Also, gold/silver ratio is 81.5 today, down from 100 in April.
Looking through my spreadsheet, the average ratio of my purchases was 55.
Should I pull the trigger to trade silver for gold at 80? Or wait a bit longer to see if the ratio becomes more favorable? FWIW, I made trade a portion in 2024 when the ratio was around 82.
Should have mentioned, the webinar is more focused on small and mid-sized businesses.
Summary from the panelists:
Shocks from policies - tariffs, immigration
Concern and apprehension because policies keep changing, however, policy "pauses" have allowed small businesses to navigate
Fewer regulations is helping businesses
Job growth is significantly lower
Recession is imminent, or already underway
Slight disagreement by panelists on tariffs...
60% of tariffs is passed to consumers
20% of tariffs is absorbed by companies
15% of tariffs is absorbed by foreign manufacturers
Inflation according to government sources is 2.6%
Inflation forecasted to be 3.3% by 2026 Q1.
Construction has jobs that aren't being filled (really?)
Small business owners are being affected most by tariffs because cash flow doesn't allow for stocking up of inventory
Surprisingly small business are mostly optimistic - small business owners are generally optimistic (or else they wouldn't open their own business)
Small businesses have seen worse during 2008 financial crisis and covid.
Listening to an economics webinar hosted by UCLA, a few key take-aways
hiring is down
capex is on hold because of uncertainty
inventory levels down before Christmas season
77% of companies have passed on tariffs to consumers
domestically produced items are raising prices even if they aren't directly affected by tariffs
The word UNCERTAINTY over tariffs, interest rates, policy comes up over and over again.
Do the eye for an eye thing.
You intentionally or accidentally shoot someone? The other person is allowed to intentionally shoot you in the same spot, no more no less. If you die you die.
I asked my coworker what he did over the weekend, and he said he went to a memorial.
I told him I was sorry for his loss (thinking it was his aging FIL), but he said no, it was a memorial service for Charlie Kirk.
My coworker is a good guy and we get along as long as we don’t talk about politics. But he can’t help himself but to make things political if any conversation broaches climate change, science and the economy.
(He’s the one who said the sea level would only rise 2 inches if all the ice in the world melted.)
(The answer is actually over 200 feet, but he doesn’t believe the Antarctic ice cap is over a mile thick because scientists only said that to get grant money from the Biden administration, ignoring the fact that scientist have been saying this for years, even under non-Democratic administrations.)
I'm 51 and was asked at the grocery store if I'm 65 because I can get a 10% senior discount. I stupidly said no.
I have a head of white hair, but I also had my 10 year old son with me. They probably just thought he was my grandson.
Kinda depends on when you get to the office. If you get in at 7, then yeah, 3PM sounds about right.
I get in around 8, and am usually ready for a drink around 4PM if it wasn't so frowned upon by my boss. OTOH, Friday 3:30PM, the ice bucket is filled and the bottles come out.
My neighbor got a quote from Anderson for $85K to replace their windows. We have the same house / layout and replaced ours with shitty Simonton windows for $21K.
Went out to a country western themed restaurant for our anniversary dinner. My wife wanted me to learn how to 2-step and line dance.
It seemed like a lot of the songs had their own dance. Why?
Also, quite a few MILFs on the dance floor. No pics because wife was next to me the entire night.