#US #healthcare #expensive #JAMA The Big Q: Why do Americans get less bang for their Bucks The Big A: The pressure on the huge US healthcare system has never been greater. There is an urgent need to expand testing and treatment for C-19 to all residents who need it, regardless of health insurance status. Plus: […]
#gold #rally #Bulls $XAU $GLD $USD Gold sliced through the powerful psych mark at 2,000 like ‘a hot knife through butter‘ The move has some fearing a deep correction, but many my work shows more gains as investors buy into the precious Yellow metal’s safety. The record-breaking rally, which lifted gold as high as 2,055 […]
#gold #silver #dollar #rally #safehaven #insurance #recovery #demand $XAU $GLD $XAG $SLV $USD Wednesday, Gold rose to a 9-yr high as an escalation in US-China tensions fueled demand for safety, while silver followed bullion’s rally to hit a near 7 yr high on expectations of a recovery in industrial demand. Spot gold hit its highest […]
#investors #stocks #earnings #bonds #gold #Fed $SPY $GLD $XAU The S&P 500 (NYSEARCA:SPY) is selling for 28X earnings. That is above the 25-yr MA of 25 but implies an equivalent interest rate of 3.6%. The 10-yr Treasury yield is less than 0.7%, and the Fed is committed to keeping rates low. Stocks outperform bonds by a wide margin […]
$CB $TVR In any case this emergency health chaos will trigger the largest single loss in insurance history. UBS estimates industry insured losses for non-US business interruption total $7 to 22-B. In the US, monthly small business losses are seen at between so far at $431, according to the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, rendering […]
$DIA $SPY $QQQ $RUTX $VXX Black Swans in financial markets are extreme rare events. And how you survive and thrive when 1 happens is Key. With that in mind let’s look at some Black Swan mitigation strategies, as follows: In Nassim Taleb’s “Black Swan” (required reading) he suggests that he is constantly taking small losses […]
About 50% of all opioid doses and more than 25% of all opioid prescriptions in the United States come from 1% of healthcare providers, a new study says. The authors said this suggests that efforts to reduce overuse of prescription opioid painkillers should not focus on strict limits for all doctors but on a small […]
In a January 2020 article in The Atlantic, “researchers … say opioid addiction looks like the result of a perfect storm of poverty, trauma, availability and pain.” Commenting on some of the research cited in that article, David Powell, senior economist at Rand, told The Atlantic that to produce the most lethal drug epidemic America has […]
Travelers need to find the line between exploring boldly and hiding in a tourist bubble. Instead of scaring you to death with horror stories or emboldening you to behave recklessly, we are here to simply provide the travel safety tips you should always follow if you are a US citizen, they are important and they […]
Simon Calder debunks the myths and sets the record straight on how travelling to Europe after BREXIT will really change. This article will be upgraded as required… We’re all in the departure lounge – we just don’t know where we’re going. The Leave decision in the EU referendum campaign, the battle about the Draft Withdrawal […]
Friday, President Trump signed a Proclamation suspending entry of immigrants who will not be covered by health insurance within 30 days of entering the United States or do not have the means to pay for their healthcare costs themselves. The Proclamation, issued by the White House, said it would not affect any individual’s eligibility for […]
The Census bureau said on Tuesday that the median US household income was $63,179 in 2018, up from the $62,626 registered in Y 2017. The data reflect a year in which U economic growth was boosted by Trump’s tax overhaul and a rise in government spending. The unemployment rate fell to 3.9% by the end of Y […]
US adults with diabetes are no more likely to meet disease control targets than they were in Y 2005, a new study finds. Typically, diabetes treatment focuses on controlling blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as no smoking. For the study, Massachusetts General Hospital researchers analyzed data on diabetes care in the […]
$XAU, $XAG Special Report: Gold, How To… With gold prices up about 20% YTD signs of a global growth slowdown and geopolitical tensions, precious metals are getting a close look from investors seeking insurance for their individual retirement accounts. That is real, physical gold and silver coins or bars, not the precious-metals ETF’s or mining-company […]
Leading online boat rental marketplace, Boatsetter, today announced a $10 million investment led by WestCap Group and Valor Equity as an extension of its Series A financing round. The raise further solidifies Boatsetter’s position as the dominant player in the $50 billion peer-to-peer boat rental industry, with no other marketplace offering insurance coverage for renters, boat owners, and captains. Boatsetter […]
