Community Chat

[Qwackertoo]

On 7/31/2014 kittymomNC said:

I think it's great that it's finally pretty much proven that the economy is truly getting better, in spite of what some would like us to think. It's been getting better for a good while now, but the numbers are what counts.

However, I still have a problem with the fact that so many things go up every year, but the CPI index that's used to determine the Social Security COLA doesn't seem to include the things that go up. I've done a little research, but I haven't found out what exactly IS included. My Medicare Supplement premium goes up, my part D plan premium goes up, my homeowner's insurance, car insurance, food prices, electricity prices, etc. etc. etc. And I KNOW they went up WAY more than the 1.5% COLA increase for 2014. And how do they say there is no inflation or very little if the cost of so many things goes up?

You can tell I'm no economist, I just wish I could find answers to some of these questions.

They like to include prices of bigger ticket items that have dropped in price, and some by quite a bit over the years, tv's, computers, cell phones etc. . . . or so I've read . . . and that these drops greatly offset the increases in the real week to week products we buy and thus no COLA increase for SS recipients. True. Or. False. I don't know. But I have seen that mentioned as a variable and contributor to the low increases seen by the seniors.

So much more complicated than simple headlines. Down 2.9 last quarter, up 4 this quarter, net 1.1 for 2014. These numbers will be revised. They ALWAYS are. Break out the pom poms if you like but the invisible and impoverished are still hurting. That is IF one really cares about the poor or IF they really care about party loyalty. I say the heck with the party loyalty . . . I'm doing fine & dandy . . . although I WILL NOT LOOK at our numbers after close today . . . I know it would be BAD . . . but I do know too many are still hurting and hurting badly, old, young and in-between. And no I'm not a Debbie Downer or glass half empty . . . just real, just honest . . . so many charts, so many numbers . . . too little time . . . but IF ya wanna spin it . . . there is a chart to do just that IF you look for it.