Dock Treece

Good news Wednesday and stocks come through. All three major indices were up as Congress inches toward another covid relief package. Lumber prices are up 120% since April but have moderated since September. Lumber cost has added, on average. $16,000 to the cost of a single family house.A real life story about customer service.A quote from the WSJ story, "Industrial production decreased sharply in March and April as the coronavirus pandemic took hold in the U.S., but has gradually recovered in subsequent months. The pace of gains slowed in late summer and into the fall, however, and output overall in November remained 5% below February levels, according to the Fed."

Tuesday, stocks were up in the morning but sold off in the afternoon. The DOW saw a 400+ intraday swing. The decline was a surprise given the vaccine hit the street yesterday.The decline may have been driven by NYC Mayor de Blasio warning that he may order a full shutdown in the next few days.The U.S. Treasury computer system was hacked, in March, and was only recently discovered. But never fear the voting system cannot be hacked.The following quotes from the WSJ consumer confidence article are very confusing, " In its November Survey of Consumer Expectations, the central bank found households reporting the highest level of expected spending growth since July 2016, at a predicted 3.7% rise for a year down the road,". Followed by, "Despite the expected rise in spending, “respondents were more pessimistic about their households’ financial situations in the year ahead, with more respondents expecting their financial situation to deteriorate,".

Monday, the DOW was up Friday but the S&P and the NASDAQ were down.Pfizer ships the vaccine for delivery today.IPO market is the hottest since 1999. As proof Airbnb is now worth more that Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt COMBINED.Huntington Bank announced a merger TCF Financial.Friday I talked about the price of oil rising while gas prices are low. I think I discovered one of the reasons.Oracle leaves California for Texas. Quote from the article, "...yet another of the Bay Area’s best-known brands — Oracle — is pulling up stakes and headed east to Texas, too."

Friday, stocks were little changed yesterday and the news is conflicting. New jobless claims rose but job opening in manufacturing hit an all time high. And everywhere I look I see 'now hiring' signs.We are in a pandemic driven recession yet U.S. household net worth hit a record in the third quarter. Stock and housing prices are credited with the gains.A quote from the attached article "The net worth of U.S. households rose to a record in the third quarter as the value of stock portfolios and real estate surged, a Federal Reserve report showed, highlighting the skewed nature of an economic recovery that has disproportionately benefited wealthier Americans."What's your plan?

Thursday, stocks took a rest yesterday. Oil hit its highest level since before the pandemic. Job openings surprised to the upside.Yesterday I spoke about the price of flat steel rising and today I found the attached article. The web site is not mainstream but the charts interested me. The article includes charts that show the increasing prices of commodities and the declining value of the dollar. It would be hard for anyone to look at these charts and argue there is no inflation.Away from the markets Hunter Biden appears to have legal problem as he is officially being investigated according to a statement he released. Let's not jump the gun on his guilt. 17 states are now supporting Texas in their voter fraud case and 48 states have filed suit to break up Facebook.

Good news Wednesday and stocks come through. Dow was up but the S&P and NASDAQ hit all time highs.More details on the NFIB numbers.Redbook retail sales slipped.A friend who uses flat steel in his business emailed me yesterday that prices on flat steel have gone from .30 per pound to .50 per pound in the past few months and it looks like it is headed higher. Don't worry there is no inflation.Elon Musk is in the news for several reasons: 1) Tesla is going to issue and sell more stock. 2) FCC awards Musk's SpaceX / Starlink $886 million in subsidies. 3) Elon Musk moves his residence to Texas. Quote from the article:"Taking up residence in Texas comes with personal benefits for Mr. Musk: The state doesn’t collect state income or capital-gains tax for individuals. The auto executive qualified this year for billions of dollars in stock-option compensation as part of a pay-package agreement, making him the second-richest person in the world."