$SPY Last week, Federal Reserve Chairman Powell cut U.S. interest rates calling the move an insurance policy against the effects of “simmering” trade tensions, may need to buy more coverage after the United States late Monday designated China a currency manipulator. The move by US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin starts a formal process to address […]
More and more travelers are returning home missing something of significance, according to a national survey on traveling with jewelry conducted by Jewelers Mutual Insurance Group. The survey found that since 2015, the number of people reporting fine jewelry being lost or stolen while traveling has doubled. According to the study, 20 percent of people […]
$GS, $CME Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) economists said they are skeptical of “insurance” US interest rate decreases from the Fed to forestall possible slowing in US economic growth due to global trade tensions. A surprise escalation in trade tensions between Washington and Beijing since May, together with low inflation, have spurred bets among traders the Fed […]
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) recommends that pet owners prepare now for the potential for catastrophic flooding and make sure they have a safe place to take their furry friends in case of emergency. “It’s a tragedy we’ve seen too many times: pets stuck in shelters, or worse, because their owners had no […]
$XAU, $GLD, $USD Mr. Market started seriously pricing in the possibility of interest rate cuts. To be fair, the signal came from the Top of the economic politburo that matters that being the Federal Reserve. Speaking at an event at the Chicago Fed last Tuesday, Chairman Jerome Powell hinted that the Fed would likely cut […]
$DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX, $BAC, FLASH: Global investors’ equity allocations fell 6% in May and 34 % of fund managers have taken out protection against sharp stock market declines in coming months, Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s (NYSE:BAC) latest monthly survey found Tuesday. The proportion of investors preparing for equity falls is the highest […]
$DIS, $QCOM, $AAPL, $INTC, $KMI, $NWL, $XAU We have been see over the past weeks stocks moving back to their all-time highs marked in September 2018. And are seeing the drive further North from here. A few blue chips have been surging in the past week, and are far higher than they were back in […]
Here are some of our best tips for a smooth traveling abroad, as follows: 1. Pack a Complete Outfit in Your Carry On If you do plan on checking your bags, be sure to pack complete outfit in your carry on in case your baggage is delayed. This way, you will have a spare set […]
$GLD, $USD Some economists who favor the ‘dollar/gold price’ seem to be blind to the rise in financial power of the precious Yellow metal. We believe that real inflation will become a better gauge to see how well this metric is doing. Using USD’s strength to measure net worth in the US could give 1 the impression that […]
Options Traders Setup for More Volatile Market Action $VXX, $CBOE, $SPY For the 2nd time this year, volatility has come back into the markets, and traders in the stock options market are betting ongoing market gyrations are not about to let up any time soon. People are betting action could come from either direction. This […]
Hurricane Florence Will Distort Economic Data, Expect Little Harm $HD, $LOW The coming economic impact of Hurricane Florence is unlikely to be large but will likely muddle US data for months, judging from past experience. Last year, Hurricanes Harvey and Irma constrained activity in Q-3 of Y 2017 and sparked rebuilding later in the year […]
Iran Deal was Fatally Flawed, the Reinstatement of Sanctions is in Order The United States should never have entered into the international nuclear deal with Iran, and President Donald Trump is right to choose a stronger stance against the country’s regime, Representative Lee Zeldin (R-NY) said Tuesday. “I think it is outstanding,” the New York Republican […]
Ferrari (NYSE:RACE): Insuring These Classic & Vintage Sports and Racing Cars $RACE, $AIG, $CB AIG’s goal: insure all of 39 of the Ferrari 250 GTO’s Ferrari (NYSE:RACE) built 39 250 GTOs in the early 1960’s, selling them to select buyers for about $18,000 a copy. Today, the racer is the most expensive and collectible car […]
Some Summer Fun Activities can Invalidate Your Life Insurance Whether your children are out of school or you just want a break from work, the Summer is a popular time for vacations in sunny destinations, such as Hawaii and Florida. But if you are the type of person who regularly likes to spice up travel […]
Cryptocurrencies Shaping Future of Business $BTCUSD, $CBOE, $CME When it comes to cryptocurrencies, their role is not rising, it has risen. Bitcoin 1st launched in Y 2009, and it was followed 4 years later by its primary competition, Ethereum. These 2 competitors are joined by dozens of other cryptocurrencies to create a comprehensive ecosystem that […]
