The long inflation con on the public: How the CPI severely underreports inflation and the slow erosion in the American standard of living.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is supposed to give us a good barometer of price changes in the economy. Unfortunately the CPI misses many big items like housing and college tuition. The latest report shows that the economy had a taste of deflation for the first time since the Great Recession hit. Of course this […]
Subprime lending at highest level since financial crisis hit: The three leading subprime categories are auto loans, credit cards, and student debt. $189 billion in subprime loans made in 2014.
The euphoria is bleeding into every corner of our debt driven economy. Access to credit is being given to consumers but unfortunately, the loans are tied to items that are counter to becoming financially healthy. More to the point, subprime loans have reached levels that were last seen only during the financial crisis. As fewer […]
The revival of the American debt machine: auto loans, student debt, and credit card debt surge in latest report. Total non-housing debt now at $3.15 trillion.
Last week while going through mountains of credit cards offers, it felt as if we were in 2005 and 2006. Even last year, the cold calls started and it seemed like the debt machine was back and alive. This is helpful news for consumers given that half of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. Now […]
A demographic tsunami looms: By 2020 we will have 20 percent of our population 65 and older. Half of elderly Americans would be in financial ruin if it weren’t for Social Security.
Kicking the can down the road has a nice appeal. It is the same allure that comes from procrastinating. Putting off the dirty work for another day. This seems to be the approach we have taken for deficit spending. So it is no surprise that older Americans have followed in the same footsteps and many […]