Tuesday, the NASDAQ hit a new high yesterday but the S&P and the DOW declined slightly.Some very good news locally, according to an article in the Blade UPS is building a new facility in Wood County that will bring 600 new jobs and LEWCO is building a facility in Ottawa County that creates 163 new jobs. Consumer credit declined as people paid down credit cards.Toll Brothers Inc. the builder of luxury homes said sales are up 7% year over year and contracts are up 68% the strongest market in 30 years.Several weeks I recommended a book, the attached article expresses the same outlook in shorter format.

Monday. Stocks, as measured by the DOW, S&P and NASDAQ hit all time highs Friday. Employment growth is slowing so here is Wall Street's thinking, slower employment growth means more free money from the Fed which means higher stock prices. Party time.The coronavirus has devastated the U.S. economy but has created a boom for the Chinese economy. Chinese exports are up 21% year over year most of which went to the U.S.Class 8 truck sales (semi trucks) orders surged to the 3rd highest ever. Sales are up 33% month over month and 197% year over year.The attached article is an eye opener. Colleges and universities are having to deal with reality and it's not pretty. Higher education will have to adapt or die. Quote from the article:"... presidents of struggling colleges around the country are reacting to the pandemic by unilaterally cutting programs, firing professors and gutting tenure, all once-unthinkable changes."

Friday, no big moves in stocks yesterday. Other news was mixed with employment news dominating the cycle. New jobless claims dropped, announced job cuts rose and the ISM services index declined.The attached article points out something I commented on months ago and that is the pandemic will change the jobs landscape. A quote from the article: "But unemployment data overstates the health of the labor market because the supply of people either working or looking for a job has declined. The U.S. labor force is 2.2% smaller than in February, a loss of 3.7 million workers."If Biden becomes President expect more immigration and the Republicans will help him. "Mike Lee (R) introduced S.386 bill helps the Fortune 500 and Silicon Valley firms to annually trade green cards to 140,000 mid-skilled foreign workers in exchange for taking the starter jobs and routine jobs needed by U.S. graduates of all ages — especially as the country emerges from the coronavirus crash." Out take from a Breitbart article. Remember it was Trump who slowed immigration not the republicans.Get ready for change.

Thursday the DOW was up slightly with the S&P setting a new high.Mortgage applications was the lone bright spot in the reports yesterday.I have attached 2 articles today that need close attention. The first motor vehicle fell below 16 million units annualized. A 3 month low.The second article is the ADP job creation report and it was a disappointment, the weakest since July.As I said yesterday economic indicators are starting the weaken, pay attention.

Good news Wednesday and stocks come through. The S&P and the NASDAQ hit new all time highs and the DOW was up but not a new high. Precious metals recovered from a recent pull back. Gold is up $50 in 2 days and silver is up 8% over the same 2 days.More retail sales news, some good some not. Another company announces a move from California to Texas.The 10 year Treasury creeps higher as China sell Treasury bonds. So who is buying all the debt the U.S. Government is selling?Quote from the attached article: "The market has been fueled higher in recent weeks by optimism that Covid-19 vaccines will help accelerate the economic rebound. That has fueled a rally in stocks that are sensitive to economic growth, including energy and banks."

Tuesday, stocks were down yesterday. It's too early to call a peak in economic activity but the reports coming out are showing a stall in activity.Is it political or a normal business cycle?Joe Biden is announcing his appointments should be become President. The potential appointments are not unknown they all have long public records. Investors need to study their records and adjust their investments accordingly. See the attached article. Quote from the article: ".....drawing on veterans of the Obama administration and progressive think tanks. Their past views on inequality, labor economics, education and budget deficits offer a guide to how they could shape the administration’s policies."A total of 12 articles of impeachment have officially been filed against Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine over abuse of power during the Chinese coronavirus pandemic. For me the question is not if the action he took helped control the virus but was his action constitutional.

Monday, black Friday was a bust for in person shopping. Online shopping was up but it's too early to know if it will make up for the personal shopping drop. What does this mean for brick and mortar retailers?? Quote from the article: "Roughly half as many people visited stores on Black Friday as they did last year, according to research firms that track foot traffic. Meanwhile, online spending jumped 22% from a year ago, making it the second-best online shopping day ever measured by Adobe Analytics." New home sales dropped month over month but still up year over year,New jobless claims rose for the second week in row. Two weeks doesn't make a trend but it's worth watching.

