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A debt payment in my mind would be going to the principal. I'm talking about the interest payment on the debt. Two totally different things. The interest payment does nothing for the economy other than it is hard cash that leaves the economy and goes to the debt holders, which are usually foreign entities. The money does not stay home and go back into the economy. Same difference as importing oil and producing it domestically....
Not really....
As of April 2024, foreign countries own approximately $7.9 trillion<1>in Treasurys â or 22.9% of total US debt.
kurtster wrote:
Two major factors have driven those payments skyward. First, the government spent trillions to support households and the economy during the pandemic, paying for it by borrowing rather than raising taxes. Second, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates starting in 2022 to fight inflation, which pushed up how much the government owes for that debt.
Although the Fed is set to gradually lower those interest rates starting next week, the pressure on the budget is likely to keep ratcheting up in the years to come.
Your suggestion is that COVID is driving the debt...which it is to some extent... but the tax cuts in 2017 are also driving it. You support the guy who wants to reduce revenues even more, but yet want to complain about the deficit. Pick a side of the fence... because right now you seem incapable of keeping your priorities straight.
I strongly disagree. The interest payment alone on the debt is now greater than the Defense Department's entire annual budget. Tell me how that has no effect on the economy ? And how it does not contribute to overall inflation ?
The Federal spending whether it’s on the military or on the debt has a positive effect on economic growth. The mechanism by which the debt will become a drag on the economy will manifest as no one wanting to hold 30 year treasury bonds. Right now that market is healthy enough. I don’t think there is any evidence there to suggest the debt is a problem (yet). No, I would not expect debt payments to affect inflation significantly. Inflation is a consequence of the money supply growing, which occurs because of the economy growing. But, the Fed has controlled inflation through monetary policy. That’s really the best way to deal with inflation. Trying to tune inflation via Federal spending is really a fool’s errand.
A debt payment in my mind would be going to the principal. I'm talking about the interest payment on the debt. Two totally different things. The interest payment does nothing for the economy other than it is hard cash that leaves the economy and goes to the debt holders, which are usually foreign entities. The money does not stay home and go back into the economy. Same difference as importing oil and producing it domestically.
How is an what is estimated this 2024 fiscal year interest payment of $1.2 Trillion benefit our economy ?
The U.S. government is on track to spend more than $1 trillion on interest payments this year, surpassing military spending for the first time in history.
Interest payments on the national debt (held by the public in the form of Treasury securities) will cost the government $1.2 trillion in the government's fiscal year ending in October, the Treasury Department said in a monthly report on the budget.1 Net interest outlays are the third costliest item in the budget behind Social Security and Medicare benefits.
Economists have grown increasingly concerned about the potential impact of those payments on the U.S. economy. Interest payments took up 2.4% of the entire U.S. gross domestic product in 2023, and The Congressional Budget Office estimates that could swell to 3.9% over the next 10 years.
Why Is The Government Paying So Much Interest?
Two major factors have driven those payments skyward. First, the government spent trillions to support households and the economy during the pandemic, paying for it by borrowing rather than raising taxes. Second, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates starting in 2022 to fight inflation, which pushed up how much the government owes for that debt.
Although the Fed is set to gradually lower those interest rates starting next week, the pressure on the budget is likely to keep ratcheting up in the years to come.
As usual (what else could be expected of completely dimmed down bulbs) you all forgot the Russia and China sanctions that keep working extremely well, not only for the "American" people...
How about, for a change, you address what I was talking about, the interest on the debt and its direct relationship to inflation and its effect on the economy overall.
Different from what you're using to change the subject ... as usual ...
But that is how you experts roll ... so I guess we're done since you have no interest in what I am talking about.
Later ...
Interesting pivot, but OK.
The deficit has an impact on inflation...but inflation is running at 2.5% right now. That's not your (our) problem.
There are definite issues with the cost of running the government and entitlement programs, but none of these issues are silos. You can address revenue and expenses separately.
