Social Security recipients are usually already working on a shoestring budget. However, policy shifts from the Trump administration mean those monthly funds could shrink due to a pair of new(ish) benefit offsets – one that is already taking a bite out of checks, and another looming on the horizon.
That means people could be looking at smaller monthly payments. Keep reading to find out what is being proposed and whether or not it could impact your Social Security payments. Continue reading
The first inflation report under new Federal Reserve chief Kevin Warsh shows consumer prices in April were at their highest level in almost three years.
The personal consumption expenditures price index — the Fed’s preferred inflation measure — rose last month at an annual rate of 3.8%, the Commerce Department reported on Thursday. That’s up from 3.5% in March and 2.8% from February, and the highest since May 2023. Continue reading
The US debt surpassed $31.27 trillion, exceeding the country’s $31.22 trillion in GDP. This represents a debt-to-GDP ratio of 100.2%, according to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, compiled by the Committee on a Responsible Federal Budget and released in April. This level is well above the historical average. Debt-to-GDP ratios, in principle, are not a cause for concern, but other economic conditions in the US aggravate the situation. Continue reading
For much of the nation, it feels like we are in a permanent economic crisis with no end in sight. I have been documenting our long-term economic decline for years, and now we have reached a point where Americans have literally never felt this bad about the state of the U.S. economy. Considering everything that we have been through over the last several decades, that is saying a lot. So how will the American people be feeling if economic conditions continue to deteriorate? We might want to be thinking about that, because all of the long-term trends are taking us in the wrong direction very rapidly.
American attitudes just hit a milestone of sorts. On Friday, the University of Michigan reported that its index of consumer sentiment fell to the lowest level ever recorded in 70-odd years of surveys.
Sentiment was already low at the start of this year, but it fell sharply after the Iran war began at the end of February and sent gas prices sharply higher.
Until this year, the previous lowest level was in June 2022, when inflation was running at the highest level in decades. Friday’s sentiment reading was 10% below even that number.
“Prices remain extremely high, labor markets have unambiguously weakened in the last four years, and now we’re in the middle of a war,” said Joanne Hsu, director of consumer surveys for the University of Michigan. “I don’t think the fact that we’re lower than June 2022 should come as a surprise to anyone.”… (Continue to full article)
Viral 2006 Grocery Receipt Reveals 20-Year Price Inflation
A 2006 grocery receipt has resurfaced on X, sparking a viral conversation about food inflation that’s garnered over 12 million views, and thousands of reposts and comments.
The receipt was discovered by a woman going through her mother’s old belongings, and documents a grocery haul of 79 items for a total of just $161.87, a figure that would be nearly impossible to replicate today.
The Twitter post is drawing attention from consumers, serving as a reminder of how dramatically food costs have increased over the past two decades.
While prices will naturally vary based on package sizes and store locations, a comparison of selected items from 2006 to 2026 prices at Walmart reveals some inflation… (Continue to full article)
Groceries Just Had the Biggest Price Hike in Years. It’s About to Get Even WORSE!
Federal inflation data confirms what you may have been feeling already: Groceries are getting more expensive. Unfortunately, things may be about to get a whole lot worse, economists are warning.
The price of groceries rose 2.9% in April compared to the same month a year earlier, according to government figures released in May. That was the highest year-over-year inflation rate for the category since August 2023.
When compared to the same time last year, fruits and vegetables have seen some of the biggest price hikes. Tomatoes are 40% more expensive now than they were this time last year. Bad growing weather, tariffs, and rising fuel prices have all contributed to the huge change in tomato prices.
Coffee, another imported product, is 19% more expensive than it was last spring… (Continue to full article)
Lowering your tax burden is one of the ways to get ahead financially, and knowing how to do so is crucial to financial success, whether it’s tax season or not.
The good news is that there are lots of deductions available from the IRS. There is, of course, the standard deduction of $16,100 for individuals and $32,200 for married couples filing jointly in 2026, which is usually good enough for most people.
You may be aware of deductions for things like mortgage interest and charitable contributions. Still, there are other deductions taxpayers can take advantage of, called “above-the-line” deductions, that won’t require you to itemize. Here are 13 of them… (Continue to full article)
The price of oil remains above $100 per barrel, and gasoline prices are at four-year highs.
