, and then bullion!

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GOLD: An EXTRA 4,000 metric tons!

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://dailyreckoning.com/a-huge-gold-prediction-from-reality-tv/

A Huge Gold Prediction… From Reality TV
Matt Insleyby Matt Insley.Posted Aug 30, 2013.

*** begin quote ***

You wouldn’t expect to find gold under Ghana’s tan brown soil.

But it’s there. Lots of it.

Whether it’s a brand new Caterpillar 330b, a piecemeal front end loader or an army of low-paid workers, excavators are moving top soil to unearth the gold-rich gravel. I’ve seen it all.

There’s a frenzied pace in this boom-country… today we’ll take a look. But more importantly we’ll see how Ghana’s gold rush has shed light on the decade’s MOST important gold trend.

*** and ***

In short, the two American yahoos, while trying to secure a mining claim, found thousands of Chinese nationals are overtaking many of the mining concessions in Ghana. It’s illegal, but no one was stopping the brute force of the Chinese. As one local tribesman admitted, the Chinese “have guns” and aren’t easy to move from a claim.

How Do You Say “Claim Jumper” In Chinese?

If you’re watching the reality show looking for a good plot the Chinese claim jumpers make for a good antagonist. But if you’re tuned in to the show as a gold watcher, you know there’s a lot more to this story.

For starters, what the heck are thousands of Chinese nationals crawling around Ghana’s gold fields for?

*** and ***

If we do some back of the envelope math, since the country’s last “official” announcement we’ll quickly see that China could be holding an EXTRA 4,000 metric tons (or more) of gold. That’s enough gold to place them firmly as the world’s second largest gold holder.

But let’s get back to that reality TV bit above. China, the way I see it, isn’t just producing large amounts of gold and legally importing bullion from Hong Kong.

*** end quote ***

Unless you think the Chinese are stupid, why are they pursuing the “barbarous relic”?

Do they suspect that the paper chase will end when the music stops?

And what does the poor Sheeple do?

Debt and “saves” in “dollars” (whatever those are) paying the inflation tax!

Argh!

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RANT: Free Competition in Currency Act of 2013

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

Letterhead
August 23, 2013
Mr. Ferdinand Reinke
1641 International Dr Unit 414
McLean, VA 22102-4831

Dear Mr. Reinke:

Thank you for contacting me about H.R. 77. I appreciate hearing from you.

H.R. 77, the Free Competition in Currency Act of 2013, was introduced by Representative Paul Broun on January 3, 2013 and was referred to the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law. This legislation would allow any metal coins issued by a government or individual to be legally accepted currency.

The Federal Reserve System was established in 1913 to provide stability in the banking system through the regulation of bank reserves. It is the central bank of the United States and formulates the nation’s monetary policy, with a dual mandate of fostering maximum employment and price stability. It is also the “lender of last resort” in our nation’s financial system. Its record reflects its commitment to promoting low levels of inflation and unemployment, as well as maintaining economic stability.

The Fed is purchasing $85 billion in assets each month in an effort to stimulate spending and spur investment in businesses and homes. These asset purchases are known as quantitative easing (QE). There is uncertainty about the Fed’s ability to unwind from QE without some financial or economic disruption, including inflation. However, currently inflation and inflation expectations remain low; consumer prices rose 2% in July 2013, compared to a year earlier.

Since August 2012, the Fed has released quarterly financial statements in addition to its annual reports, in response to demands for accountability and openness. I think this is an important step and believe we will continue to see such measures from the Fed in the future.

Thank you again for contacting me with your views.

Sincerely,

Signature

Tim Kaine

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Notice that he never addresses the issue.

I know what the fluff says.

But the dollar has lost 99% of its purchasing power in my life time.

Argh!

Why bother writing these goes?

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GOLDBUG: Gold, Silver, and Oil

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http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article41457.html

Gold and Silver Investors Greatest Secret Weapon
Commodities / Gold and Silver 2013 Jul 18, 2013 – 04:01 AM GMT

By: Steve_St_Angelo

*** begin quote ***

As the FED turns up the heat in the central bank frying pan, the frogs (public) don’t realize they are being cooked to death by inflation. I am quite amazed how loud the sizzling sound has become, but for some odd reason hardly anyone notices it.

