Common Cents Blog
The last several weeks have almost felt like the calm before a storm. The economic data has largely been pretty boring, and what else is there to say about the Federal Reserve? Shoot, even with everything…
On Friday, Chairman Jay Powell all but promised the Fed would start cutting the overnight rate at the upcoming Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting in September. Obviously, the markets liked the prospect of cheaper money,…
After work this past Tuesday, I went to The Fresh Market supermarket near the office to pick up a couple of steaks. My wife and I were celebrating some big news our daughter had received earlier…
I am on the Board of Advisors for a company which held a very nice dinner this past Tuesday. The firm’s founder gave all of the Board members in attendance a brief introduction, and asked us…
The U.S. stock markets opened sharply in negative territory this morning, August 5, 2024. This after two consecutive down days to end last week. After such a strong July, some sort of pullback wasn’t surprising. However,…
This past Monday afternoon, I attended a memorial service in Charlotte for a fraternity brother of mine. Given the relatively short lead to time to make arrangements and the overall quality of airline service out of…
Despite all that has gone on in the markets and economic data this week, I would be remiss if I didn’t address what is really on everyone’s mind: What does Joe Biden’s dropping out of the…
This past week, I had a number of people ask me how much longer the stock market can continue to climb. From the outside looking in, this year’s rally must seem pretty curious. I have news…
This week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for June 2024 fell 0.1%. This negative number was better than the analysts we were expecting, and pretty much guaranteed the Federal…
Yesterday, as Americans were celebrating Independence Day and broiling in the heat, the United Kingdom (UK) held elections. That the unpopular, ruling Conservative and Unionist Party (Tories) would take a beating was a given. The only…