Economy

[There is a considerable difference between the official BLS inflation rate (1.63%) and the ShadowStats' alternative method of calculating consumer prices (9.07%) but] I believe that the optimum method is probably somewhere between the two. [Let me explain.] Words: 390

I've been trying to get across to friends and family how bad the economic situation has become... but with numbers in the billions and trillions they get a glazed/deer in the headlights look in their eyes. I have tried to overcome that problem by writing this article in such a way that the numbers can be more easily visualized which I hope will convince them - and you - of the serious nature of the US fiscal outlook. Words: 645

Unlike the credit crisis that triggered the last major stock market collapse … the “Fiscal Armageddon” that could “dwarf 2008″ will be intensely personal. Millions of Americans will face the specter of lost incomes … lost savings … lost buying power … lost homes … lost liberty. View the video for all the details.

What event could trigger an unstoppable domino affect leading to a financial meltdown? You may think [that such a possibility is extremly unlikely] but daily we move closer to the real possibility that a major fiat currency such as the US Dollar or the Euro could collapse in the blink of an eye. [Let’s take a look at why and how such …

The current economic rebound [in the U.S.] is not a healthy and sustainable one. It is the result of the largest monetary and fiscal stimulus program ever [and, in spite of that,] neither housing nor employment are participating in the current rebound [while] budget deficits and transfer payments are at record highs! [As such, now is the time] to take action to protect your wealth from a potential economic setback and market decline. [Let me explain.] Words: 863

An analysis of the effect that rising crude oil prices is having, and will continue to have, on America's standard of living is very revealing. For every $1 increase in a barrel of crude oil the cost of what you pay at the pump for a gallon of gasoline goes up $0.03. That may not seem like much but the recent spike in the price of oil, were it to remain at its current level of $105 per barrel, would cost the median household somewhere in the neighborhood of $700 in 2011 - yes, $700! Words: 345

German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer once said that “all truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed, then it encounters strong opposition and finally it is considered to have always been obvious”. [We are now entering stage three where the eventual bankruptcy of nations is becoming obvious to all. Let's review the situation.] Words: 1091

Based on past massive monetary pumping, and using the time lag of 36 months which it normally takes before changes in money supply generate a visible effect on the prices of goods in general, we forecast that the yearly rate of growth of the CPI based inflation could rise to 2.4 percent by September of this year before jumping to 4.4 percent by December. Year on year, the rate of growth of the CPI less food and energy is forecast to climb to 1.5 percent by September before climbing to 2.7 percent in December. Let me explain. Words: 1670

Over the last half century, the richest Americans have shifted the burden of the federal individual income tax off themselves and onto everybody else - dramatically! At a time of national economic crisis, especially, they can and should contribute far more in taxes. [Let me show you the extent of this massive redistribution of wealth so you decide for yourself if this is, indeed, the case.] Words: 1140

Remember the song by The Barenaked Ladies called "If I Had a Million Dollars"? Well, if you were one of the many ultra-wealthy around the world who were worth billions (see list) and earns billions of dollars each year, year after year, where could you possibly spend such riches? Well, frankly, even being very extravagant, it actually is surprisingly difficult to spend that much money - and there's the rub. While this article, on one hand, outlines where and how a billionaire could make a small dent in his fortune (the uplifting part) it outlines, on the other hand, just how concentrated wealth is in the U.S. these days and the adverse effect such a concentration is having on our society. Words: 2156