Unfortunately, we are well past the point of no return. It’s only a matter of time now before the whole “Financial Cliff” falls off the mountain side. Until then, gold and silver investors will have to put up with some of the worst analysis ever to come out of government and MSM.

*** end quote ***

Another indication that “someone” is cooking the books.

In a free market, commodities don’t diverge from glacial trends.

Of course, as a tin foil hat, I suspect manipulation.

The FED can print “dollars”, but they can’t print gold, silver, oil, land, food, water, bandaids, or bullets.

This is all a fraud being pulled on the Sheeple and Clovers.

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GOLDBUG: Ugly chickens

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://dailyreckoning.com/why-gold-will-make-a-comeback/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dailyreckoning+%28The+Daily+Reckoning%29

The Daily Reckoning by The Daily Reckoning / 1d // keep unread // preview
Why Gold Will Make a Comeback

*** begin quote ***

You might be tempted to think that the global economy is recovering, the dollar strengthening and gold will finally sink into obscurity. Think again.

Central bankers like Ben S. Bernanke may tell you that banks hold gold bullion only for sake of “tradition,” but gold traders know otherwise — gold is real money, and despite what bankers, economists and mainstream investors have been saying, their actions show they are terrified of a coming currency crisis.

This Daily Reckoning video will show you exactly what is going on under the radar at some of the world’s biggest central banks, and how it is destined to affect gold prices.

*** end quote ***

There are some very very ugly chickens coming home to roost.

All the “dollars” that the Federal Reserve has created out of thin air are sitting in the Big Banks. Just cause they are not “circulating” doesn’t mean that we are off the hook.

The Gooferment must inflate to “pay off” their unsustainable debt, unfunded liabilities, and spending.

So what are us “little people” supposed to do?

Prepare for hard times. Save and invest in things that preserve your “wealth” when the situation winds down.

Learn a real skill, economize, pay down “bad debt”, buy productive land, bullets, beans, band aids, commodities.

Gold, silver, and nickels.

Anything to preserve value.

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GOLDBUG: Waiting lists for coins and bars?

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/investing/gold/10028183/Gold-buyers-forced-to-go-on-waiting-list.html

HOME»FINANCE»PERSONAL FINANCE»INVESTING»GOLD
Gold buyers forced to go on waiting list
Gold buyers are having to wait up to six weeks for their bars and coins after a price dip led to increased interest.

By Rosie Murray-West3:55PM BST 30 Apr 201358

*** begin quote ***

Investment company Physical Gold said there were waiting lists of three weeks for some coins, and four to six weeks for gold bars. “Previously all would have been available within a few days,” the company said.
The company said that it had seen a 50pc increase in enquiries about purchasing gold and a 35pc increase in sales, with people buying tax-free gold coins. “We are now starting to experience physical gold shortages,” said Daniel Fisher, CEO of Physical Gold.

“In particular there are waiting times on some gold bars and a real difficulty in obtaining mixed year Sovereigns. “However, many clients are willing to ‘do a deal’ and wait for delivery as they want to secure the current price as they feel it will be higher in the near future.”

*** end quote ***

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Yeah, the price drops on “paper” gold, but premiums (seniorage) on “hard” gold goes up.

Now who doesn’t think the Sheeple and Clovers aren’t being manipulated?

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ECONOMICS: No free lunch

Published on by reinkefj1 Comment

“Mr Stockman’s new book, The Great Deformation , highlights the enduring conservative appeal of a kind of economic primitivism that harks back to the days when laisser-faire ruled and macroeconomics had not been invented.“The modern Keynesian state is broke, paralysed and mired in empty ritual incantations about stimulating “demand”, even as it fosters a mutant crony capitalism that periodically lavishes the top one per cent with speculative windfalls,” wrote Mr Stockman in the New York Times article that set off a minor furore in Washington this week.”

http://buff.ly/16z0IF0

Seems like he has nailed it! They might not like it but it accurately describes the hole we are in. Getting out of it is going to be painful for the young, old, and not-rich. But we’ve been scammed with “free lunch”. Now there is a very ugle chicken coming home to roost!

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MONEY: Savings in bullion for education and retirement

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://www.silver-coin-investor.com/Storing-Silver-for-the-Next-Generation.html

Avoiding the Student Loan Bubble With Silver

Obviously, the growing costs associated with education — as evidenced by the trillion dollar student loan bubble with an unprecedented and growing 17% default rate — seems unsustainable to say the least.

