RichC | December 21, 2024
Where should you work — for the government or their private counterpart? From economist Stephen Moore: According to @RealEJAntoni‘s recent analysis, the cost of state and local government employees is a staggering 41.7% higher than their private sector counterparts. While wages are 24.4% higher, the real kicker is benefits—an astonishing 83.0% more!
RichC | December 18, 2024
The Federal Reserve is less sure about how much it’ll keep cutting rates after agreeing to a reduction this Wednesday afternoon. Chair Jerome Powell admitted that the decision was a close call (see WSJ and rate chart from 2000-2024 below). The latest cut, approved by 11 out of 12 Fed voters, will lower the Fed’s […]
RichC | November 20, 2024
President-Elect Donald Trump is currently preparing his list of nominees for the cabinet he needs to help advise him. Along with a few controversial picks, Trump has also added a couple of high profile names, Elon Musk and the Vivek Ramaswamy to a new advisory panel … a committee that is smugly being referred to […]
RichC | October 30, 2024
Last year on this date, I commented about “investors being nervous this time of year” on the U.S. stock market indices. So as a filler nearly exactly one-year later, I figured I would do the same. The DOW and NASDAQ above on October 29, 2024 are WAY UP from 2023 and Chevron ($CVX) below is […]
RichC | October 25, 2024
Nobody really knows when the next recession will come, but economists and those of us who monitor investments would really like to know before it arrives. This week while moving a few more dollars to the sideline, at least until after the November 2024 election and until mid-January 2025 (parked in a 3-month CD) … I […]
RichC | October 2, 2024
The government under Biden/Harris has been totally irresponsible when it comes to spending. They’ve shown zero interest in working towards a balanced budget and have put us another $2.3 TRILLION dollars further in debt (they are spending way more than they collect in taxes). Of course there’s nothing new to this fiscal malfeasance … it […]
RichC | September 18, 2024
Investors and traders on Wall Street started today in a pensive mood as all impatiently waited for the much telegraphed “first rate cut since 2020.” Market journalists debated if Chairman Powell and the Federal Reserve board members would see the slowing economy as a sign that their tightening polices had stifled inflation enough to managed […]
RichC | August 11, 2024
Investors who bought US Treasury iBonds when inflation was raging may see the lower May 2024 rate reduction as no longer attractive; the rate is currently 4.28% (it adjusts every 6 months). The interest rate has steadily fallen as month to month inflation has eased from its high and investors may be able to find […]
RichC | August 6, 2024
As an amateur market follower, I have watched economic indicators that signal boom and bust cycles for years. One of the more insightful signals is the spread between treasury yields (inverted yield curve) … especially the 10 and 2 year treasuries. An inversion has been a good indicator of a recession … as posted a […]
RichC | July 25, 2024
The indices took a dive on Wall Street on Wednesday as the Magnificent Seven tech stocks that have lead the stock market recently, sold off after Alphabet $GOOGL(parent of Google) and Tesla $TSLA disappointed with earnings. As a WSJ live post put it, “the thrashing wiped out hundreds of billions of dollars in market value […]
RichC | July 19, 2024
I don’t think I’ve ever recalled a hot summer in July or August that I’ve needed to “remove” water from the pool? I did so with a spare pump leftover from my biodiesel days and a sprinkler. 😊 This year, we’ve had the somewhat normal hot and dry weather … followed by thunderstorms, tornado warning […]
RichC | July 11, 2024
Those of us following the stock market and managing investments can’t help but smile at the strong U.S. financial markets on Wednesday and so far this summer. For some who “sell in May and go away” (as the idiom goes) … they are are not smiling quite as much. As a long term value investor, […]
RichC | May 25, 2024
No matter how I set the trigger, our friendly cardinal regularly triggers a warning on our Wyze Cam. He is enjoyable to watch and so I really don’t mind it. On the other hand, I DO MIND the price increases hitting Americans at the gas pump, grocery store and restaurants … not to mention nearly […]
RichC | May 19, 2024
It is time to face the inevitable that working later in life is not a reality for most people. As I commented on a Barron’s article last week, you “better have a Plan B or even a Plan C” in case there is a health concern that prevent working later in life. From personal experience, […]
RichC | May 15, 2024