Good news Wednesday and the markets come through. The Dow closed above 30,000 up 60% since March.The housing market news was good but consumer confidence not so much.Elon Musk is now the second richest man in the world. His net worth has increased $100 billion (that's BILLION) this year.Yesterday I posted an article from Zerohedge titled "Investors Go All-in Without a Safety Net".A quote from the article: "The markets are indeed currently exceedingly exuberant on many fronts. With margin debt back near peaks, stock prices at all-time highs, and “junk bond yields” near record lows, the bullish media continues to suggest there is no reason for concern.Of course, such should not be a surprise. At market peaks – “everyone’s in the pool.”

Tuesday, almost the end of a short week. The Dow was up and is closing in on 30,000.Bitcoin is just short of 19,000.Biden is in the process of announcing potential members of his administration. I you liked the obama years you'll be seeing a lot of familiar names.Facebook messenger can hear you.The attached article is further evidence of how the pandemic is changing how and where we live. A quote fro the article: “I don’t believe we should have an environment where management is not involved with those determinations, because what you could get into here is a situation where employees then become the decision-maker in working literally from anywhere, and you would have a hard time organizing and holding together a culture if that was the case.” And just what would that culture be??

Monday, the beginning of a short week that is packed with reports housing, unemployment, consumer attitudes, durable goods orders and more.Stocks were down Friday but futures are looking higher this morning.Another vaccine making a total of 3 now with 90% + effective rate.Corporations are starting to pay dividends again. After tightening the purse strings during the pandemic they are feeling better about restarting paying dividends.The attached article outlines the changes in the automotive industry. The model is more like the european model where it is common to order a car and wait for delivery. This will be a test of the instant gratification mentality of the American consumer. Quote from the article: "For months, dealer stocks have been running about 25% thinner than normal, a hangover effect from two months of pandemic-related factory closures last spring. The shortfall is requiring many buyers to order their cars and wait a few weeks, running counter to the American car shopper’s desire for instant gratification, and dealers’ impulse to send the customer home in a new car that day."

TGIF, a late day rally saved the Dow from another loss yesterday.The only bright spot in the news yesterday was the existing home sales report. Existing home sales were the highest in 14 years. Selling prices jumped 15% year over year.Jobless claims rose and the Philly and Kansas City manufacturing indices dropped.Online airline bookings dropped again.This year the online shopping season will be the online scam season.

Thursday, stocks were down again yesterday. I guess the thrill of a vaccine has worn off.Mortgage applications rose again and housing starts were double the expected increase.Bitcoin is at the highest since 2017.The attached article documents how the economy and employment are changing as a result of the pandemic. A lot of people are making more money, the reason is telling.Quote from the Wall Street Journal article: "The coronavirus destroyed jobs. It also created entrepreneurs.To adapt to the pandemic and the job loss it unleashed, more Americans are becoming their own bosses, setting up tiny businesses to work as traveling hair stylists, in-home personal trainers, boutique mask designers and chefs. A man in Maryland started a mobile car-washing business.Many new entrepreneurs previously worked at salons, gyms and restaurants, in the kind of face-to-face jobs erased when state orders closed swaths of the economy in the spring. The economy has since mounted a split recovery, with some Americans thriving while many others continue to struggle. A cohort of the laid-off, stuck on the descending arm of that recovery, are using their ingenuity to get off it."

Good news Wednesday but stocks take a breather from the recent rally. Other economic news was good but shows signs of slowing. Retail sales were up for the 6th straight month, industrial production was higher (see attached article) and the housing market index is at the highest level ever.Soybeans are near a 4 year high and WalMart says the supply chain isn't keeping up with demand. If we were not in the middle of a political mess where would the economy be?If Biden becomes President what should we expect as big changes?Quote from the attached article: "Economists said they expect to see production continue to make up lost ground in the coming months since demand for goods has held up better than demand for services."

