Common Cents Blog
This week, Wednesday night actually, my college-aged daughter asked me a number of questions on the passing scene. What did I feel about this or that? What was my opinion on thus and so? That sort…
This week, I met with some clients who asked me about inflation, namely why there isn’t any. They weren’t complaining, not in the least. They were curious: how was the Federal Reserve able to pump trillions…
This morning, the rideshare company Uber had its Initial Public Offering (IPO), which had been a long time in the making. Despite not having turned a profit, ever, the details of the IPO valued the company…
This morning, I met with some clients, and discussed the primary difference between the 4th Quarter of 2018 and what we have enjoyed thus far in 2019. This is the markets’ expectation(s) for the price of…
This morning, I made a presentation on the economy to The Alabama Chapter of the Appraisal Institute, at the behest of a friend of mine. I basically lifted my core remarks straight off the pages of…
This week, Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos wrote the following in his annual letter to shareholders: “Last year, we raised our minimum wage to $15-an-hour for all full-time, part-time, temporary, and seasonal employees across the U.S.…
Way back in the 1990s, when I was first studying for the appropriate (now) FINRA exams, I noticed something about the MSRB (Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board) rules, and others, as they pertained to the advisor/client relationships:…
Someone once asked me the difference between an economist at a university and one at an investment firm. Okay, I lie. A lot of people have asked me that over the years, as it is confusing.…
This week, the members of the US Women’s National Team (USWNT), soccer, filed a discrimination lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation (USSF) over the disparate pay between the USWNT and the US Men’s National Team (USMNT).…
Last week, I attempted to explain Modern Monetary Theory (MMT), and am not sure I did a good job doing so. Frankly, I am not certain how anyone could, save a smug so & so with…