President Donald Trump said on April 30 that gasoline prices would plummet once the war with Iran ends, even as U.S. drivers face the highest pump prices in four years amid ongoing disruptions to global oil supply.
Speaking during a press event in the Oval Office, Trump linked elevated fuel costs directly to the ongoing conflict and the continued closure of key shipping routes, while expressing the conviction that ample global supply would quickly push prices lower once unrestricted crude transit resumes in a post-war environment.
Bull-Shoot!!! (Continue to full article)
Believe it or not, there are plenty of valuable nickels out there that could just be taking up space in your coin jar. These five-cent pieces could be worth dramatically more than their face value depending on when and how they were made, and if they contain any unique imperfections.
Just make sure to examine each coin for the specific details and minting marks. Finding valuable nickels could become one way to supplement your income simply from looking more closely around your home.
Let’s dig into 10 nickels that are worth way more than five cents… (Continue to full article)
Social Security trust funds face depletion in the early 2030s (around 2033), after which payroll taxes would only cover approximately 77% of scheduled benefits, requiring Congress to choose between raising the payroll tax to ~15%, reducing benefits by 20-25%, raising the wage cap, or increasing retirement age.
The delayed policy response to Social Security’s structural funding gap—where fewer workers per retiree (2.7 in 2025 dropping to 2.3 by 2035) cannot sustain current benefit levels—creates market risk through reduced consumer spending, as retirees account for roughly 19% of total U.S. consumption.
Markets and policy headlines have offered up a familiar pattern lately: long-term risks get discussed loudly, then quietly kicked a few years down the road. Social Security is the clearest example of that dynamic. The system still pays full benefits today, but the math underneath it is shifting in a way that investors — and retirees — can’t ignore forever.
So here’s the real question behind today’s headline: benefit cuts are coming, and could be as soon as six years away, yet it’s just as much political shorthand for a much slower-moving problem.
But let’s unpack what the data actually says… (Continue to full article)
Social Security is a popular but expensive program. With the trust fund facing depletion in just a few years, experts have suggested different ways to cut costs and make the program more sustainable, including raising the full retirement age or eliminating the payroll tax cap for high-income earners.
Now, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), a bipartisan nonprofit, is adding another innovative solution to the mix: limiting cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) for the highest-income earners
In a white paper published in October that cites calculations by the Urban Institute, the organization says the proposed change “could be a rapid, thoughtful, and progressive way to help restore solvency and put Social Security on a sustainable path.”
But, if implemented, this shift could make it difficult for some beneficiaries to sustain their purchasing power later in retirement.
Here’s a closer look at why this change is being proposed and how it could impact your retirement plans… (Continue to full article)
Coins are considered valuable for a range of reasons, such as age, rarity, or minting errors. With news that the U.S. will no longer produce pennies as of November 2025, you may be wondering if coins you have sitting around in an old change jar will increase in value.
For now, most pennies and other circulating coins are not worth much more than face value. There are some, however, that could be worth thousands and may even help get you on track for retirement.
Check your change jars for these 10 coins that have sold for an actual fortune… (Continue to full article)
If you haven’t checked your Medicare costs recently, you may be in for a surprise. Hospital stays are getting more expensive and not just by a little. New 2026 Medicare figures show that inpatient hospital copays have reached some of their highest levels ever, especially for longer stays. For many seniors, that means thousands of dollars in unexpected bills after just a few extra days in the hospital. Here’s what you need to know about the latest Medicare inpatient hospital copays and what you could owe per day.
The First 60 Days Aren’t Free!
Medicare uses something called a “benefit period” instead of a calendar year. A new benefit period begins after you’ve been out of the hospital for 60 consecutive days. If you’re readmitted after that, the entire cost structure starts over, including the deductible. This means you could pay the $1,736 deductible multiple times in one year.
Not to mention, hospital stays often lead to time in a skilled nursing facility, which has its own costs. After 20 days, you’ll pay $217 per day for days 21–100 in 2026. These charges are separate from hospital copays and can add up quickly. Many seniors are surprised to learn this care isn’t fully covered long-term. It’s another example of how gaps in Medicare coverage can create financial pressure.