Tuesday, Dow and S&P 500 hit new all time highs. Who's worried about the virus, politics, the economy, stimulus running out at the end of December or anything else? Investors believe the Federal Reserve has this and they won't let anything bad happen. Let's hope they are correct.Empire Manufacturing index reported yesterday and it slowed considerably.The attached article indicates retail property owners are learning to adapt. Quote from the article: "Mall operators, faced with a sharp downturn in foot traffic, are looking into the viability of converting empty commercial space into mini-fulfillment centers for their remaining retail tenants, technology vendors and analysts say."If politics were not involved I wonder just how fast the economy could recover.

Monday, stocks were up Friday. The DOW index is near an all time high and the S&P hit a new all time high Friday.Consumer Sentiment was reported Friday and it unexpectedly dropped. This was the first indicator that reflected the election results.Big moves in the media industry and more to come. A run down on the changes.The Detroit area is stepping up to take advantage of their location. From an article in the Detroit News: "Additionally, warehouse projects in Romulus are eligible for various development incentives that wouldn't be available in other areas because Romulus is part of the private-public Detroit Region Aerotropolis Development Corp." "The incentives were crucial to convincing Kroger to place its fulfillment center in southeast Michigan, according to Romulus' mayor. “We were definitely competing hot and heavy with northern Ohio," he said."China's economy is back and US exporters are having problems finding shipping containers.

Friday, stocks were down yesterday as the election controversy continues. New jobless claims dropped another 48,000 and the CPI was up 1.2% year over year. The Bureau of Labor says there is no inflation. They are not shopping where I shop.Watch out Amazon, WalMart is coming for your lunch. WalMart is reconfiguring their distribution chain.Joe Biden is assembling his transition team and some of the members may surprise you. They do not look like his campaign.The attached article is a flash back to my comments yesterday. Elon Musk test positive for covid, Elon Musk test negative for covid, Elon Musk test positive for covid, Elon Musk test negative for covid. How does that data go into the computer??

Thursday, the big stock surge early this week appears to not have staying power. The DOW was down slightly yesterday while the S&P and the NASDAQ were up.The big news yesterday was Governor DeWine's 'threat' to shut Ohio down again. That started me thinking is the Governor working with accurate information? We know we are doing more testing and the numbers are rising or are they? I don't know the answers but I do have questions that someone should be answering.The attached article supports something we talked about months ago. That is the pandemic may prompt more multi-generational housing. That could resolve a couple of housing problems.

Good news Wednesday, stocks were up again yesterday and the DOW is closing in on the all time high set last February.But it was another day where the excitement was not shared by the other indices.Job openings were flat compared to the last report but are still above 600,000 openings.The attached article is an eye opener on two fronts, first rents for single family houses are rising quickly and second demand is strongest by people leaving the cities and working remotely.The other point of the article is the shortage of starter homes priced below $200,000. From the article: "The inventory of for-sale homes relative to the number of U.S. households is at its lowest level in decades, which has pushed prices to records in many markets. Builders have ramped up construction, but they aren’t adding much at the low-end. Just 10% of new homes sell for less than $200,000, down from nearly 45% a decade ago, according to John Burns."

Tuesday, stocks were up big yesterday but it gave up a large portion of the gains late in the day. Between politics and the Pfizer vaccine for the coronavirus the wasn't much room for other news. The DOW was up almost 1500 points at one time almost a mirror image of what happened when Trump was elected. Precious metals were hard hit as oil and interest rates rose. Mortgage rates have so far stayed low considering the 10 year Treasury has been rising.G.M. is hiring 3000 high tech employees.

Monday, stocks were down Friday but the unemployment numbers were a very bright spot.Not much business news as everyone tries to determine how a Biden Presidency (should he be confirmed) will impact their business. Keep a close eye on optimism indicators for an idea of how the economy will respond.