A seemingly meager investment in silver made at today’s prices could eventually prevent your childrenfrom having to rely on student loan debt where they would end up owing a large amount of money by the time they graduate. This logic might even impress those investors who are not otherwise predisposed to understanding or otherwise caring about the white metal.

For example, making just a $30,000 investment in silver today for your children’s education will most likely grow in value many times over a holding period of 15 years. Silver’s future appreciation will very likely outpaceboth the consumer price inflation index, and will probably even exceed the higher rate of inflation in college education, which is currently running at ridiculous levels.

Furthermore, if your child ultimately decides not to go to college, or gets a scholarship to fund their studies instead, your prudent investment in silver will provide quite a nest egg to help them start out in life, buy their first home, etc.

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Interesting. I wonder if non-IRA/401k savers will use the bullion round to fund their future retirement. 

When I look at the cost of living as denominated in silver and gold, the monetary inflation is wrung out.

Perhaps, that’s what savers should be doing. 

By holding the bullion, you eliminate inflation, counterparty, “Cyprus” / custodian, Gooferment, and rate of return risk. 

Rate of return risk is an interesting concept. When using dollar denominated savings, one calculates the rate of return. But it doesn’t include the “inflation” rate. Savings today have a small nominal interest rate and an undetermined inflation rate. The Gooferment claims it is zero. It doesn’t feel that it’s zero.

So if I “save” in ounces of silver, then I know my rate of return is zero. But, the good part is that I can’t lose ground.

Money is no longer a reliable “unit of account” or “store of value”. Bullion is the “new money”.

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ECONOMICS: The “ugly chicken” of unfunded liabilities

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://www.survivalblog.com/2013/03/become-your-own-central-banker-by-lbg.html

*** begin quote ***

Today the U.S. has spent the nation’s blood and treasure as well as our emotional capital on the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have become involved in Libya, Egypt, and Syria.  Potential issues with Iran and North Korea loom large. There are 47 million people on food stamps. Unreported millions are unemployed. Spending on social programs has exploded.  The housing market collapsed and has never fully recovered. The banking system is on life support. The Federal Reserve is purchasing $85 billion dollars each month (a trillion dollars a year) in U.S. Treasury issues because no one else is willing to do so.  Despite government statistics and reports Inflation has driven prices on energy, food, clothing, health insurance, and everyday items beyond reason.  Expenditures outstrip tax revenues. Government spending is out of control and we are approaching $17 trillion dollars in national debt with untold (and unfathomable) amounts in promised future benefits, entitlements, mandates, and promissory notes.  By some estimates the U.S. has 238 TRILLION DOLLARS in unfunded liabilities.  We can’t cover it. We are flat busted.  And if our leadership refuses to address and fix the problem, the rest of the world will fix it for us.

*** end quote ***

And why are the Sheeple and Clovers happy? Dancing Idol is on TV!

Fools.

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ECONOMICS: “Mattresses” money?

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://www.deviantinvestor.com/3444/its-head-for-the-mattresses-time-for-savers-worldwide/

It’s head for “the mattresses” time for savers worldwide
Posted by Deviant Investor on March 28th, 2013

Guest Post from Liberty Gold and Silver

*** begin quote ***

Well, there is another turf war going on, a worldwide one, one that threatens the entire economic and political landscape of the planet. It is between all the hard working savers on the planet and the ever greedy criminal bankers and their cohorts in government. The real big canary singing out an extreme danger warning to all traditional savers who wish to entrust their wealth to banks and other paper vehicles – stocks, bonds, etc., is the incredible emergency banking shutdown in the tiny island nation of Cyprus. Granted, Cyprus represents only .02% of the population of the European Union. Yet what is occurring there is the harbinger of great risk to traditional savers on every continent; and equally important, there are many more scary danger signs raising their ugly heads as well.

*** end quote ***

Of course, Sheeple, it can’t happen here.

Why not?

Do you think that our politicians and bureaucrats are more “trustworthy” than theirs?

I keep looking back to the unfunded liabilities that the politicians have created in our names and the IRA/401k savings balances. 

I’m sure that they are looking at the fact that they only have to strong arm about 3k “custodians” and it’s all theirs.

And what are the Sheeple and Clovers going to do about it?

