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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@theMarket: December Will Be a Volatile Month for StocksBy Bill Schmick,
03:51PM / Friday, December 01, 2023 | |
Some of the 9 percent plus gains in the benchmark S&P 500 Index since October should be pared back in the week ahead. That doesn't mean Santa will thumb his nose at investors for the rest of the month. I am still expecting a traditional end-of-year rally.
Thanksgiving has come and gone, but stocks have hung in there as November ends. And while technology has marked time this week, we have seen basic materials, precious metals, industrial and financials come back to life.
The declining U.S. dollar is largely responsible for those gains. I don't think this upward momentum is over either. I am thinking that the greenback is going to continue to fall 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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@theMarket: Bonds, Stocks Should Consolidate After Epic RunBy 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 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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