Finconomics 101

The Federal Government’s financial condition could be better! We are running annual spending deficits that are approaching $2 trillion (up from the CBO’s May 2023 estimates) which will add to outstanding debt which exceeded $32 trillion at the end of 2Q23. Our annual tax revenue is under $5 trillion, and it is estimated that higher rates mean that the government will incur $1 trillion in annual interest expense (representing 20% of the government’s revenue) also up from the CBO’s estimates. Hard asset investments like gold are looking good right about now…

Nobody wants wars! There must be a better way to settle land/territory disputes like we see in the Ukraine, Gaza & Taiwan. History shows that these disputes are almost always settled by military might which costs far more than just the price of armaments when the terrible loss of life & suffering is factored in. A market-based solution would be much better…

We all know Ron Shaich as the founder of Panera Bread and one of the fathers of the fast-casual restaurant segment. In his tell-all book, Ron explains the processes that he followed to get there. Notably, it starts with an insatiable quest for improvement that fueled the transformation of a company along with an industry. These same lessons offer the hope of transforming an economy if we could all apply Ron’s simple wisdom that may be easy to understand, but hard to live by.

A strong military aligned with the U.S. Constitution is a good thing. Endless wars, which are a bad thing, will bankrupt the country both financially & morally. There is a better way…

Uncle Sam has been busy writing checks for pet projects around the world with borrowed money while Americans struggle to afford mortgage and rent payments that have spiraled out of control. We have a simple fix.

Thomas Saaty developed the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) theory of decision-making in the 1970’s, providing a structured technique for organizing and analyzing complex decisions based on mathematics & psychology. The Book of Proverbs makes it simple…

Everyone is focused on the Fed Fund Rate which does not seem so bad at 5.33% when viewed in the context of historical data. However, in the real world, consumers are forced to borrow at much higher rates as indicated in the following chart. From the perspective of John & Jane Q. Public, it’s way past time for a rate cut – it’s the moral thing to do…    

The end of both the 1990’s peace dividend & the more recent era of low interest rates has badly aggravated the Federal Government’s weak fiscal condition. With the war hawks pinning for even larger budgets, what will become of our out-of-control deficit?

California is very concerned about protecting fast-food workers. Where is this sentiment for employees in other retail businesses? This legislation perfectly depicts how big brother can run amuck with a poorly conceived & biased exercise of power… 

Nobody could afford their own homes if they had to pay market value. What gives?