As for revenue... you need more. Any suggestion that reduced taxes sparks the economy is crap. The debt you're creating by putting money in the hands of the upper-middle class and above is driving inflation. Taxing the top 20% more, with the top 2% paying a great deal more, is a necessary and reasonable change we need to implement. That won't cover the gap.
We also need to enforce a draconian revision to healthcare. Healthcare is projected to increase to 20% of GDP by 2032. That's insane. The government needs to force reforms... limits on drug costs, medical invoices, and a lack of transparency. One price whether you pay cash or have insurance. Everyone should know what everything costs before insurance pays for it. The stock values of healthcare companies should be seen as safe, not growth opportunities.
To do this, you need to invest in the government. More experts. More intelligent people. Fewer call center staff... more AI. Destroying what little competency you have in the government is a permanent and fatal mistake. It needs to be run better, and the regulation needs to have common sense. We need a large functioning government to run a large, functioning country. Corporations can not be trusted.
So I agree that the deficit adds to inflation, but inflation isn't a problem right now.
If you think the costs are supposed to go down, you're going to be unhappy regardless of who takes over in January.
If you think inflation and the deficit are a problem, picking Trump will materially expand your problems vs. Harris.
The financial hypocrisy of the Right and the abandonment of fiscal responsibilities is part of the reason I no longer support most Republican candidates. They talk about the problems and push fear, but once elected immediately grab what they can for themselves and those who donate to them, and ignore the long-term impact of their immorality.
I strongly disagree. The interest payment alone on the debt is now greater than the Defense Department's entire annual budget. Tell me how that has no effect on the economy ? And how it does not contribute to overall inflation ?
So if you’re worried about the debt and inflation … you can’t possibly support Trump’s plans for continued tax reductions and a defacto national sales tax via tariffs.
How about, for a change, you address what I was talking about, the interest on the debt and its direct relationship to inflation and its effect on the economy overall.
Different from what you're using to change the subject ... as usual ...
But that is how you experts roll ... so I guess we're done since you have no interest in what I am talking about.
I strongly disagree. The interest payment alone on the debt is now greater than the Defense Department's entire annual budget.
Tell me how that has no effect on the economy ?
And how it does not contribute to overall inflation ?
So if youâre worried about the debt and inflation ⦠you canât possibly support Trumpâs plans for continued tax reductions and a defacto national sales tax via tariffs.
There is an amazing paradox going on right now that American's appear to just want to ignore or can't understand.
Yes, things cost more, but by several measures, things are fine to good.
- The median American worker in 2024 can afford the same goods and services as in 2019, plus an additional $1,400 to spend or save per year.
- Real consumer spending continues to exceed expectations, with overall personal consumption expenditure growing by 2.9% in the second quarter of 2024.
- 72% of Americans are likely to save for retirement in 2024, up from 68% in October 2022. Additionally, 71% are likely to save more toward an emergency fund.
- Tight labor markets continue to support employment and income levels.
70%+ of Americans say they are doing OK, yet only ~30% think the country is doing OK. How is that?
Well, you have one of the two candidates and all conservative media pushing fear. Trump is running around telling everyone the world is ending, but it's not. Any suggestion that you were better when he was in office is (for the majority) wrong. Not only were you in lock down while he was creating the largest deficit in history, but had he been in office there is little chance the US would have pulled through so well from the pandemic.
Prices are high...but so are wages. Also interestingly... Americans don't believe Biden/Harris when they suggest things have worked out fairly well. They again equate prices and inflation with their own finances...ignoring that they are making a lot more.
Trumps tax-relief and tariff ideas will punish all of those who want to complain about the price of things now, while saving more than ever. He's going to drive prices sky high... while not taxing the wealthy. People are too lazy, and now appear to lack the critical thinking skills to understand how policy impacts the larger economy.
I feel your frustration, but people always judge the economy more by vibes than by data. The economy has been strong this year, inflation has fallen, and wages have been adjusted to compensate for inflation. But, surveys of how people feel about the economy show persistent pessimism among consumers. Especially given that Americans haven't had to deal with serious inflation in a few decades, i think people just have a hard time seeing how well the Fed has managed this bout of inflation.
