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The Retired Investor: What Is to Be Done About Climate Change?
By Bill Schmick,
04:27PM / Thursday, November 30, 2023
On Thursday of this week, almost 200 nations are meeting in Dubai at the COP28 Climate Summit to discuss global warming. The COP28 the participants will focus on how to keep temperatures from climbing any higher. Thus far, the track record is less than encouraging.   Over the last eight years, despite pledges from both political and business leaders worldwide to reduce industrial emissions, temperatures have continued to rise. This is in the face of massive efforts both here and abroad to develop and expand solar, wind, and nuclear power alternatives to fossil fuels.   Despite these efforts, carbon dioxide emissions and temperatures continue to rise. With that

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@theMarket: Bonds, Stocks Should Consolidate After Epic Run
By Bill Schmick,
04:31AM / Friday, November 10, 2023
This stock market rally lasted nine straight days. That was more than enough to trigger some profit-taking.   "Too far, too fast" is my interpretation of the nine-day continuous climb in the equity and bond markets. The rally that started early last week continued this week, although it was clear to me that it is showing some signs of faltering.   And as has happened throughout the year, the Magnificent Seven group of stocks was the focus of most of the buying but on less and less volume. Since they represent such a large part of the indexes, it was not hard to see that the indexes were supported by a handful of stocks. However, the remaining 493

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The Retired Investor: The Gap in Home Health-Care Workers
By Bill Schmick,
04:11PM / Thursday, November 09, 2023
Baby Boomers are aging. As their health fails, an increasing number of the elderly are turning away from nursing homes and opting for home health care instead. The problem is finding enough trained caregivers to handle demand.   The demographics in the U.S. indicate two trends — an aging population as well as a declining birth rate. By 2034, there will be more adults over the age of 65 than children under the age of 18. Between 2018 and 2060, the population of seniors will double.   An overwhelming majority of Americans (88 percent) would rather receive long-term care services in their homes as they age, according to a recent study by the Associated Press

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@theMarket: Bonds Get Lift & Stocks Rally Along With Them
By Bill Schmick,
04:18PM / Friday, November 03, 2023
Investors were treated with good news on a variety of fronts as October closed and we enter the November-December seasonal period. Both the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve Bank should be credited with most of the positive developments that sent bond prices higher and yields lower.   Since September, I was convinced that if bond yields continued to rise, stocks would fall. Last week, however, I advised investors that we were nearing the end of this trend, and "I expect a rebound to begin in November if not sooner."   To me, the most important development was the decision by the U.S. Treasury to slow the pace of increases in longer-dated debt

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The Retired Investor: America Is Living Beyond Its Means
By Bill Schmick,
04:31PM / Thursday, November 02, 2023
The U.S. government has been borrowing from Peter to pay Paul for decades. That should come as no surprise to most, but the speed by which we are piling up debt to support our spending has become alarming.   The federal budget deficit is the difference between how much Washington spends and how much it receives in taxes. That concept should be familiar to all of us who count on our income to support our family's spending. Imagine if the amount you owed (your deficit) doubled from last year.   That is what happened to the nation's budget deficit over the last year, to the tune of $1.7 trillion.   If you look at the big picture, the U.S. total

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