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Inflation.......... ?

Getting from Point A to Point B cost more, better known as inflation

LONDON/CHICAGO, Feb 22 (Reuters) - U.S. and European airlines will aim to boost profits again this year with higher ticket prices as they try to squeeze what they can from the post-COVID travel boom and mitigate higher costs amid persistent plane shortages, investors and executives say.
Major carriers are straining to lay on more flights to meet demand, but are struggling due to delays in new plane deliveries from Airbus and Boeing and the grounding of jets using some RTX engines over potential defects.

Tight supplies, in turn, are keeping air fares high, allowing carriers to pass on higher jet fuel, labour and maintenance costs.


 
Passing inflation on down to the consumer.

LONDON, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Britain's Rolls-Royce guided that profit could rise as much as 25% this year, ahead of forecasts, after it smashed targets by more than doubling profits last year as its engines flew more and defence and power orders flowed.
Shares in Rolls-Royce climbed 9% to 359 pence in early trading, hitting highs last seen in 2018.
Under CEO Tufan Erginbilgic, the former BP executive who took over a year ago, Rolls's
stock has rocketed over 200% as his transformation plan to cut costs and improve pricing to drive higher margins has made headway.

"We are creating momentum and a track record of significant delivery," he told reporters on a call on Thursday.



 
Interest rates must be raised to slow the economy.

The number of Americans applying for jobless benefits fell to its lowest level in five weeks, even as more high-profile companies announce layoffs.
Applications for unemployment benefits fell by 12,000 to 201,000 for the week ending Feb. 17, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average of claims, a less volatile measure, fell by 3,500 to 215,250, down from 218,750 the previous week.
Weekly unemployment claims are broadly viewed as representative of the number of U.S. layoffs in a given week. They have remained at historically low levels in recent years, despite efforts by the U.S. Federal Reserve to cool the economy.


 
Inflation has never been licked. Don't believe what you are being told.

The average cost of home insurance for a $300,000 property in the U.S. surged 12% in 2023 to roughly $1,770 per year, according to a new report published by Insurify, an insurance comparison website headquartered in Massachusetts.
However, home insurance is even more expensive in states plagued by severe weather and other climate-related catastrophes. In fact, as the frequency and severity of destructive weather events have increased, more areas are considered high risk and unprofitable for insurance companies, the report said.


 
My insurance company has been ass raping me for years, haven’t seen a wall or pocket calendar from them in years. Living in Florida has some insurance challenges currently not many companies writing new policies. Started to switch my coverage to another National company after meeting in their office and discussing bringing them our home and auto business they failed to inform me they no longer are writing new home owner policies, so I switched over my auto at renewal time , two months later I’m back in the office to switch the home coverage and the same agent tells me we don’t writer home policies for over a year (not a broker office) we can shop you around with a few companies we work with. Thanks but no thanks and I will be moving my auto insurance back to the my original company. Shame on me for not asking the direct question, will not get bit a second time when discussing coverage again.
i await my FL home owners bill. my neighbor's went up about 60%. i had a big claim about 5 years ago and the broker couldn't find me anything else even before the biden disaster because. health was up 50%. what is going on with ins companies in the background? my paranoia says something is rotten in denmark. FL is a challenge because everyone has to cover the elite waterfront loses. as do all taxpayers because of federal funded flood insurance.
 
Hyperinflation is just around the corner.
So, with inflation (according to US Government figures) around 3% - 4% ... Yet a working couple can not buy a house... What gives ?
The answer is the buying power of the USD is rapid falling... Regardless of what the inflation number is.
The smoke and mirror's focus on the cost of a dozen eggs.... Not the cost of owning a house. Apples to oranges.
Order from Door Dash and put on a streaming movie... Nothing to worry about.

 
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I bounce around on some of the "Government" statistics sites. I think, at times, they too have become politicized. Maybe it's a change in their "methodology"... IDK... Seems like there is always a glaring number looking out at me.

