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Sunday, October 10, 2021

Notes From All Over -- Part 2 -- October 10, 2021

See this post. I suggested that US gasoline demand foreshadowed the really, really surprising jobs report for September, 2021. 

Have things improved? Nope. See this. Gasoline demand is trending in the wrong direction. Demand destruction. GasBuddy data: US gasoline demand fell almost 2% to its lowest since the week of 5/30

It's the second straight weekly decline.

Interest rates: just like oil (where this is a sweet spot), there must be a sweet spot for interest rates. 

My hunch: sweet spot for US interest rates -- about four percent. 

Playing "devil's advocate," I'll even go so far as to say five percent is the sweet spot, though that might be a bit high, but looking at historical rates, it seems 5% would be just fine ... once the millennial generation "recovered" from the shock. Except as an investor in one single publicly traded bank, I have no dog in the banking industry. But, I do have a huge interest in personal whole life insurance, and like banks, life insurance companies love higher interest rates. The past few years have been really, really tough for life insurance companies but things are starting to look much better. Since I have a dog in that right, I'm more than content with a four percent interest rate which we won't see for several years, if ever.

And, yes, I am aware that those with good credit ratings will get better rates on personal loans.

How interest rate changes affect the profitability of banking (and insurance). Link here.

NFL: we're gonna see some incredible television ratings this weekend.

Broken record: I apologize, but I"m going to say it again. This is a trifecta:

  • least expensive cable service you can find, plus
  • Hulu, plus
  • Amazon fire stick

And, of course, an iPad Pro.

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