U.S. inflation eased slightly in April, with a key measure of price pressures slowing to its lowest level since spring 2021. The consumer-price index, a gauge for goods and service costs across the U.S. economy, rose 3.4% in April from a year ago, the Labor Department said Wednesday. So-called core prices that exclude volatile food […]
RichC | May 10, 2024
Sometimes I know that I’m just tempting fate … like when it comes to switching mobile phone carriers … in my case, MVNO companies. Last year, I switch my aging iPhone 7 plus over to USMobile on a trial. I ended up finding it preferred to Mint Mobile (T-Mobile) and found the service to be […]
RichC | April 30, 2024
While uploading a late April 2024 peaceful looking Delray Beach scene from my “aging” iPhone 7 Plus, the distorted panorama photo has me wondering just when it will be time to upgrade? Since my 7 year old smartphone will no longer update a few of the apps due to an old iOS … I do […]
RichC | April 21, 2024
The social group that I waste too much time in reading and replying to each week on X.com (a bunch of car enthusiasts and a few automotive journalists) posted a photo of a 1984 Chevrolet Celebrity Eurosport last week. It was exactly like the second company car I had when working for Portage Newspaper Supply Company […]
RichC | April 13, 2024
Iran has threatened to retaliate for an attack in Damascus, Syria, that Tehran said was an Israeli airstrike on a diplomatic building. The strike killed several top Iranian military officials, including a senior member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ elite Quds Force. According to the WSJ on Friday, “the U.S. rushed warships into position […]
RichC | April 10, 2024
We have been using the economical Wyze Cams to monitor things around home for a few years now, along with leftover Canary Cams … and our old school original wired security system. I do like the way these inexpensive cameras have held up and are improving, but the speed and notification tweaking of their Wyze […]
RichC | April 6, 2024
The subject line is my questionable twist on the Francis Church response to Virginia O’Hanlon in 1897, Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus (see below). All of us “seeing” inflation month after month really don’t question its existence, but we do wonder how long inflation will continue a higher than the desired two percent […]
RichC | March 27, 2024
Amazing day for the stock market again. It looks like more high inflation and that this kind of strong market confidence may push off Fed rate cuts until inflation drops closer to 2%, unemployment begins to rise or the entire economy hits the skids. On the other hand, this irrational exuberance looking excitement (Crypto, $RDDT, […]
RichC | March 22, 2024
Although at this point I’m still sticking with cable for my Internet and television entertainment, the difficulty in watching certain sporting events is increasing. I’m not happy about Amazon locking up Thursday Night Football and did not like having to plan ahead for the NFL playoff game in January, but for the most part … […]
RichC | February 28, 2024
Court ‘Didn’t Stop Me’ – “ The President ignores the law again as he forgives more student debt. The total is now $138 billion and counting.” WSJOpinion February 23, 2024 article link He’s not really cancelling anything because he’s transferring the debt from the borrowers it benefited to the taxpayers who will finance it with […]
RichC | February 17, 2024
As an entrepreneur who has owned a business that sells in several Ohio counties and collects sales taxes (all counties are different), I do monitor the steady sales tax percentage increase over the decades of doing business. It is also interesting to know how managing a business in Ohio compares to other states (click map […]
RichC | February 9, 2024
As an Apple advocate and device user from the 1980s and someone who as been begging for a foldable iPhone flip phone (or even slider) since using and retiring a foldable Samsung SPH i500 PalmOS device years ago, “I can’t wait”… as I mentioned to tech influencer Evan Kirsten. We seem to be getting closer, […]
RichC | January 28, 2024
An email newsletter from the Tax Foundation offered up a few interesting tax oriented tidbits. Lady Godiva As the story goes, Lady Godiva famously rode a horse through Coventry, Warwickshire . . . in the nude. But why did this 11th-century noblewoman choose to do such a thing? Taxes. Lady Godiva pleaded with her husband, […]
RichC | January 23, 2024
It’s called the third rail of politics, and in those areas of spending where politicians with the best of intentions dare to talk, nothing gets done. Only a few have suggested finding a solution to our ballooning debt and yearly deficits … or two of the primary drivers: Social Security and Medicare. These programs continue […]
RichC | January 12, 2024