In the chart (linked) the cost of Utility (piped) gas service is down 17.8%..... Being it is the middle of winter, few urban consumers saw a drop in the price of natural gas.

 
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This release must have been written by Vice President Harris... Another word salad from the US Government.

Data showed the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation was stubbornly above the central bank’s target in January, but at least didn’t exceed Wall Street forecasts. There were also signs that consumer spending remains robust.

Spending remains robust because American's are paying higher prices for the same basket of groceries.
Unsustainable.

 
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The US Government gave billions and billions of USD's to American businesses during the pandemic era.
USD's lost their purchasing power.
Now, the Government (In an election year) is blaming big business for shrinking the size of the packaging.
One more Government bright idea that has bit them in the ass.
Doing the same thing, over and over while expecting a different outcome. The dumbing of America migrated to DC.

Prices aren’t going up as fast as they once were, but one of inflation’s frustrating side effects is still going strong: “shrinkflation.” Senate Democrats have a proposal to tackle it.
Paywall
 
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The US Government gave billions and billions of USD's to American businesses during the pandemic era.
USD's lost their purchasing power.
Now, the Government (In an election year) is blaming big business for shrinking the size of the packaging.
One more Government bright idea that has bit them in the ass.
Doing the same thing, over and over while expecting a different outcome. The dumbing of America migrated to DC.

Prices aren’t going up as fast as they once were, but one of inflation’s frustrating side effects is still going strong: “shrinkflation.” Senate Democrats have a proposal to tackle it.
Paywall
If business kept the packaging and ignored breaking the 'price point'; consumers would get a real taste of food inflation.
The reason 2 years ago, Biden increased food stamp budget by 25%.. they knew what was coming.
If anyone thinks it's only a 15% increase in food, they haven't bought, eggs, bread, milk, or meat lately.

"According to the FGA report, increased SNAP spending by the Biden administration is responsible for the high inflation and consumer prices that have overwhelmed Americans over the last few years. SNAP spending more than doubled between 2019 and 2022, from $4.5 billion to $11 billion, per the study.​
“Data show the Biden administration’s overreach led to massive spikes in grocery prices,” Ingram added. “They’re feeding inflation, not stopping hunger.”​
 
"According to the FGA report, increased SNAP spending by the Biden administration is responsible for the high inflation and consumer prices that have overwhelmed Americans over the last few years. SNAP spending more than doubled between 2019 and 2022, from $4.5 billion to $11 billion, per the study.
SNAP spending is up because Biden's handlers allowed 10Million illegal immigrants into the country and they are all on welfare forever.
 
Inflation marches on. Internet service increasing from $30 to $45.
Check my math but that sure looks like a 50% increase in my monthly cost.
My sources tell me this is an across the board increase to all levels of their service.
FED Reserve says the only way to lick inflation is to have more inflation. It's working.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Price Increase​


Dear Valued Customer,

We hope this message finds you well. We wanted to take a moment to express our gratitude for your continued partnership with us. Your loyalty and support mean the world to us, and we truly appreciate the opportunity to serve you.

As part of our commitment to delivering the best possible products and services, we regularly review our pricing to ensure that we can continue to invest in enhancements, innovations, and top-notch customer support. In line with this commitment, we've recently conducted a thorough evaluation of our pricing structure.

Upon reviewing your account, we noticed that you are currently on a grandfathered pricing plan. While this plan has served you well over the years, we have made updates to our pricing model to better reflect the value and benefits we provide to all of our customers, including yourself.

Effective from your April billing cycle onwards, we will be implementing a pricing adjustment in response to evolving market conditions and our ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional service and value to our customers. As part of this update, there will be an increase of $15 to your monthly bill. While we understand that any change to pricing may cause concern, please rest assured that we have carefully considered this adjustment to ensure it reflects the value and quality of the services we provide.

