On Thu, 22 Apr 2021 01:18:16 -0400, wrote:

On Wed, 21 Apr 2021 20:38:55 -0500, Jim Joyce
wrote:

On Tue, 20 Apr 2021 17:34:56 -0400, wrote:

On Tue, 20 Apr 2021 15:46:52 -0500, Jim Joyce
wrote:

On Mon, 19 Apr 2021 13:27:54 -0400, wrote:

On Mon, 19 Apr 2021 14:23:50 GMT, (Scott Lurndal)
wrote:

writes:
On Sun, 18 Apr 2021 11:06:29 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote:

On Friday, April 16, 2021 at 12:06:42 PM UTC-4, Frank wrote:
On 4/16/2021 11:37 AM, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On Friday, April 16, 2021 at 9:11:45 AM UTC-5, AK wrote:
Is there any relatively safe investment that makes a better rate than a CD?

I am getting .4 %.

I don't think that is even better than the inflation rate.

Thanks.

I checked the inflation rate a few days ago. One source put it at 1.6%. It's been years
since I had money in the old government bond. EE?
You might want to look at balanced index funds. I've had some of my money in one of Vanguard's but
that particular one is closed to new investors. It has 60% of the money in stocks, 40% in bonds.
An article here about others.
https://investedwallet.com/best-vanguard-index-funds/
Consumer Reports years ago claimed it's better to get an index fund that just tracks a group of
stocks and/or bonds. Doing that cuts out the hot shot stock picker who might make a fortune one
year then go tits up the next.

Lot depends on your age and tolerance for risk.

You are not going to get any interest rates anywhere near inflation rate
and I think inflation is much higher than quoted. Government plays
games in trying to show inflation rate is low such as if price of beef
spikes then people will eat chicken so they say inflation in meat prices
did not go up.


Yet another right wing myth. At least that one won't create an insurrection.


Do you really think inflation is as low as the government says it is?

Do you have any evidence that it is not?

Just my grocery bill, the cost of energy, the cost of various
materials I buy, the cost of real estate/rents and the cost of
consumer goods, in spite of most being made by Asians or 3d world
workers. The exception is electronics but that is just because of the
technology getting smaller/cheaper. There is far less labor involved.
What used to be hundreds (thousands?) of parts soldered together by
hand is now on a chip that costs pennies to produce and is wave
soldered on a board by a robot.

In other words, no evidence.

I am not sure what the government puts in it's basket to get the CPI
but I don't seem to buy much of that.

That explains the lack of evidence. You know, they publish detailed info on
how they calculate the CPI, how they select products, the records they
keep, etc. You can look it up, or maybe this will get you started.

https://www.bls.gov/cpi/questions-and-answers.htm

I just know my grocery bills are higher, my energy bills are higher,
used car prices are higher and the rents people pay are higher. Buying
a house is a distant dream for most of them. What do you think drives
the cost of living for the majority? You millionaire democrats claim
to care about the working man but you seem to be totally out of touch
with the reality of their day to day life.

If I may... Please pull to the side of the road and disconnect the rope
that you're using to drag the goalposts around.

Now, addressing your post:
1. Your example is anecdotal. One person doing some grocery shopping in
Florida does not inflation make.

2. Use the link I gave you and learn what goes into the actual calculation.

3. I forgot my third point, but I think it was just a reminder that running
after you as you move the goalposts is exhausting.

We were talking about inflation as seen by normal folks.

No, we were talking about inflation as measured and reported by the CPI.
You kept trying to drag it into your personal housing or food shopping
situation. You're doing it again below.


They notice
the extra dime or quarter hike in a can of soup. People whine about it
everywhere, including letters to the paper. Grocery prices keep going
up, it is just true and Cindy said the same thing from Michigan. Store
brand milk was $3.52/gal here today. Fancy "milk" (low lactate, soy,
almond etc) is ~$4.50-$5.99 a half gallon. Store brand bread was
$1.89. It isn't just the nickel here and the there on various
[products you are going to buy. They don't have as much stuff on sale
and they haven't had the gas coupon for 6 weeks or so. Lots of little
stuff adds up pretty fast at the store. Rents and energy bills are up
too. At a certain point, what do working people actually buy?

As for that puff piece from BLS a few things were made pretty clear.
The computation is 3 years old the day it is published
"CPI data in 2016 and 2017 was based on data collected from the
Consumer Expenditure Surveys for 2013 and 2014"

I also question exactly what is meant by
"food and beverages, housing, apparel, transportation, medical care,
recreation, education and communication, and other goods and
services."

One thing stands out right away. Only a moron thinks medical costs
haven't gone up much more than the "CPI" would indicate. The same is
true of education. We already talked about the housing.