Well then there’s an ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) for that … finally. But now the decision, which one do you add to your investment portfolio? Check out this article on CNBC and chart of ETFs and fees. The bitcoin exchange-traded funds launching Thursday after the SEC’s long-awaited approval come at a wide variety of price […]
RichC | January 6, 2024
Last week we took our 2010 Acura RDX to our local repair garage, hoping for a minor rather than major issue. So far, so good. The initial thought that it might be a solenoid controling the turbo wastegate turned out to be “not” the issue … and digging deeper required several more hours of labor. […]
RichC | December 29, 2023
The IRS has set the new tax brackets to adjust for inflation beginning in January 2024. The update is to shift higher by 5.4%, but for 2023 taxes that most of us will be filing before April 15 and saw even more “bracket creep” due to the previously year’s inflation. Here are the changes […]
RichC | December 26, 2023
Have you ever wondered about taxes … and how many (or how much) is too little or too much? If so, here’s a short YouTube clip from the TaxFoundation:
RichC | December 17, 2023
My buddy Jeff and I enjoy debating and learning from each other while sharing what we are reading. We are far from experts on anything (I should speak for myself), but that doesn’t stop us from opining. HA! Last week with the Federal Reserve “pausing” on interest rate hikes with inflation coming down and semi-telegraphed […]
RichC | December 10, 2023
It has been a few years since we entertained the idea of “cutting the cord” when it comes to cable TV. I’m once again inching closer as Altafiber (acquired Cincinnati Bell and Fioptics) has bumped up prices and forced an equipment update on us. It is both good and bad … since I’m not really […]
RichC | December 9, 2023
This would be a great photo of Brenda and Taylor, but for being a blurry selfie (click to see larger). Oh well, I enjoyed seeing the two of them out for their annual mother and son Christmas shopping and evening dinner. I hope they were successful? While they were out, I did my annual the […]
RichC | November 15, 2023
After one year of Costco Executive membership it was time to ask the “is it worth it” question. Thankfully for us, after one year, it did pay for itself for the first year. For us, at least for the first year, being an Executive Member vs Gold Star Member at Costco did pay off, but […]
RichC | November 14, 2023
It is hard to believe that Brenda and I have been with the same insurance company for auto and home since 1982. I’ve rarely put in a claim (although the basement water damage comes to mind), but after a $400 renewal bump in our automotive policy that Liberty Mutual could not tweak or requote lower, […]
RichC | October 28, 2023
What is there about October that upsets people and financial markets? For nearly a century investors get nervous this time of year. Unfortunately watching the market as closely as I do, one would think I would have sold stocks at the first sign of trouble in October. Nope, I expected better from a few of […]
RichC | October 21, 2023
This whiny post is going to ring hollow for those going through serious problems … or even noticing that I was recentlydifficult time adjusting to shifting gears. Brenda and I now have more unstructured time, particularly since Brenda’s surgeries and rehab (although I do still try to do work each day). The earlier than expected […]
RichC | October 19, 2023
Those who are elected (or strong-armed their way to power) are failing miserably at keeping peace in our world as we teeter on the edge of yet another war. No matter how advance we think we are, human beings are unable to get along with each other. Stock Market Indices market close 10/18/2023 Stock market […]
RichC | September 30, 2023
Thirteen years ago I blogged on the US National Debt spiraling out of control (the US National Debt was $13.5 Trillion in September of 2013) … who knew we wouldn’t even remotely take this exponentially increasing monstrosity seriously? Now we’re $33 TRILLION in debt, running huge deficits, and adding to the national debt even faster […]
RichC | September 29, 2023
Decades ago when I was in graduate school, I taught classes at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio as a GT, I continued to stay connected to the university. As a student I was given an alumni email address (an alias at the time forwarded to another email address) and as part time faculty was granted […]
RichC | September 15, 2023
Perhaps it is just me paying attention to the rumors and knowing the announcements that were planned at Apple’s annual September “new iPhones” announcement event … but the iPhone15s (and Apple Watch 9) upgrades left very little to get excited about? I’m not saying that I won’t be upgrading my aging iPhone 7plus this year, […]