When they are putting people in the camps, it’ll be too late.

Can’t happen here?

Talk to the Japanese Americans, the American Indians, the follower of David Koresh!

In a heartbeat.

Argh!

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QUOTE: Not enough to cover the giant web of obligations

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

“What remains are games of musical chairs, Ponzi schemes, frauds, swindles, stonewalls, ruses, ploys, scams, dodges, bluffs, subterfuges, QE martingales, interventions, rehypothecations, pretenses and other modes of evading or disguising reality. The reality is that there is not enough real wealth to go around, certainly not enough to cover the giant web of obligations that masquerades as ‘money.'” – James Howard Kunstler in an essay titled The Cyprus Fiasco Is A Metaphor For The Entire Global Financial System

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MONEY: This economy, and lack of political fiscal discipline, is hardest on the poor

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2013/0222/Why-is-Wal-Mart-worried-Payroll-tax-could-cut-consumer-spending.-video?nav=87-frontpage-entryLeadStory

Why is Wal-Mart worried? Payroll tax could cut consumer spending. (+video)
Recent reports forecast lower spending for this year, anticipating that the restored payroll tax will impact consumers’ wallets, especially low-income earners. Wal-Mart is adjusting its strategy.

By Husna Haq, Correspondent / February 22, 2013

*** begin quote ***

“It’s a big deal,” says Morgan Housley, a macroeconomic analyst with Motley Fool, an online financial education website. “The biggest impact is on lower-income households since the payroll tax is regressive, only applying to the first $113,000 of income. Wealthier households don’t feel the same pinch because the tax doesn’t hit all of their income. Lower-income households also spend a larger share of their income than wealthier consumers.… Low-income families are in one of the toughest spots they’ve been in since 2009.”

*** end quote ***

Anyone believe a less that 2% cpi?

Not me!

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Why is Wal-Mart worried? Payroll tax could cut consumer spending. (+video)Recent reports forecast lower spending for this year, anticipating that the restored payroll tax will impact consumers’ wallets, especially low-income earners. Wal-Mart is adjusting its strategy.

By Husna Haq, Correspondent / February 22, 2013

MONEY: Imagine that your car insurance was tied to your job?

Published on by reinkefj1 Comment

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/retirement-plan-shift-is-creating-a-generation-of-workers-unable-to-retire.html

Retirement Plan Shift Is Creating a Generation of Workers Unable to Retire
CBS MoneyWatchBy Steve Vernon | CBS MoneyWatch – Fri, Nov 9, 2012 3:55 PM EST

*** begin quote ***

We can no longer afford to ignore the long-term consequences of short-term thinking about our retirement programs.

Yahoo! Finance/Thinkstock – We can no longer afford to ignore the long-term consequences of short-term thinking about our retirement programs.

Large U.S. employers continue to eliminate traditional pension plans that pay retired workers a monthly lifetime pension in favor of defined contribution and hybrid plans that offer lump-sum payments at retirement, according to a recent survey HR consulting firm Towers Watson.

Among Fortune 1000 companies, only 11 percent still offer a traditional pension plan to newly hired salaried workers, down from 14 percent in 2011 and continuing a long slide from 90 percent in 1985. Conversely, in 1985 only 10 percent of those companies offered only a defined contribution plan to salaried workers — today that figure stands at 70 percent.

The primary reason for this trend has been financial: Employers don’t want the exposure to unfunded liabilities if capital markets perform poorly. At the same time, until recently employees generally hadn’t expressed a preference for traditional pension plans and, in fact, have largely embraced 401(k) and other defined contribution plans.

But this trend has its consequences in the workplace, as large numbers of baby boomers have 401(k) balances that are inadequate to fund a traditional retirement. To make matters worse, most retiring workers don’t know how to turn their nest eggs into reliable retirement income. Employers also haven’t provided much help by offering retirement income options in their defined contribution plans.

*** end quote ***

Well, the Gooferment has been messing up the economy and distorting the employer – employee relationship since it first ERISA rule attempted to prevent Lockheed from stealing pension benefits from older aerospace engineers. 

They only made the problem worse.

Suppose that they stopped giving their corporate cronies tax breaks that weren’t available to individuals and let individuals fend for themselves for “benefits”, no problem.

Imagine that your car insurance was tied to your job?

It’s just dumb!

