Free Republic

Fear of inflation continues to weigh on the markets. In an ideal world, inflation protection can do two things: 1) preserve wealth and 2) enhance wealth.In the middle of the 1970s, during the worst bouts of inflation, many investors had no choice but to pay a high premium for inflation protection or wealth preservation, with no expectation of wealth enhancement.You don’t have to settle for that dreary trade-off. Below, I’ll steer you towards a method of inflation protection that also conveys growth. In the meantime, the U.S. equities markets finished last week in the red, with the S&P 500 down...

In another sign that higher gas prices are squeezing consumers, the government's monthly measure of inflation rose in February at the strongest pace since last April. The consumer price index jumped 0.4% last month from January, mostly because of energy prices, which increased 3.2% over the month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. Compared to a year ago, the February inflation index was up 2.9%, the same annual rate as in January.

Addressing misconceptions about the Consumer Price Index A number of longstanding myths regarding the Consumer Price Index and its methods of construction continue to circulate; this article attempts to address some of the misconceptions, with an eye toward increasing public understanding of this key economic indicator. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), has generated controversy throughout its history. A soon-to-be-published article by Marshall Reinsdorf and Jack Triplett discusses the many past reviews of the methods and data used in the CPI’s construction.1 Beginning with an advisory committee appointed by the American Statistical Association...

Wal-Mart CEO Warns Of Serious Inflation In The Coming MonthsMarch 31,2011 U.S. consumers face "serious" inflation in the months ahead for clothing, food and other products, the head of Wal-Mart's U.S. operations warned Wednesday. The world's largest retailer is working with suppliers to minimize the effect of cost increases and believes its low-cost business model will position it better than its competitors. Still, inflation is "going to be serious," Wal-Mart U.S. CEO Bill Simon said during a meeting with USA TODAY's editorial board. "We're seeing cost increases starting to come through at a pretty rapid rate." Along with steep increases...

In January of 2010--for the first time in nearly three decades--Social Security recipients did not receive a Cost Of Living Adjustment (COLA). It is being reported the COLA freeze may remain in effect for up to three years. COLA's are calculated according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The CPI is a measure which estimates the average cost of goods and services purchased by households. The U.S. Dept. of Labor calculates the CPI. Seniors and the disabled who receive Social Security benefits did not receive a COLA in 2010 because the CPI indicated there was no increase in inflation. Now,...

I'm sure many senior citizens, handicapped and those who are temporarily disabled noticed their Social Security check did not include a Cost Of Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2010. In fact, it is possible Social Security recipients will not receive a COLA for up to three years, according to reports out of Washington, D.C. This is the first year a COLA increase has not been afforded to Social Security recipients for over 30 years. For those of you who have parents or grandparents who were surprised to learn they will have to live on the same amount of money per month...

Today's gas prices are a bargain, compared to what they were nearly 25 years ago. And they're a bargain compared to other necessities, too. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average cost of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in U.S. cities was $1.41 in April 1981. Excluding federal and state gas taxes, this meant the price was $1.26. In today's dollars, that would be about $2.83 per gallon. But last month, the before-tax cost of a gallon of unleaded gasoline was just $2.29 - about 19 percent lower than that. Given that we're living under much stricter...

The Washington Times www.washingtontimes.com Measuring core inflationBy Alfred TellaPublished July 28, 2004 When the Consumer Price Index is reported every month, the media highlight two numbers: the change in the total index and the change in core prices. The traditional measure of core inflation excludes from the total the volatile components of food and energy. In June, seasonally adjusted core prices for all urban consumers rose 0.1 percent, following a 0.2 increase in May. This was widely interpreted to mean underlying inflation had cooled.     But did it? An alternative and in many respects preferred measure of core inflation says...

U.S. Dec CPI rose 0.2 pct Thursday January 15, 8:30 am ET WASHINGTON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - U.S. Labor Department monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), 1982-84 equals 100 (except where noted): . Percent Changes: Seasonally Adj. Unadjusted . Dec Nov Dec03/02 All Items 0.2 -0.2 1.9 Excluding Food/Energy 0.1 -0.1 1.1 Energy 0.2 -3.0 6.9 Food and Beverages 0.6 0.4 3.5 Food 0.6 0.4 3.6 CPI-Urban Consumers-X 184.3 184.5 X-Data unadjusted. . Percent Changes: Seasonally Adj. Unadjusted . Dec Nov Dec03/02 Housing 0.3 -0.1 2.2 Shelter 0.3 UNCH 2.2 Rent of Primary Residence 0.2 0.2 2.7 Owners' Equivalent Rent-Y 0.1...

U.S. Nov CPI fell 0.2 pct Tuesday December 16, 8:31 am ET WASHINGTON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Labor Department monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), 1982-84 equals 100 (except where noted): Percent Changes: Seasonally Adj. Unadjusted . Nov Oct Nov03/02 All Items -0.2 UNCH 1.8 Excluding Food/Energy -0.1 0.2 1.1 Energy -3.0 -3.9 6.2 Food and Beverages 0.4 0.6 3.1 Food 0.4 0.6 3.2 CPI-Urban Consumers-X 184.5 185.0 X-Data unadjusted. Percent Changes: Seasonally Adj. Unadjusted . Nov Oct Nov03/02 Housing -0.1 0.3 2.2 Shelter UNCH 0.4 2.2 Rent of Primary Residence 0.2 UNCH 2.7 Owners' Equivalent Rent-Y 0.1 0.3 2.1...

U.S. July CPI rose 0.2 pct Friday August 15, 8:32 am ET WASHINGTON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - U.S. Labor Department monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), 1982-84 equals 100 (except where noted): Percent Changes: Seasonally Adj. Unadjusted . July June July03/02 All Items 0.2 0.2 2.1 Excluding Food/Energy 0.2 UNCH 1.5 Energy 0.4 0.8 9.0 Food and Beverages 0.1 0.4 2.1 Food 0.1 0.4 2.1 CPI-Urban Consumers-X 183.9 183.7 N/A X-Data unadjusted. N/A-Not Available. Percent Changes: Seasonally Adj. Unadjusted . July June July03/02 Housing 0.2 0.1 2.6 Shelter 0.3 UNCH 2.4 Rent of Primary Residence 0.2 0.1 2.9 Owners' Equivalent Rent-Y...