RichC | September 8, 2023
One of my social media contacts who knows that I’ve been using computers to monitor investments and trade for decades heard me mention that I switched to a tiny MacBook Air M2 from a 27” PC display (iMac with a second Thunderbolt Apple display running Windows 10 on Parallels). He asked how it was possible […]
RichC | September 1, 2023
Samsung announced another “high screen real estate” monitor for those who like to plaster a lot of content on a single screen … or more that likely, play games … but besides ogling this massive 57 inch wide display, it is definitely not something I need these days. There was once a time that I […]
RichC | August 23, 2023
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RichC | August 8, 2023
Archiving an article from last week’s Barron Magazine which highlighted what I’ve been noticing with homeowner insurance rates on our condo in Florida. When I called the agent about the increase last year, she commented that I should be thankful for the increase as it was on the lower side compared to most. Yikes .. […]
RichC | August 2, 2023
RichC | July 26, 2023
Katelyn and Drew brought us back some Rowdy barbecue sauce when they took a trip to Tennessee in the spring. I didn’t get a chance to use it until last week — chicken wings in the toaster oven (better than Buffalo sauce?) Anyway, a belated thanks; it is delicious. A chart/graph in the WSJ last […]
RichC | July 15, 2023
My financial and investment musings have been few and far between lately, but while reading Barron’s Magazine article this past week, it reminded me that we investors often can look to history for insight. If you don’t want to read it, try listening to it — Audio ElevenLabs. ElevenLabs AI reading this content – […]
RichC | July 5, 2023
For investors and retirees desiring an income stream from their investments, Closed-End Funds can be pretty attractive. That said, there are advantages and disadvantages … with some help from ChatGPT. 😉 Advantages of Closed-End Funds (CEFs): Market Pricing Efficiency: Unlike open-end mutual funds, CEFs trade on stock exchanges, allowing their shares to be bought and […]
RichC | June 8, 2023
If the answer is “not enough” … check out this short YouTube video explainer.
RichC | June 4, 2023
You would have to know my penny-pinching personality to truly understand my frustration over gasoline prices, but these receipts had me pulling out my hair. A little pretext: My wife has ALWAYS only purchased Shell gasoline for her cars. No matter the price, she always goes to Shell and has been loyal for decades. Over […]
RichC | May 27, 2023
Once again, politicians are taking our US SPENDING and BORROWING problem right to the wire. Everyone knows that eventually politicians will just raise the debt ceiling and borrow more. The Republicans want spending cuts and the Democrats want a “clean increase” so as to be able to pay promised liabilities (previous spending) and we all […]
RichC | May 4, 2023
While waiting for the big TWO TRILLION dollar company that is Apple ($AAPL) to report earning after hours on Thursday (story), I’m contemplating the likely outcome of accelerated interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. Obviously concluding that “inflation in transitory,” as the Fed Chair commented after the pandemic, was the incorrect assumption … and […]
RichC | May 3, 2023
Taxes are often on my mind … especially when reminded by an email update from the Tax Foundation. This week was both a depressing one (Ohio #41) and an interesting one due to the number of states and cities trying hard to reduce the burden of bloated government on their residents. I would nice if […]
RichC | April 29, 2023
This past month while semi-vacationing in Florida (condo window installation), I started reading an excellent new book by well-known economist Nouriel Roubini called “MegaThreats: Ten Dangerous Trends That Imperil Our Future, And How to Survive Them” (October 18, 2022). The book follows a trend for me and what I’ve been reading when it comes to […]
RichC | April 18, 2023
Yup … ENFORCEMENT. … hundreds of IRS applications have been around for at least 25 years and dozens that have been in existence for more than 50. There were also pieces of software running 15 updates behind the current version. Fifteen! That’s like using a new iPhone with the iOS from the original iPhone … […]
RichC | April 12, 2023
Guess when this Fed news came out? High inflation and tight labor markets led Federal Reserve officials to signal they could raise interest rates at their next meeting despite a higher likelihood the economy would enter a recession later this year. Fed officials considered skipping a rate increase at their meeting last month but concluded […]