If it seems that the Fed has been raising rates at a breakneck pace, then you’re not alone.  Rates have been rising at the fastest pace since the 1980-81 cycle- that’s four decades!  Rates have risen six times already this year, totaling 3.75%, with another meeting scheduled for December 13-14. Yes, another rate hike is expected.  The size of the increase is more of the speculation. Read this [...]

Medical costs have been rising for years- actually decades.  For patients that means the cost of insurance has risen, often while deductibles, copays, and out-of-pocket expenses have increased.  The cost structure of other players involved, notably health providers and insurance companies/programs, has also steadily risen.  The U.S. pays more for healthcare per capita than any other industrialized nation. Source: The Commonwealth Fund, from The Conversation, Why the US [...]

The biggest component in the cost of a gallon of gas is the price of crude oil.  When oil prices rise, the cost of gas rises soon after.  During periods when oil prices decline, the price of gas declines at a slower pace.  This is a normal market phenomenon and understood by economists as part of the consumer petroleum market. Another factor in the cost of gas is supply [...]

Ripple Effect- a spreading, pervasive, and usually unintentional effect or influence In a bid to counter rising inflation, the Fed has steadily raised rates since March, with the most recent 75 basis point (.75%) hike last Wednesday (November 2, 2022), and more hikes expected.  The main goal of the Fed in raising rates is to curb inflation.  So far, the unemployment rate remains low and job openings high, but [...]