Because the inflation of prior few years resulted in overall prices increasing over 22% since 2019, when you would typically see a 10%-15% increase.
Half the population is in a recession, increasing their debt to support further spending (real median earnings are now just back to where they were in 2019). Those are the ones who are not "confident"
The other half have seen their investments continue to rise (nearly 60% of the population own stocks, but the bottom half of earners control just 1% of all stocks).
As for the Fed, they acted way to late to start raising rates...but appear to be not taking that chance with cuts.
Oh, in addition to rising consumer debt, there is also rising gov debt...debt to GDP is now ~100%, which most economists say is not sustainable. And neither party has a plan to address that.
You would need at least 3% growth and cutting the deficit to about $500b to make a serious dent in that ratio over the next couple of decades.
So while the "gov" has supported the economy with increased spending and lower taxes, our balance sheet is in piss-poor shape.
I feel your frustration, but people always judge the economy more by vibes than by data. The economy has been strong this year, inflation has fallen, and wages have been adjusted to compensate for inflation. But, surveys of how people feel about the economy show persistent pessimism among consumers. Especially given that Americans haven't had to deal with serious inflation in a few decades, i think people just have a hard time seeing how well the Fed has managed this bout of inflation.
No, not all wages have adjusted for inflation. They finally caught up to where they needed to be for decades and inflation has eaten more than half of it.
This is not your grandaddy's inflation. This has many factors, plenty of which could not be controlled by fed rates:
A Pandemic that shut down goods and supplies for several months. Higher shipping costs due to shippers taking longer routes now to avoid war zones. Climate Change has affected how many ships can be processed through the Panama Canal due to low water.
Continued Devastation from Climate Change has increased Home Owner Insurance as much as 200% in some places. Mine, without any claim in a decade, went up 50% last year.
That's $2,200 no longer in my pocket. Naturally, rents have risen in response to these higher costs, in addition to higher costs of construction.
It's also adding to ingredient shortages for processing food, with crops dying from floods or severe drought, grains, corn, rice, vegetables, fruit and the feed for poultry and stock has naturally increased.
These are things the Fed, with all its Jackson Hole machinations, can't fix.
I feel your frustration, but people always judge the economy more by vibes than by data. The economy has been strong this year, inflation has fallen, and wages have been adjusted to compensate for inflation. But, surveys of how people feel about the economy show persistent pessimism among consumers. Especially given that Americans haven't had to deal with serious inflation in a few decades, i think people just have a hard time seeing how well the Fed has managed this bout of inflation.
How to communicate this to swing state voters who pay ZERO attention to this type of information is the key. They still think the high cost of eggs is evidence that Trump managed the economy better.
Loblawâs Great Canadian Grocery Gouge Loblawâs shareholders are laughing all the way to the bank while Canadians struggle to put food on the table. A recent consumer boycott of the grocery giant has sparked a national debate on food affordability and corporate profits.
Without getting into economics lingo I don't understand, kind of both. They have raised prices beyond merely passing increased costs on to consumers. Wages haven't kept up. So now people are diverting more of their income from other areas of the economy, like hospitality to cover their grocery costs. So by making groceries really expensive, people have to buy more groceries.
Well, if we look at Canada, from RP's link https://centreforfuturework.ca... there's a chart that shows net profit margin went from almost 2% to almost 3.5%. So on a $100 basket of goods, if we apply an overall food inflation rate of 25% from the end of 2019 to end of 2023 (basing that on US food inflation), that basket of goods went up to $125. For the grocery, they were making $2 per basket, and now are making just over $4 at 3.5%, which is about a $1.88 more than they would have if their profit margin was still 2%. So as prices went up $25, the grocers contribution to inflation was just $1.88, or 7%. I think most shoppers would hardly notice that impact.
Food at home inflation is now down to a normal 2% YOY, and falling with the possibility of disinflation in 2024. And one of the biggest reasons prices are coming down is because freight rates have normalized (this had an even bigger impact in apparel, electronics, hard goods markets where product is sourced from Asia). In fact, throughout retail we now have more value pricing (eg, promotions/price cuts). https://chainstoreguide.com/of...