BEND OVER – THEY will DRIVE!!! (Continue to full article)
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Call Jeffrey Bennett (Kettle Moraine, Ltd.) who has over 35 years experience in the precious metals markets – first as an investor and subsequently – with over 30 years as a respected member of the industry for guidance and assistance with your needs.
Kettle Moraine, Ltd.
P.O. Box 579
Litchfield Park, AZ 85340
602-799-8214
kettlemoraineltd@cox.net
The price of gold has been consistently rising for so long that even savvy investors may have missed something in recent months – a considerable decline in the precious metal’s price.
In fact, the price of gold per ounce is down close to 20% from its January peak. Now priced at $4,510.96 per ounce, according to Priority Gold, the precious metal is worth around $1,000 less than it was earlier in 2026, when it was selling at $5,589.38 for the same amount.
While multiple factors have contributed to that decline, the reality is that this opportunity to get invested at a more affordable price may not last very long. So it’s important that investors who have yet to get started with the metal, as well as those who want to boost their holdings, take advantage while they still can. Continue reading
There are pools of capital in the world so large that they cannot be parked just anywhere.
Pension funds, foreign governments and central banks, giant commercial banks – they are collectively sitting on tens of trillions of dollars worth of capital that they have to invest in a safe, stable asset.
The stock market doesn’t really work – it’s far too volatile. Real estate doesn’t really work either – it’s not liquid.
That is where the bond market comes in: it’s both massive (far larger than the stock market), so it can absorb enormous flows of capital. And it’s highly liquid. This allows large investors to quickly move huge sums of money in/out of the bond market. Continue reading
In 1913, two laws were quietly passed that would permanently reshape who gets rich and who stays broke in America — and most people have never heard the full story.
This is the history of the Federal Reserve Act and the 16th Amendment: how a group of the world’s most powerful bankers secretly gathered on a private island in Georgia, wrote a piece of legislation in disguise, and watched it become the law of the land. And how a tax sold to the public as a way to make the wealthy pay their fair share slowly crept down the income ladder until it consumed nearly everyone.
Since 1913, the dollar has lost approximately 97% of its purchasing power. The national debt has grown from $2.9 billion to over $36 trillion. And wealth concentration has returned to levels not seen since the Gilded Age the income tax was supposed to fix.
This is not a simple conspiracy story. It’s something more unsettling — the story of how systems are built by people with interests, and how those interests get encoded into machinery that runs quietly for over a century, compounding in ways that most people never stop to examine.
Who really designed the Federal Reserve? Who was in the room at Jekyll Island — and why did they use fake names? What did the original income tax actually look like, and how did it transform so dramatically in just five years? And what does any of this mean for the money in your pocket today?
Americans, living in what is called the richest nation on earth, seem always to be short of money. Wives are working in unprecedented numbers, husbands hope for overtime hours to earn more, or take part-time jobs evenings and weekends, children look for odd jobs for spending money, the family debt climbs higher, and psychologists say one of the biggest causes of family quarrels and breakups is “arguments over money.” Much of this trouble can be traced to our present “debt-money” system.
Too few Americans realize why Christian Statesmen wrote into Article I of the U.S. Constitution: Congress shall have the Power to Coin Money and Regulate the Value Thereof.
Henry VIII probably thought he was being extremely clever when he started debasing his currency in 1544… and assumed that, if he reduced the silver content slowly and gradually enough, perhaps no one would notice.
But the King was hilariously wrong.
Despite centuries of warfare, invasions, and plagues, English rulers prior to Henry had been remarkably disciplined in maintaining 92.5% silver in their coins. Continue reading
“To hold a coin or medal produced by the Mint is to connect to the founding principles of our nation,” the U.S. Mint declares. That is a lie. In 1985 Congress passed a law prohibiting the Mint from making coins and bullion bars from foreign gold because it wanted to divorce that process from human rights abuses like South African apartheid practices.
An investigation team of reporters from the New York Times, Justin Scheck, Simón Posada, and Federico Rios, have exposed the Mint scam in an article published on 27 April. Much of my data here is taken from that article. Continue reading