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ECONOMICS: Understating inflation systematically

Published on by reinkefj1 Comment

http://lewrockwell.com/roberts/roberts374.html

The Virtual Recovery
by Paul Craig Roberts

*** begin quote ***

Statistician John Williams (shadowstats.com), who closely follows the collecting and reporting of official US economic statistics, reports that consumer inflation, as measured by the 1990 official government methodology has been running at about 5%. If the 1980 official methodology for measuring the CPI is used, John Williams reports that the current rate of US inflation is about 9%.

The 9% figure is more consistent with people’s experience in grocery stores.

Officially the recession that began in 2007 ended in June 2009 after 18 months, making the Bush Recession the longest recession since World War II. However, John Williams says that the recession has not ended. He says that only the GDP reporting, distorted by an erroneous measurement of inflation, shows a recovery. Other, more reliable measures of economic activity, show no recovery.

Williams reports that the economy began turning down in 2006, falling lower in 2008 and 2009, and bottom-bouncing ever since. Not only is there no sign of any recovery, but “the economic downturn now is intensifying once again.” The absence of an economic recovery “is evident in the [official] reporting of nearly all major economic series. Not one of these series shows a pattern of activity that confirms the recovery [shown] in the GDP series.”

Williams concludes that “the official recovery simply is a statistical illusion created by the government’s use of understated inflation in deflating the GDP.” In other words, the reported gains in GDP are accounted for by price increases, not increases in real output.

*** end quote ***

This says it all. The Gooferment’s politicians and bureaucrats want to fool us.

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GOVERNACIDE: Poor growth tied to fiat money; it’s a “killer”

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

Markets Alert
from The Wall Street Journal

U.S. economic growth picked up in the third quarter as consumers spent more, federal government spending accelerated and the housing industry improved in the months leading up to November’s presidential election.

The nation’s gross domestic product–the broadest measure of goods and services produced by the economy–grew at an annual rate of 2% between July and September, the Commerce Department said Friday.

http://online.wsj.com/home-page?mod=djemalertMARKET

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A national disgrace.

IF you believe the Gooferment’s numbers!

Doesn’t “feel” like 2% to me. Just like “unemployment” doesn’t feel like 8%. And, inflation, don’t make me laff, ain’t ZERO! (Gasoline four years ago was UNDER $2 / per gallon and yday I paid 3¾$ per gallon! That’s 80% over four years or 20% per year. Consider that gas costs gets built into EVERY product and service created!)

Sorry, but we a “KILLING” people.

I trace it back to the “funny money”. It allows the politicians and bureaucrats to fool us. And, the standard that money should represent. 

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MONEY: How can anyone not count food and gas in the CPI?

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://www.veteranstoday.com/2012/02/05/hows-that-change-working-out-for-you

How’s that “change” working out for you?
Sunday, February 5th, 2012
Posted by Ed Mattson

*** begin quote ***

These government “number slingers” are the same bunch that tells you the Consumer Price Index increased 3.0 percent before seasonal adjustment to end 2011. Let’s see… 3% inflation. Do you really believe that? Have you been shopping lately? Have you purchased gasoline or diesel for your vehicle so you could go to work (if you still have a job)? Oh, that’s right.  THEY DON’T COUNT GAS AND FOOD IN THE INFLATION RATE!  I guess we don’t need food or gasoline.

In most families the women do most of the grocery shopping right? Men usually aren’t always up to current grocery store prices. Next time anyone talks about politics and how things are going, just ask them if they have purchased ten pounds of potatoes this past year, or stopped in at a gas station.  In 2009, 10 lbs of potatoes cost about $3.50 in Western Michigan (about $3.00 at Wal-Mart). Today the cost is over $5 any place you want to shop. Gas was $1.79/gal when Obama’s entourage slithered into Washington and today, down at the local discount gas station here in North Carolina, it’s $3.59. Is it any wonder they DON’T CALCULATE FOOD AND GAS INTO THE CPI?

*** end quote ***

Excellent point. If they did then they’d have to give a COLA to all the old folks.

It’s like the scam with ZERO interest rates by the FED. That keeps Uncle Sam’s 15T$ debt as a near zero expense.

When do “We, The Sheeple” wake up?

When does the World wake up?

You’ll know the scam is over when we have to pay for oil in gold or someone else’s national currency.

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