Keeping America Great, T+183 -- July 22, 2017

Recent natural gas articles (all previously posted) that need to be posted again:

• record natural gas production coming out of the Bakken oil play; so much that it is displacing Canadian natural gas
• LyondellBasell to build world's largest petrochemical plant of its kind near Houston
• MPLX is wrapping up a three-part $500 million plan to facilitate the transport of natural gas from the Marcellus and Utica plays
• US natural gas production is projected to increase to a record 53 billion cubic feet per day in August; projected gas output is expected to increase in all of the big shale basins in the US (New York state and France both ban fracking)
• despite all this natural gas production, there may not be enough for all the projects coming on line
• in less than five years, the US could produce 40% of the world's total natural gas

These articles were all posted within the last several days. The gap between the US and EU simply continues to widen when it comes to energy.

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Personal Financial Note

For whatever reason, I've been following the earnings reports from the financial institutions this quarter.  I think my interest (no pun intended) may have been piqued when AMEX ended its relationship with Costco. What were they thinking? I no longer have an AMEX card but I still shop at Costco.

I was thinking about that after another credit card company sent me a "replacement card." I did not order a "replacement card" and did not need one. But the financial institution used the opportunity to introduce new features, new loyalty rewards, and, a new chip card.

The card is pretty slick; it still doesn't have the heft of another common card but it is eye-catching. Most noticeable is the removal of the raised account number on the front of the card.

But this is what really caught my attention: no interest charges for one full year; and, if you can believe this, "cashback match" which matches dollar-for-dollar every cashback dollar I earn. Apparently at the end of the year, if I have $50 in my cashback account, the financial institute will double it.

I now have to post "stick-it" notes to my credit cards to remind me which credit card offers cashback dollars for which purchases.