President Trump’s Tax Reform Deals Massive Blow to Barack Obamacare Barack Obamacare is going to collapse. The ex-president’s legacy is being shredded into oblivion. Socialized medicine suffered an extreme setback. Our President’s sweeping tax reform bill that passed the US Senate early Saturday contains the GOP’s biggest blow yet to former President Barack Hussein Obama’s […]
President Trump Signs Executive Order on Healthcare Thursday, President Donald Trump directed his administration to rewrite some federal insurance rules as a beginning of renewed efforts to shred Barack Obamacare. “With these actions, we are moving toward lower costs and more options in the heathcare market,” Trump said before signing his directive in the Oval […]
Barack Obamacare is Headed for the Oval Office Shredder President Donald Trump is the 1st Pro-Life American President in decades Tuesday, President Donald Trump said he will use the “Power of the Pen” to give “great Healthcare to many people — FAST” because Congress has failed to repeal and replace Barack Obamacare. In his message, […]
Harvey on Track to be the Most Expensive Storm in US History Harvey might be one of the most expensive natural disasters in the history of the United States, but putting an exact monetary figure on the storm that has lingered over Texas for days is proving to be difficult. There are 2 financial measurements […]
More Flooding Ahead for Texas, Losses Mounting $USO, $UNG, $UGA The flood waters deepen in Houston, the Hub of the US Crude Oil industry. As floods inundated the nation’s 4th-largest city Monday, with an estimated 20 ins of rain still to come, predictions of damage ranged as high as $100-B. Wall Street and Washington braced […]
US Market’s Finished Flat to Unchanged, Harvey the Focus $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX The S&P 500 and DJIA finished flat to unchanged Monday, with energy and bank shares lower as Tropical Storm Harvey crippled the US energy hub in Texas. Harvey, the most powerful hurricane to strike the US state in more than 50 years […]
Gold is an “All Weather Investment” $GLD The Big Q: What do savvy Wall Street traders see in physical Gold, and why are they adamant about holding it? The former head of ETF Trading at Lehman Brothers said he discovered Gold in Y 2005 when the launch of the SPDR Gold Shares ETF (NYSEArca:GLD) drew his attention […]
id IAG perform worse than its track record and industry? To limit the impact of variance in annual earnings, I deploy IAG’s best fit version of its past five-year average earnings growth. In the case of IAG, its trailing 12 month EPS decline of -2.95% is a below par performance when compared to the five-year […]
Keeping an eye on Moving Averages, the 50-day is 10.49, the 200-day is at 9.20, and the 7-day is 11.40 for Suncorp Group Ltd (SNMCY). Moving averages have the ability to be used as a powerful indicator for technical stock analysis. Following multiple time frames using moving averages can help investors figure out where the […]
QBE Insurance Group said on Tuesday it was unaware of the impact of losses in its emerging markets division on overall profitability during its annual meeting in early May. It was not until a board meeting on 21 June 2017 that the financial condition of each of its global divisions, including the emerging markets division, had […]
Why are its shares higher? This morning Insurance Australia advised that it has completed its preliminary review of prior period reserve releases for the financial year ended 30 June 2017. Pleasingly, the review indicates an outcome equivalent to at least 5% of net earned premium (NEP). Previous guidance provided by the insurer was for at […]
Happy 100th Birthday, Your Life Insurance is Canceled! $AEG As more Americans live past 100 anni, they are confronting a disappointing realization: their permanent life insurance gets canceled. The age limit was not a problem when few people lived past 100, but the US population of Centenarians has grown in the past 30 years with […]
Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX:SUN) HEFFX Highlights Shares of Suncorp Group Ltd (SUN.AX) are heading in a near-term positive direction as the most recent close of the company has stayed above the Balance Step. The Balance Step reading takes into account the last 5 balance points of the weekly period plotted in step formation on a […]
Think Portfolio Insurance When Buying Gold in Here $GLD, $USD Gold (NYSEArca:GLD) is ranged within 1,190 and 1250 oz short term as the metal tracks US real interest rates. “We’re not saying we have a Bullish bias; we’re not saying we have a bearish bias,” siad executive director for commodities and foreign exchange at UBS […]
Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX:IAG) Covers Methamphetamine Claims Analysts covering IAG are expecting a 47% increase in earnings in the three year’s time. This would see the EPS rise to $0.37 levels which would no doubt please investors who are used to an average of $0.35 over the past few years. Insurance Australia Group has […]
America First, the Rebirth of Hope and Opportunity Over the last 37 years that I have been analyzing and commenting on politics in the US, traditional politicians have failed to put America First. Our factories have been shut down, our steel mills slowed, and our jobs were stolen and shipped overseas. Our government sent troops […]
Gold Is Crisis Insurance $GLD Gold is known as an inflation hedge, but its role as a crisis hedge is even more important. Gold is anti-fragile, to use the term coined by risk analyst and bestselling author Nassim Taleb. When currencies collapse and economies falter, Gold can ensure your survival, financially and literally. Below are […]
Secretary Price on CBO report on Repeal of Barack Obamacare, “Just Not Believable” Price says he believes the Republican plan will insure more people than those currently insured. The US Congressional Budget Office (COB) said Monday in a report that fourteen million Americans would lose medical insurance by next year. The eagerly awaited CBO report […]
Barack Obamacare Repeal Saves $337-B in Budget The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its analysis of the new legislation to repeal and replace Barack Obamacare Monday afternoon, including findings that the law leave millions of people uninsured compared to the current ACA law. The CBO report finds that under the American Health Care Act (AHCA) […]
Antehm Inc’s (NYSE:ANTM) CEO Endorses “TrumpCare” $ANTM, $CI The CEO of the nation’s 2nd-largest health insurance company has endorsed a plan by House Republicans to repeal and replace Barack Obamacare urging legislators to move “as quickly as possible” because the “time to act is now.” Joseph Swedish, CEOof Anthem Inc.(NYSE: ), said in a […]
Barack Obamacare Scuttled, House Panel OK’s GOP Health Bill House Republicans scored a pre-dawn triumph Thursday in their effort to scuttle former President Barack Hussein-Obama’s healthcare overhaul. After 18 hours of debate and majority party-line votes, Republicans pushed legislation through the Ways and Means Committee abolishing the tax penalty Obamacare’s statute imposes on people who […]
The Volatility (VIX) Index and What it Means to Investors $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX, $GLD The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index (VIX) usually moves opposite to the stock market, meaning when stocks are up, the VIX is down, and vice versa. But lately, even though the S&P 500 is on the rise, the VIX […]
Barack Obamacare 2017 Enrollment Goal Will Not Be Met Thursday, the Trump Administration said Thursday is pulling back advertising to promote HealthCare.gov as open enrollment draws to a close for this year. The Health and Human Services Department (HHS) said in a statement that the government has pulled back about $5% in ads as part […]
Judge Andrew Napolitano, “Democrats are no longer laughing at Trump” President Donald Trump has committed the most revolutionary act I’ve seen in 45 years Within four hours of becoming president of the United States, Donald Trump signed an executive order intended to limit immediately the effects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act […]
Donald Trump, “We are going to have insurance for everybody” Donald Trump on Saturday told the Washington Post that his healthcare plan will have “lower numbers, much lower deductibles,” and, “insurance for everybody.” “We are going to have insurance for everybody,” President Elect Trump said. “There was a philosophy in some circles that if you can’t […]
Insurer’s Catastrophic Losses Exceeded $175-B in 2016 A leading insurer reports that last year saw the highest costs from natural disasters since Y 2012, with 2 earthquakes in Japan in April accounting for the heaviest losses. Munich Re (FWB:MUV2) said in an annual survey Wednesday that losses from natural disasters totaled $175 billion last year, some […]
Barack Obamacare in “Death Spiral” US House Speaker Paul Ryan said President Barack Hussein Obama’s healthcare law is entering its final stages, it is doomed. “You have to remember this law is getting much worse. It is what actuaries say, ‘Entering a death spiral.’ High, high premiums increase, high deductibles, no choices. We have to […]
Consumers Decline Obamacare, Future Uncertain for His Affordable Care Act The Obama Administration has said millions of people have gained coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) aka Barack Obamacare, but an estimated 28-M Americans are uninsured. And preliminary data shows that about 5.6-M paid a tax penalty rather than buy health insurance in Y […]
