The Retired Investor: Inflation May Be Falling But Doesn't Feel That WayBy Bill Schmick,
04:35PM / Thursday, December 07, 2023 | |
Beyond food, fuel, and maybe used car prices there are not a lot of areas where I see any relief on the inflation front. This is especially true when looking at leisure and entertainment activities.
As younger generations focus their spending habits on experiences rather than objects, tickets for live entertainment, sporting events, and movies are climbing. The Bureau of Economic Analysis is predicting that American consumers will spend a whopping $95 billion on live event tickets this year.
If you grew up as a fan of live concerts you are probably in sticker shock. An average ticket price for a live concert this summer stood at $120.11, according to 0 Comments
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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 0 Comments
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The Retired Investor: The Gap in Home Health-Care WorkersBy 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 0 Comments
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The Retired Investor: America Is Living Beyond Its MeansBy 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 0 Comments
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The Retired Investor: Halloween Spending Expected to Hit a RecordBy Bill Schmick,
02:56PM / Thursday, October 26, 2023 | |
Spending on candy, costumes, decorations, and parties is rising. The expected amount Americans plan to spend on Halloween is $12.2 billion in 2023, according to the National Retail Federation NRF). That beats last year's record of $10.6 billion.
More Americans than ever are celebrating with 79 percent of people participating, which is greater than last year and exceeds pre-pandemic levels as well. In addition, 76 percent of adult American pet owners plan to put their pets in costumes, according to a PetSmart national survey. The average amount consumers will pay to celebrate the holiday is $108.24 versus $102.74 last year.
Candy is still at the top of 0 Comments
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