We understand that changes to pricing can be unexpected, and we want to assure you that this decision was made after careful consideration. We remain committed to providing you with the highest quality products and services, and we believe that this updated pricing structure will enable us to better serve you in the long run.

We value your business and want to make this transition as smooth as possible for you. If you have any questions or concerns about this pricing adjustment, please don't hesitate to reach out to our customer Billing team. We're here to help in any way we can.

We remain dedicated to serving you with the utmost integrity and transparency. Should you have any questions or require further clarification regarding this pricing update, please do not hesitate to reach out to our customer service team. We are here to assist you every step of the way.

Once again, we want to thank you for your continued trust and partnership. We look forward to continuing to serve you.

Warm regards,

Grizzly Broadband Billing Team
 
What are the 4 levels of inflation?
Based on speed, there are 4 different types of inflation – hyperinflation, galloping, walking, and creeping.

Tracking every level of inflation is humanly impossible. We either go small (go by our personal monthly budget) or go big (use the Government's numbers). The problem with going big is having to put our trust in politicized research and numbers.
The citizenry does not trust the Government. Don't allow yourself to be lead down the primrose path. Think for yourself.

Public trust in the federal government, which has been low for decades, has returned to near record lows following a modest uptick in 2020 and 2021. Currently, fewer than two-in-ten Americans say they trust the government in Washington to do what is right “just about always” (1%) or “most of the time” (15%). Sept 19, 2023
 
This seems almost disingenuous, first they do a 3for1 split with stock and then to give the appearance of being good guys they lower the prices on some groceries. How much profit is a company making to do a stock split?

 
This seems almost disingenuous, first they do a 3for1 split with stock and then to give the appearance of being good guys they lower the prices on some groceries. How much profit is a company making to do a stock split?

Walmart is doing what Walmart has always done.
Presenting itself as "cheap" while remaining aligned with the lower income Americans.
Their stock at $58 is cheap enough that their shoppers can pick up a few shares at a time.
They bought VIZIO last week so they can wholesale TV's to the poor's.
Buy Walmart stock through Computershare ...


 
During the years of the "Great Recession" it seemed America was hit the hardest, financially. These day's the difference it it is hitting worldwide.
I don't think there is any corner of the globe that will not feel it.

 
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No arguments here- but how do we "fix" this before we come across a worldwide equivalent of post WWI Germany where folks were all taking literal wheelbarrows worth of cash to pay for their groceries? We all know how that set up Germany in the 1930's but if that is experienced worldwide- what does that say for our geopolitical future?

-LD
 
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Walmart is doing what Walmart has always done.
Presenting itself as "cheap" while remaining aligned with the lower income Americans.
Their stock at $58 is cheap enough that their shoppers can pick up a few shares at a time.
They bought VIZIO last week so they can wholesale TV's to the poor's.
Buy Walmart stock through Computershare ...
Type 1, Volkswagen Beetle 🪲.
 
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No arguments here- but how do we "fix" this before we come across a worldwide equivalent of post WWI Germany where folks were all taking literal wheelbarrows worth of cash to pay for their groceries? We all know how that set up Germany in the 1930's but if that is experienced worldwide- what does that say for our geopolitical future?

-LD
That won't happen as long as the Dollar is the world reserve currency. BRICS is working to change that though.
 
No arguments here- but how do we "fix" this before we come across a worldwide equivalent of post WWI Germany where folks were all taking literal wheelbarrows worth of cash to pay for their groceries? We all know how that set up Germany in the 1930's but if that is experienced worldwide- what does that say for our geopolitical future?

-LD
I will answer your question with an answer that many will call "Oversimplified"....
We back the USD with physical gold.

Let the comments begin.
 
I will answer your question with an answer that many will call "Oversimplified"....
We back the USD with physical gold.

Let the comments begin.
I wish, but that will never happen. If so, where do you cut the budget? Defense? Social Programs? Pensions?
 
