CPI, bald faced lies

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Most of us have payments locked in from prior years, so for all those houses the official price change will be zero.

Sure, but we're looking for changes to the cost of living, not valuations, but then I'm one of those morons who thinks a cost of living index should just analyze cost of living, not the effects of changes to cost of living

(A couple details, you said "average payments". To be perfect, that should be "average payments on a fixed sample of houses that doesn't change month-to-month". Also, I haven't said anything about ARMS, but they just act like automatic refinancing.)

Nope, I'd show ALL of them as an average. I think theres plenty of data evident on the number and types and amounts of mortgages and rents paid. Sampling is fine as long as the samples are large and well distributed.

ARMs should be taken into consideration as well. Rising mortgage rates on an ARM = higher cost of living to the individual. Thats inflationary in terms of cost of living, just not inflationary on the dollar.

A non housing gripe on how the CPI fails as a "cost of living" adjustment can be provided by anyone on social security and medicare. They're receiving CPI based adjustments to their social security payments, and then rising medicare costs pretty much eat those up.

So they're not being adjusted for cost of living and inflation as it pertains to their cost. Health care through medicare is going up at a rate equal to the CPI all by itself, so they get nothing for the changes in food, energy, housing, etc.

Dang good thing they dont have to suffer that loss of buying power for 50 years...

 

[RockOn]

=
A non housing gripe on how the CPI fails as a "cost of living" adjustment can be provided by anyone on social security and medicare. They're receiving CPI based adjustments to their social security payments, and then rising medicare costs pretty much eat those up.

So they're not being adjusted for cost of living and inflation as it pertains to their cost. Health care through medicare is going up at a rate equal to the CPI all by itself, so they get nothing for the changes in food, energy, housing, etc.

Dang good thing they dont have to suffer that loss of buying power for 50 years...

Ditto, Ditto, and Ditto. Anyone ER'ing should beware, they have 40 years of getting hosed on COLA's ahead of them. Plug 5% for inflation in your plans instead of 3% and see what happens. Sorry I said I wouldn't comment.

 

[barbarus]

How' the price of dog food lately? I've been splurging on hamburger.

Can anybody comment on the taste of that pelletized stuff that you mix with water to get a kind of gravy?

 

[Notmuchlonger]

How' the price of dog food lately? I've been splurging on hamburger.

Can anybody comment on the taste of that pelletized stuff that you mix with water to get a kind of gravy?

Ive tried various kinds just for the hell of it. Its so damn dry even with water. That gives me an idea of maybe adding some olive oil or something to help wash it down. Dog biscuits suck too way too dry and grainy

 

[Patrick]

Ive tried various kinds just for the hell of it. Its so damn dry even with water. That gives me an idea of maybe adding some olive oil or something to help wash it down. Dog biscuits suck too way too dry and grainy

I hear the canned cat food is nice and moist.

 

[ladelfina]

Tender Vittles have a consistency that reminds me of Space Food Sticks.

 

[lswswein]

The Inflation Update

 

[Notmuchlonger]

I hear the canned cat food is nice and moist.

Only if I could afford the crackers. Like a little Pâté snack

 

[Notmuchlonger]

So CPI report was not too bad today. 4% total 2.4% excluding the usual suspects. What say you! Im not eating or using energy this month so ha!


In other news Reynolds is on sale

 

[Bestwifeever]

Thank God I turned off the heat and got my bicycle out for running errands and decided to drop 25 lbs. But the Dow is up 234 at this moment so all is well, I guess.

 

[RockOn]

So CPI report was not too bad today. 4% total 2.4% excluding the usual suspects. What say you! Im not eating or using energy this month so ha!

Just more Bald Faced lies, getting used to it. Still a joke, 2.4%

 

[OAG]

Can anyone explain the MOAA (COLA Watch) Chart to me? I thought we were 2.1% over the Sep 07 Base as of Mar 31 but MOAA say something like 1.9% and then goes on to say the Mar increase was .9% - totally confusing.

 

[ziggy29]

So CPI report was not too bad today. 4% total 2.4% excluding the usual suspects. What say you! Im not eating or using energy this month so ha!

Here's a question. If food and energy costs rise to the point where they are (say) 30% of a typical budget instead of 20%, will the CPI calculation increase the weighting of food and energy? If it doesn't, it's undercounting inflation.

And it doesn't much matter if big ticket electronic items are falling in price if most households can't buy them because they are spending all their money on food and gas...

 

[RockOn]

it's undercounting inflation.

BINGO!!