Friday, time to take a break from the insanity. Stocks had another good day yesterday. Investors apparently see no downside from a Biden Presidency. But some are starting to think about what could happen if Biden is able to get his tax policy implemented. People who have the money will always find a way to avoid taxes. Since Biden promised his tax increases would not apply to people making less than $400,000 you think that doesn't apply to you. You may be in for a surprise. The average person may not be as successful avoiding the tax man. The attached article gives some insight.New jobless claims were flat but job cuts dropped.Just finished reading the section of the book "The Fourth Turning" that predicts today's political chaos. Remember the book was written in the 1990's.

Thursday, stocks were up, I'm not sure if the markets like the chaos or are looking forward to gridlock in Washington. The news was good but would lead one to believe the economic expansion is slowing. Other than autos and housing earning have been disappointing.

Wednesday, the day after. Stocks were up yesterday but voting results may have caused second thoughts as futures were volatile overnight.Watching how close the voting result were last night I was reminded of Abe Lincoln's quote about a house divided. Jeffrey Gundlach gave the attached interview a few days ago which sent me to my library to find a book I read about 5 years. The book "The Fourth Turning" was written in the late 1990's and documents historical cycles. It is about both history and prophecy. I am not a dooms day theorist but I am also not stupid enough to ignore history.As we wait for the election results we can take comfort from the economic reports. Factory orders were up and motor vehicle sales were up 8.8% year over year.

Tuesday, election day, stocks soared yesterday. No fear of the election outcome in stocks and futures are up big this morning.The ISM and the PMI Manufacturing Indices were reported yesterday and the numbers were great. The ISM was the highest since August 2018 and the PMI was the highest since January 2019. New orders rose at the fastest pace since January 2004.Today is election day and the differences between the Presidential candidates could not be more different. The outcome will dictate your investment strategy.

Monday, one more day!! Stock were down Friday but a late day rally prevented what could have been a much worst decline.Will N.Y.City ever recover? The attached article may cause you to question its ability to come back. N.Y. City has lost population equivalent to Toledo's total population.The 5 stocks that have carried the S&P Index higher this year are all under public and legal pressure.In an interview the President gave a very 'fractured' description of fracking. Here is a brief description, "Fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the gas inside. Water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure which allows the gas to flow out to the head of the well."

Friday, stocks ended on the plus side yesterday after a wild ride during trading.The big news was the GDP report. It was higher than expected at 33.1% annual growth rate. Unemployment claims also dropped again.I chose the attached from CNN because it shows that no matter how good the news they put a negative spin on it.https://www.cnn.com/.../economy-gdp-jobs-covid/index.htmlChanges are coming in the retirement savings space no matter who is elected. This article highlights the risk in making long term decisions in a shifting environment.https://www.wsj.com/.../bipartisan-retirement-bill-offers...

Thursday, stocks were hammered yesterday but auto manufacturing and sales were strong. Was David Einhorn correct?Ohio to return $5 Billion to companies from the Bureau of Workers' Compensation unemployment fund. If the State has money to return they are collecting too much.Ford and FCA report sales, profit and prices are up but the stock prices dropped.It is unwise to equate economic conditions to stock prices.

Good news Wednesday but certainly not from stocks. Stocks dropped over 200 points yesterday even though the news was positive. Political concern was most likely the reason..I received a letter from a listener posing the question, which is better for stocks a democratic or republican President ?We have talked about lower travel numbers impact of airlines. What about airports?The attached article is interesting for one reason the subject identifies the top of the stock market. Is he right?

Tuesday, stocks were hammered yesterday but a partial recovery late in the day lifted them off the low.The economy continues to improve but the attached article identifies one of the largest dangers for investors. The bond market is much larger than the stock markets and has the capacity to hurt risk adverse investors.Good news locally about a new company (to Toledo) shopping for a site to build a new facility.

