Author Archive
Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid: The “Nuclear Solution” to Underfunded Public Pensions
By Dennis Miller With few exceptions, state and local pension funds are woefully underfunded. Five heavily populated states—California, Illinois, Ohio, New Jersey, and Texas—collectively lack $431.5 billion; money that won’t be paid out to hopeful pensioners. That’s according to those states’ own accounts published in a 2012 Harvard University study…
1Q GDP Report Much Worse Than Expected
Between the Lines by Gary D. Halbert This morning, the Commerce Department reported that 1Q GDP fell considerably more than expected, down a full 1.0% (annual rate). In the advance estimate at the end of last month, the government reported that 1Q GDP rose a mere 0.1%. Now, in the…
Is It Time to Hide Your Money Under the Mattress?
By Dennis Miller “I don’t know what to do,” said my good friend Rob after inviting my wife Jo and me to dinner for the third time in two weeks. “I know I should do something. Every time I think about it, it scares the hell out of me! Maybe…
Median Household Income Down 9% Since 1999
Between the Lines by Gary D. Halbert According to the US Census Bureau, household income across America has declined by 9% overall since the peak in 1999. The chart below includes a state-by-state breakdown showing how much median household income has declined (percentage basis) since each state’s peak year in…
How to Manage a Crisis… Before It Happens
By Dennis Miller My wife Jo and I live in Central Florida, and having ridden out a few hurricanes in our lives, we’re as well prepared as we can be for emergencies. We have, among other things, a generator, food, batteries, candles, and a water purification kit. My wife and…
Signs Of Inflation Take Hold – Implications For The Fed
Between the Lines by Gary D. Halbert The long-awaited upward move in inflation may finally be arriving. Producer (wholesale) prices surged 0.6% in April, the largest monthly gain in more than four years, coming on top of a 0.5% gain in March. In the past year, producer prices have increased…