Eviction Moratorium Has Expired. Oops. Not Yet.

Update on Aug 5: The moratorium was extended by the CDC, against a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.  Landlord Group Sues CDC Over Eviction Ban Extension  The eviction moratorium expired on Saturday, July 31. There has been plenty of speculation about what will happen now, but I don't think anyone is absolutely sure. It could spark an economic nightmare, but is getting little to no coverage in the mainstream media.  In March of 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the so-called “CARES” Act) which included an eviction moratorium preventing landlords from evicting tenants who were delinquent in paying their rent. The national moratorium has been challenged in several courts and its expiration date has been extended four times. It currently expired last Saturday, July 31, and federal officials (including President Biden) have indicated there are no plans to extend it again, though there are those in Congress who wished to have it extended (AOC,

Jim Jordan: Democrat's Economic Plan is "Stupid"

Rep Jim Jordon: Biden's claim that government spending will bring down inflation is stupid. Democrat economic plan of increased lockdowns due to Covid-10, spend like crazy, pay people not to work, and increase taxes on those who do work, may be the four most stupid economic policies ever.  

Consumer Spending Spurs Growth, Inflation

From the  American Institution for Economic Research Real gross domestic product increased at a 6.5 percent annualized rate in the second quarter, up from a 6.3 percent pace in the first quarter. Over the past four quarters, real gross domestic product is up 12.2 percent, putting the level almost back on trend. Growth in the second quarter was led by consumers. Real consumer spending overall rose at an 11.8 percent annualized rate, beating the strong 11.4 percent rate in the first quarter, and contributing a total of 7.8 percentage points to real GDP growth. The pattern of contributions to growth among the components of consumer spending in the second quarter was the mirror opposite of the first quarter, as the second quarter was led by consumer services, followed by nondurable goods and then durable goods. Spending on services grew at a 12.0 percent rate, contributing 5.1 percentage points to real GDP growth, while nondurable-goods spending rose at a 12.6 percent pace, contributing 1.

Why We Can't Get Rid of the Internal Combustion Engine

Why are car manufacturers still improving and spending money on combustion engines in the year 2020? Should all development research be going into electric cars and electric vehicle technology? Unfortunate news if you think ICE transportation is going away in the near future to be solely replaced by electric vehicles (EVs). The internal combustion engine is still incredibly relevant today, and can still use further improvements in order to reduce global emissions.  In this video we'll discuss scientific issues facing electric cars, environmental problems with ditching combustion engine research, how cost impacts customer decisions and manufacturer profits, and ultimately how consumer choice plays a large role in this industry. If you've ever wondered why combustion engines are still being developed, this video breaks down all the details.

Buy Now, Pay Later. Is This a Good Idea?

As you may have noticed, “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) options are exploding, with retailers ranging from department stores to airlines allowing customers to pay for goods and services in installments rather than all at once. In fact, in 2021 over half of consumers have used a BNPL service such as Klarna, Afterpay or Affirm to finance their purchases. These plans been around for many years, however, mostly as "buy now, use our card or credit plan, pay no interest for a year", or more. Pay no interest for 5 years! We've all seen them. But that said, there are some significant potential gotchas to think about before you give it a try. Let’s take a look at how BNPL services work—so that you can understand their pros and cons—and make an informed decision about when they may (or may not) be a good choice. BNPL plans work like an old-fashioned layaway plan in reverse. Instead of having the merchant hold on to the item until you complete all your installment payments, you receiv

Peter Lynch's 8 Rules for Investing

In this video Peter Lynch offers 8 investing rules for all beginner investors to follow. They're simple but the hard thing is sticking to them! Peter Lynch is an American investor, mutual fund manager, and philanthropist. As the manager of the Magellan Fund at Fidelity Investments between 1977 and 1990, Lynch averaged a 29.2% annual return, consistently more than double the S&P 500 stock market index and making it the best-performing mutual fund in the world. 1. Small investor's have a huge advantage 2. Know what you own 3. Don't invest purely on others opinions 4. Focus on the company behind the stock 5. Don't try to predict the market 6. Study history. Market crashes are great opportunities 7. You have plenty of time 8. You need an edge to make money I highly recommend his book.  From Amazon:  One Up On Wall Street

Weekly Market Alert: New All-Time Highs

When I wrote on July 19 about the need to avoid a panic , little did I know that my expectation that the market would not plunge into a correct would come true. Stocks rose Friday for the fourth straight session after a rough start to the week, with most major groups moving higher.  The Dow closed above 35,000 for the first time ever, bringing its 2021 gain to 14%, and rising 1% for the week despite dropping more than 700 points on Monday. The S&P 500 rose 2% for the week and the Nasdaq Composite added 2.8%. The 10-year Treasury yield rebounded to 1.29% on Friday, easing concerns about the economy that the bond market sparked on Monday when the 10-year yield fell to a five-month low 1.13%. Still, a 1.29% yield on the 10-year is not very good. The different indexes surged at the bell and held onto the gains as investors looked ahead to what's expected to be blowout earnings from big tech giants next week. The July FOMC Meeting gets underway on Tuesday and market participants wil