Monday, stock markets were mixed Friday. And that seems to be the state of the country and the economy, mixed.Guess what I learned at the auction I attended last week? "insanity is contagious".Building or remodeling a home? Don't dispose of you old appliances until the new ones arrive. That is one lesson from the attached article, the other lesson is shortages result in higher prices.GDP estimates are out Thursday, I have some predictions.Without anyone noticing (except me) 10 year Treasury rates are creeping up. Mortgage rates are priced off the 10 year Treasury.

Friday, one day closer to election day. Stocks were up yesterday but the big news was in the reports. Jobless claims, existing home sales and improving economic reports will have a much larger influence on voters than any debate.From the attached article, "New applications for unemployment benefits so far this month fell to the lowest levels since the corona virus pandemic shut many businesses in March, a sign of improvement for the U.S. economy."This article is an indication of how strong the housing market is, https://www.breitbart.com/…/flight-from-the-cities-existin…/

Thursday, stocks slipped but the market is waiting for earnings and the election. The DOW has been in a trading range since August.A view from the breakfast club. A first hand look at the local real estate market.From the article, "The report found that the recovery was proceeding on separate tracks, with the manufacturing, residential housing and banking industries reporting steady growth, while consumer spending and commercial real estate remained weak. For instance, home builders in the Dallas region said high demand had produced backlogs of work and raised prices. Workers and supplies—particularly appliances and windows—were in short supply."

Good news Wednesday, stocks up, GM investing and expanding and jobs everywhere. According to the attached WSJ article. " Home-mortgage firms, financial-service companies and tech outfits are advertising thousands of jobs". https://www.wsj.com/…/millions-of-jobs-have-been-lost-but-h…GM announced yesterday they are investing $150 million in 5 Michigan plants and $2 billion in a Tennessee plant to build electric vehicles.

Tuesday, stocks were down yesterday. While the number looks big the percentage was small.The only two stories worth talking about were both old stories with new information.The first story I posted to my page yesterday, it is about apprenticeships being the opportunity for a middle class life for young people. Unfortunately college with the associated debt and in some cases useless degrees put students behind the curve while an apprenticeship puts a young person on the road to a comfortable life. Spoiler alert, you have to be willing to work.The second worthwhile story is the housing market. The pandemic has changed opinions about city living and that is driving demand for suburban housing. Cities will face major depopulation challenges. That in turn will shift political power.

Monday, stocks were up Friday and futures are higher this morning.Remember the main stream media telling you how bad the economy is, well maybe not. Two stories one in the Blade (attached) and one on Fox News Friday sent me on a mission. What I found surprised me, new business applications are at historic highs. Here is a link to the data, https://www.census.gov/econ/bfs/data.htmlAn update on the question, did China use the corona virus as an economic weapon?And another surprise, credit scores are rising during the recession.

Friday, stocks were a non event yesterday but there was ample news on the jobs front. First time claims rose but continuing claims fell and because of California's inability to report accurately we don't know if the numbers are correct. California's claims make up 25% of the nation's claims.An article in the Blade quotes Challenger, Gray and Christmas as reporting that there are 301,000 job openings for holiday staffing. That's more than 2019 before the pandemic.The Presidential election has the potential to have a big impact of your investments but according to John Hathaway one thing you can expect no matter which candidate is elected. Quote, "Whatever the electoral outcome, the path towards monetary debasement is bipartisan."

Thursday, DOW stocks were down again yesterday but that isn't even above the fold news.Which is the bigger story, the Biden email release by the New York Post or Twitter and Facebook refusing to allow links or posting of the story?The basis of the story is political but the investment implications are enormous. My personal opinion is that Twitter and Facebook have guaranteed their regulation and most likely breakup. Watch for the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to charge them with interfering in an election. This could be 2020's version of the Watergate break-in.A question that keeps coming up is the long term viability of the US dollar. Investors should know and understand the difference between worthless and worth less. Currency crisis often accompanies political crisis.

Good news Wednesday, DOW was down slightly but the good news came from a TMACOG presentation I watched yesterday. Sometimes you can make your own luck if you take advantage of opportunities. The attached article is about the new Gordy Howe International bridge being built in Detroit. The opportunities for the Toledo area are substantial.