I'm not arguing that food retailers didn't try to improve profits (mainly because the demand was there and they didn't need to cut prices to attract store traffic), but the press headlines about grocers gouging customers are at best misleading.
p.s., of course my profit margin example excludes any positive impact from reduced debt/interest expense, which also benefits net profit margins.
p.s.s., and its not all about higher prices or lack of price cuts that impact a margin, but also that you are able to leverage operating costs which are more fixed.
Without getting into economics lingo I don't understand, kind of both. They have raised prices beyond merely passing increased costs on to consumers. Wages haven't kept up. So now people are diverting more of their income from other areas of the economy, like hospitality to cover their grocery costs. So by making groceries really expensive, people have to buy more groceries.
So this stuff is incredibly complicated. So much so, that people who do this their entire lives can't explain/project everything.
This chart shows wage growth (blue) vs. inflation (black).
Wages have been outpacing inflation for over a year, and inflation the past year isn't unreasonable. The problem is that it's a vicious cycle that keeps spinning. People make a bit more, they buy a bit more, demand remains, and vendors increase prices because they can. The vendor takes the money, gives it to a few people, who buy shit...and it keeps going.
All in all the US economy is doing well. Considering the pandemic...it's been amazing. Inflation is now low. Wages are up. We are not in a recession. Unemployment continues to hold at all-time lows. Food prices are a noticeable pain-point for everyone, but they haven't driven consumers from the marketplace. There are signs that we may have reached the point of consumers changing behaviors. McDonald's is going to offer reduced "meal" prices in June, as sales begin to suffer from the $10+ burger meal (that used to be $5 before the pandemic). Meanwhile at "upscale" restaurants that have aggressively priced through the pandemic, earnings and sales are at all-time highs. Chipotle sales have nearly doubled since 2020, profits are high, and the stock (which is up 4X since 2020) is about to split for the first time. Seems employees are struggling to sell incredibly valuable stock options at the sizes they'd like.
The reality is that over 70% of Americans say they are doing well or fine financially. Ask those same people, and they will tell you that the country is struggling. That's a mathematical impossibility. The sentiment is primarily driven by conservative media. They want everyone to believe that things are terrible...because a large portion of the country believes that a lying, cheating, criminal, non-billpaying scammer can somehow "fix" what isn't broken.
The attachment of the economy to a President is silly... but persistent. If you look at recent history, Democrats build economies that work for the majority of Americans... Republicans take over, remove safeguards, and lower taxes under the failed "trickle down" BS that's been floating since Reagan, the Right takes credit... and things go south.
The real risk to the economy is Trump, not Biden. Neither of them can do much to improve things, but Trump's reactionary tendencies add volatility. The only thing you can be sure is that under Trump the rich will pay less, and the debt will skyrocket. If you're not sure, ask him. He has a great plan that they're going to detail in a few weeks.
I'm not familiar with Australian retailers, but some questions would be: record profits because sales continue to grow, or because they raised their margin (they capture more profit per item sold)? And what profit are we speaking of: gross profit, operating profit, EBITDA, net profit.,,,?
While many retailers did post record profit margins during the pandemic- which was a function of supply and demand, eg the demand was extremely high and supply was limited due to the disruptions and therefore there was no need to discount/markdown product prices - for most retailers, those margins have normalized (an exception being sporting goods), and many are now down below prepandemic levels, especially electronics, apparel and department stores (because demand fell off).
Taking a quick look at Coles Group on Yahoo finance, sales have continued to grow the past four years, but operating profit has fallen from a peak in 2021 and so has the margin. Now I dont know if there are 1x items that may skew the data...
Without getting into economics lingo I don't understand, kind of both. They have raised prices beyond merely passing increased costs on to consumers. Wages haven't kept up. So now people are diverting more of their income from other areas of the economy, like hospitality to cover their grocery costs. So by making groceries really expensive, people have to buy more groceries.
