Please respond to the following 3 DB posts individually in a minimum of 100 words each.
1. I chose an article on the rising interest rates in the U.S. The article states that interest rates are up 39% this year for our national debt. That is a rise from 184 billion to 659 billion this year compared to last year’s interest rates. This was caused by both an increase in our national debt and an increase in the federal reserve rates. This increase in rates is causing a divide in congress on whether or not to decrease spending or increase funding in some departments. The rise in interest rates is making it difficult for both sides of congress to come to an agreement on our national budget. The rise in interest rates has made it so that payments on interest is now the fourth largest spending area. Having this much of our budget go to paying our interest on our national debt means other areas suffer because there isn’t as much money available to spend overall.
The government expects the interest rates to go up in coming years, so they are trying to find ways to combat this. They are raising interest rates on smaller loans to try to increase their budget. Congress is expecting our interest payments to reach $1.4 trillion by 2033. As interest rates continue to soar, other programs may take cuts in order to help pay for some of these things.
These rising interest rates on our national debt have been causing congress to fight and not come up with our national budget. This is why our country has had shutdowns this year. Neither side can come up with adequate compromises to help fight this massive rise in prices. Interest rates in general are causing families to not have as much free income to spend.
2. The chapter that relates to the article I have read is chapter 7 inflation. The article title is called “Consumer Price inflation fell 3.2% last month, in welcome news for US households and Feds”.
In this article it talks about inflation increasing and decreasing within the economy. The Consumer Price Index rose 3.2% for the 12 months that ended in October, down from 3.7% in September, and clocking in at the lowest annual rate since March 2021, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Tuesday. US consumer price inflation cooled more than expected after rising for the last two months sending US stocks sharply higher and providing a touch more solace to Americans who have dealt with painfully high prices the past two years.
In October the energy prices, shelter prices, food prices and rental prices have increased three percent and went down six percent in September. Annual inflation across the categories went further and it is now at levels the economy has never seen before. The core inflation is encouraging developments for the Federal Reserve which is monetary tightening and rate hiking to slow demand and cool inflation. Inflation in recreation categories slowed to 0.1% for the month, down from 0.4% in September. On an annual basis, those prices are now up 3.2%, which is the lowest since November 2021.
When reading this article Inflation plays a big role in the economy because of food, housing, gas prices going up. People are having a hard time paying their bills and putting food on the table for the families due to inflation. More people are going hungry because the cost of living has increase while national minimum wage has stayed the same. People are struggling to keep up with prices due to this issue. Producers are using sneaking packaging to reduce quantity of food while inflation is causing prices of food to increase causing people to go hungry. People are paying more for less of a product because of this.
Also with the housing market going up as well it makes it harder for people to find a place to live because the cost for housing went up and it is not for what the house is worth. With gas prices going up it makes it hard for people to get to work. Cars are already expensive and now gas being expensive it makes it harder for people to have reliable transportation. I have been seeing that gas is fluctuating. One day it will be $3.89 and the next it would be $2.89.
Over inflation has affect the economy so bad so when I was reading this article and know that it is making some progress makes me happy, but it does not make me happy when everything rises due to inflation. I really like how they put valid key points in explaining on how much food, Gas, shelter went up over the past years. I am hoping that inflation will decrease so that it can be less stressful.
3. I chose to write my review on the article “More Peas Please” written by Howard Schneider. I chose this article because Thanksgiving is in a few days, and I thought it was not only interesting but also because it is likely affecting most Americans this week. I also chose this article because it pertains to the subject of inflation as we covered in chapter seven of our assigned text. According to the International Monetary Fund or the IMF Inflation is defined as the rate of increase in prices over a given period of time.
The article states that the cost of Thanksgiving meals in the United States is expected to be lower this year, which is surprising given the recent history of inflation in the country. In the article, they quote a statistic from The American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual survey of holiday food prices. This survey displayed that for a party of ten people, it will actually be 4.5% less expensive for a Thanksgiving dinner this year in 2023 than last year in 2022.
The main reason for the anticipated decrease in costs is because of a decline in prices for the most purchased Thanksgiving meal items. According to the report they analyzed 11 key ingredients for the Thanksgiving meal and revealed that seven of these items have seen price declines. Notably, the centerpiece and most important part of any Thanksgiving meal, a 16-pound turkey, is down 5.6% to $27.35 compared to the same time in 2022. This adds to the overall affordability of the traditional Thanksgiving feast. The article suggests that this may come as a welcome relief for consumers.
Other potential factors in the article that could be affecting them include good weather conditions for agricultural production. Which leads to a greater yield for the farmers. This increases the food supply and in turn, shifts consumer demand affecting pricing for those items.
It is important to point out, however, that in the article they discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic is still affecting the overall price compared to pre-pandemic. Specifically, Resnick points out that while this year’s total bill of $61.17 is lower than the previous year, it remains about 25% higher than the cost in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The article explains that the changes in Thanksgiving meal prices copy other economic trends, specifically the impact of the pandemic on the “price level.” After remaining pretty stable from 2011 to 2019, prices shot up in 2021 and set a record in 2022 due to supply chain disruptions and a turkey supply shortage. On a positive note, however, the article states, the speed of the change in prices is expected to be slower going forward, with supply chain issues largely resolved.
The article wraps it up by noting that the Thanksgiving holiday starts the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, and retailers may offer big discounts because of the possible slowing of consumer demand and economic growth. Additionally, the Farm Bureau predicts that turkey prices may decrease even more leading up to Thanksgiving. However, it does highlight that the cost of watching football games on streaming services has increased by about 5% this year. So that is disappointing for all the football fans out there but given that Thanksgiving is such a significant event in the United States, any news about reduced costs for the actual feast is likely to make most of us happy this year. I know I am.
Place this order or similar order and get an amazing discount. USE Discount code “GET20” for 20% discount