I wish, but that will never happen. If so, where do you cut the budget? Defense? Social Programs? Pensions?
All of those rules are in place, written by our forefather's.
Congress will establish the budget.
When America reverts back to the Gold Standard... The rest of the civilized world will follow.
The civilized world never got off of the gold standard... True, fiat money is used for commerce... How is that working out?

One example:
 
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Toyota Hilux
Maybe not making direct connections referencing the Beetle, possibly the first export for Germany after the war stimulating economic growth. Walmart’s expansion starting in the 1980’s becoming the juggernaut they are today. Mixing these thoughts together our National debt exceeds our ability to dig out, especially considering our elected fools can’t grasp the idea and stop giving money away to everyone except those who actually pay taxes and work. Walmart for better or worse provides cheap goods something that smaller businesses could not compete with. many of those stores are gone only to be replaced with different corporate stores, Dollar General type that generally multiply in less affluent areas. You cannot fill these stores with Chyna products made with slave labor sell them to the masses, get corporate rich and not eventually self-destruct as the wheel turns. It doesn’t seem possible but all this is actually part of the financial crisis we are racing towards, total financial collapse, the poor will still be poor and the elite rich will be wealthier, the working middle class will be erased and become the new poor that can no longer afford to shop at Walmart.
 
Maybe not making direct connections referencing the Beetle, possibly the first export for Germany after the war stimulating economic growth. Walmart’s expansion starting in the 1980’s becoming the juggernaut they are today. Mixing these thoughts together our National debt exceeds our ability to dig out, especially considering our elected fools can’t grasp the idea and stop giving money away to everyone except those who actually pay taxes and work. Walmart for better or worse provides cheap goods something that smaller businesses could not compete with. many of those stores are gone only to be replaced with different corporate stores, Dollar General type that generally multiply in less affluent areas. You cannot fill these stores with Chyna products made with slave labor sell them to the masses, get corporate rich and not eventually self-destruct as the wheel turns. It doesn’t seem possible but all this is actually part of the financial crisis we are racing towards, total financial collapse, the poor will still be poor and the elite rich will be wealthier, the working middle class will be erased and become the new poor that can no longer afford to shop at Walmart.
America has a need for a VW Beetle as well as Toyota Hilux.

The US Government, not the US Consumer stands in the way of selling these vehicles in America.


Why the Hilux is actually banned in the USA is a bit of a conundrum. It is partially down to emissions and safety standards changing over the years. There is though something called the “chicken tax”. Essentially, this is a 25% tariff that the US government imposes on imported light trucks. The Hilux is one vehicle that falls within the chicken tax. As the Hilux is not directly a product of Toyota America, the company could not justify the extra cost of importing the Hilux into the USA anymore.

The Volkswagen Beetle was wildly popular until it was banned in America in 1977 for failing to meet safety regulations. The main problem was that with the trunk in the front, there was nothing but mostly air to protect the front passengers in the event of an accident.
 
Maybe not making direct connections referencing the Beetle, possibly the first export for Germany after the war stimulating economic growth. Walmart’s expansion starting in the 1980’s becoming the juggernaut they are today. Mixing these thoughts together our National debt exceeds our ability to dig out, especially considering our elected fools can’t grasp the idea and stop giving money away to everyone except those who actually pay taxes and work. Walmart for better or worse provides cheap goods something that smaller businesses could not compete with. many of those stores are gone only to be replaced with different corporate stores, Dollar General type that generally multiply in less affluent areas. You cannot fill these stores with Chyna products made with slave labor sell them to the masses, get corporate rich and not eventually self-destruct as the wheel turns. It doesn’t seem possible but all this is actually part of the financial crisis we are racing towards, total financial collapse, the poor will still be poor and the elite rich will be wealthier, the working middle class will be erased and become the new poor that can no longer afford to shop at Walmart.
They completely grasp the idea. It’s modern day patronage.
 
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I know most that follow this thread realize this but to point it out again:

This is not about how many dollars gold is worth but how many dollars it takes to buy gold. Hence a hedge vs an investment.