The DOW was up and it was a slow steady gain all day but volume was off a little.Because of the holiday news was light with most of the attention focused on the Amy Coney Barrett Senate confirmation hearings.Today starts Amazon Prime Day sale with Walmart, Target and others joining the fun.The attached article reads like fake news. If it is not it may be the only sane comments I've ever read from Schiff. What is not fake is this quote from the Orange County Register: "In raw terms of people moving (from California), the top spot for Californians is Texas, which got 86,164 Californians in 2018. Next came Arizona (68,516), Washington (55,467), Nevada (50,707), and Oregon (43,058). All told, California had the most exits among the state and that wave grew by 4% in a year."In the 1950's and 60's the migration was from the south to the north in search of jobs. Now another migration is underway for different reasons.

Monday, stocks were up Friday closing out a good week. All is quiet this morning in the futures market. Stock markets are open today but government offices, post offices and banks are closed.The attached article is an example of what can go wrong when an investor chooses the lowest cost option. Paying commissions or fees can be a bargain compared losing your entire account balance. In lower tech days I said the worst call you will ever make is a call to your advisor and getting the recording "this is no longer a working number". In today's high tech world the equivalent is "you account has been hacked".A quote from the article, " Because the wildly popular app has no emergency phone number, some said they tried in vain to intervene, only to watch helplessly as their money vanished."

Friday, stocks were up yesterday but most markets were surprisingly quiet.New jobless claims declined and continuing claims were the lowest since March.I spoke with Brian McMahon (local developer) about a new building going up at their "Land Air Industrial Park"( https://www.danberrynational.com/land-air-business-park ) near the airport. He also brought up an idea I haven't heard that has great local potential. As people become comfortable buying groceries online that process will require specialized distribution facilities.The below quote and chart show what inflation has done to the purchasing power of the dollar since 2000. Scary.“The US dollar has lost 44.2% of its purchasing power just since the year 2000.That means that the dollars you saved 20 years ago have lost almost half of their purchasing power. …. You’ve done nothing wrong, but there’s a serious leak in your financial boat.”

Thursday, stocks were up big yesterday excited about more free money from another stimulus plan.Regal Theaters is closing over 500 theaters today.People paying down credit card debt. Where is the money coming from?The sale of small airplanes is heating up, an area of the aviation industry that has been dormant for some time. Private air transportation is making a comeback.No Fred today, just Steve and me.

Good news Wednesday, it was good news for stocks until Trump tweeted at 2:30. Then not so much.Job opening declined but not as much as expected and retail sales were up.The trade deficit rose and spending on imports reached pre-pandemic levels. See the attached article. My question is this, "did China snooker us with a virus to tank our economy"? Sometimes you have to step back and look at the global picture.

Tuesday, stocks had a really good day yesterday with the DOW up over 400 points.The ISM services index shows that the services sector of the economy is expanding again.The pain from the economic damage as a result of the pandemic is not evenly distributed. It never is. In a transition there are always winners and losers.Should politics influence your choice for a financial planner or investment advisor?

Monday, the DOW closed down Friday with almost all the decline coming in the last 30 minutes of trading. After the market closed it was announced that Trump tested positive for corona virus and futures dropped over 400 points but have recovered this morning in line with the President's improved condition.The unemployment rate dropped below 8% Friday which put it at the same level as when Obama was reelected in 2012.Friday consumer sentiment rose to a 6 month high.Are you confused about the economy? You have good reason to be. This from the Wall Street Journal, an article "The U.S. Jobs Recovery is Sputtering" two articles down "Warehouse, Parcel Operators Add Thousands of Jobs Ahead of the Holidays" (article attached). Quote from the article, "“It’s just been one big spike. I think we saw maybe a 500% uptick in e-commerce business since March,” said Jeff Kaiden, chief executive of Capacity LLC, a third-party logistics provider.."