Barack Obamacare, the Theft of Middle Class “Wealth” $CI Barack Obamacare may have brought health insurance to millions of people in the US, many in the program finding that the medical care they need is too expensive to actually use. Many people with Barack Obamacare have plans that feature high out-of-pocket up front costs that […]
Hillary Clinton Champion’s the “Opium” We Call the Welfare State Hillary Clinton is uninterested in breaking the chains of dependency between struggling low, middle income voters and Democratic politicians who Champion the Opium we call the welfare state. Hillary Clinton has made addressing inequality a central theme of her campaign, but the remedies she proposes […]
Hillary Clinton, Unfit for Public Office An exposé of the most unfit and undeserving person in history to seek the Presidency of the USANever in the history of the United States of America has anyone as unfit and undeserving as Hillary Clinton run for President. While she stands on the threshold of being elected to […]
Home Ownership is Out of Reach for Majority of Californians Less than 33% of California residents earn enough money to afford the cost of a Golden State home. Lower interest rates failed to offset strong seasonal price increases, making it harder for Californians to purchase a home in Q-2 of Y 2016, the California Association […]
Pet Healthcare is Costly, and Rising The American Pet Products Association estimates that US pet expenditures hit $60.59-B last year, up from $58.04-B in Y 2014. A substantial portion of those costs are for Vet care ($15.73-B) and medicine ($14.39-B). That breaks down to an average of $235 on routine Vet visits for dog owners […]
The Rush to Gold and What it Means $GLD, $SLV Econominst Nasser Saidi PhD discusses the fluctuating fortunes of Gold and what the future is for the precious Yellow metal Gold prices had been on the decline since rallying strongly after the financial crisis and peaking above the 1,800-mark in Y 2012. But after touching […]
Marijuana Is Creating ‘Headaches’ for People in Legal US Businesses The legalization of marijuana in the US is creating headaches not just for new marijuana businesses. Such businesses have trouble paying taxes and getting bank accounts, and there are also problems for people who work in the growing industry, as well as for those who […]
FEMA Flood Insurance Expert to Answer Property Owners Questions If you are among the many Staten Islanders (NYC) who have questions about your home’s flood insurance policy, you can get those questions answered at a forum of experts on Thursday, 30 June Rep. Daniel Donovan is hosting the event in conjunction with Council Minority Leader […]
The Common Exclusions in Homeowner’s Insurance American homeowners are often surprised to learn that earthquakes, flooding, and a sump pump malfunction are not covered by their homeowner insurance policy. Earthquakes, unexpected deductibles, and flooding are just a few of the costs your homeowners policy may not cover. But if you are like most Americans, you […]
Brushfires in South Australia Described as Horrific Catastrophe Last November an emotional South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill described the brushfires burning North of Adelaide as “horrific,” survivors told of traumatic experiences. With two people confirmed dead and 16 hospitalized with injuries, Mr. Weatherill said the situation was “hard to get in touch with”. “It’s an […]
Australia’s East Coast Battered by Deadly Storms and Flooding Australian insurance companies exposed to deadly storms that struck the east coast at the weekend. It is just Monday, and so far, insurance companies have received more than 11,000 claims with estimated insured losses of $38-M. There was more severe damage on Sydney’s northern beaches, some […]
Torrential Rains, Heavy Flash Flooding in Central US LLoyds of London calls for end to US home building in High Risk areas Torrential rains caused heavy flash flooding in some parts of the US over the last few days, and led to numerous evacuations in southeast Texas, and Kansas. But the threat of severe weather […]
The Common Problems Homeowner’s Insurance Does Not Cover Most home buyers are prepared to sign up for homeowner’s insurance, but they often overestimate their coverage. There are a number of unexpected events homeowner’s insurance does not cover, and in case of an emergency, you do not want to be caught off guard. Below are some […]
The Effects of Natural Disasters in Australia and Worldwide Total financial losses from natural disasters worldwide in Y 2015 amounted to $100-B, with insured losses at $30-B. The Y 2009 Black Saturday wildfires in the State of Victoria that broke out on 7 February that year rank among Australia’s worst natural disasters. 173 people were […]
US Vets Facing Long Waits for Healthcare, Suicides Up Many US military Vets put off getting the medical care they need largely because of long wait times in the troubled Veterans Administration (VA) healthcare system, a new study shows. The findings, by Dr. Doohee Lee of Marshall University and Dr. Charles Begley of the University […]