Thank you,
MrSmith
From my perspective (retired, fixed income, 73 years old, basically debt free (mortgage paid by pension), no credit card debt, FICO - 814) it is neither. It is my rainy day fund. A financial "hedge" in today's world is a mirage. A physical hedge is a producing garden, farm animals and acreage to support a man's needs. As an investment, the price of gold is being controlled by those holding paper gold that can be manipulated just like a meme stock. Those holding physical gold, worldwide, have historically been in the cat bird seat when empires collapse.

IMG_1122.JPG
 
From my perspective (retired, fixed income, 73 years old, basically debt free (mortgage paid by pension), no credit card debt, FICO - 814) it is neither. It is my rainy day fund. A financial "hedge" in today's world is a mirage. A physical hedge is a producing garden, farm animals and acreage to support a man's needs. As an investment, the price of gold is being controlled by those holding paper gold that can be manipulated just like a meme stock. Those holding physical gold, worldwide, have historically been in the cat bird seat when empires collapse.

View attachment 8364376
I’m unfamiliar with cat bird seat, please explain. Completely agree with you on food though.
 
I’m unfamiliar with cat bird seat, please explain. Completely agree with you on food though.
To us old timer's it can take on several different meanings. Sometimes it is very minute events in a certain situation. If you have ever been stuck in a long check out line at the grocery store and a cute little check out girl opens a register, winks at you and calls out "I'll take the next person in line", you found yourself in the cat bird seat.
In the future, while living in the Western United States during a drought, you find you have 3 sources of water on your homestead, you are in the cat bird seat.


a situation in which you have a lot of advantages or power:

 
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I’m unfamiliar with cat bird seat, please explain. Completely agree with you on food though.
in a bird cage, if a CAT is on the bird seat (swing); the cat is at an advantage, since it's the only place for the most part, where the bird can land.
the best seat in the house; so to speak, for hunting, it's the power seat :)
 
Biden will save us all....

President Joe Biden on Tuesday will launch a new task force to take on “unfair and illegal” corporate pricing, which Biden sees as a major reason why consumers are not yet feeling the impact of cooling inflation rates and a strong economy.
The task force will be jointly led by the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice, two agencies at the forefront of the Biden administration’s aggressive regulatory agenda over the past three years.


 
Anyone know if they are still selling grain that keeps chickens from laying/reducing egg(s) production.
 
Anyone know if they are still selling grain that keeps chickens from laying/reducing egg(s) production.
Being I have a few chickens..... I would say "YES".....
You are what you eat. Source your food / feeds carefully.
Same goes for those baby chicks being sold at your local feed store.
 
The only thing that will lick inflation is more inflation. Seems to be the plan of the FED Reserve.

"Historically, a 'hot' Jan CPI tends to be followed by a 'hot' Feb CPI. That is, the residual seasonality that tends to drive a higher Jan often spills into Feb," Lee said.
Ultimately, if the February CPI report does come in higher than expected, it could put the Fed in a difficult position and lead to more hawkish behavior from the central bank, as two back-to-back hot CPI reports would cause investors to question just how many times they might cut interest rates this year, if they do at all.


 
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.Jerome Powell is a lying piece of shit.
.
edit add:
I don't know about you ? but the whole propaganda presentation aka 'interview' , just builds my fucking confidence.to no ends

Confidence Builder
-
Jerome is peddling the same old bull shit this month that he peddled last month. The 2% inflation number is something he pulled out of his ass. No sound reasoning to any inflation. Inflation is like soil erosion along a river bank. The long term effect is all the same. Once it's gone, it's not magically coming back.

In an appearance Wednesday before the House Financial Services Committee, the central bank chief reiterated that he expects interest rate cuts later this year but did not specify when. Instead, he said policy moves will depend on incoming data, and there isn’t enough evidence yet that inflation is headed back to the Fed’s 2% goal.