Sometimes I don’t know whether to laugh or cry… The things the US Congress comes up with! Here’s an analysis of the Cash For Clunkers legislation now on President Obama’s desk awaiting signature. The economics of this program are so distorted you need a funhouse mirror to see them straight. If anyone still doesn’t think the auto industry bailouts are a naked payoff to the UAW for their support of Democrats in the last election then you just need to read this article. Better grab a box of tissue to wipe up the tears as you realize where your tax dollars are going.
June 25, 2009
Simply estimating retirment needs
I recently saw a great idea on Moolanomy.com about predicting how much money you’ll need in retirement. It uses an average inflation rate, the rule of 72 and your current income to show how much money you’ll need to retire at certain points in the future. Check out this article here.
June 24, 2009
Hyperinflation in the US? It’s not unthinkable…
With the quadrupling of the money supply in the 150 days of the Obama presidency, the spectre of price inflation has again come upon us. Motley Fool discusses the possibility of hyperinflation in the United States and what it might look like here.
Beware the ‘undervalue’ appraisal
A new trend has shaped up in the home buying and refinancing market. Stung by criticism from the public and politicians, residential real estate appraisers have reacted by becoming much more conservative when appraising current market value of homes being purchased or refinanced. This has lead to many transactions falling through as values don’t come in at the price agreed upon by principals. A new law requiring that appraisers be selected randomly has added to the confusion as well.
See this article from Bloomberg.com.