Blue Collar Dollar Institute

Our mission is to research data, inform the public, and advocate for policy to help strengthen US manufacturing for a better tomorrow.

[Charles L. Shor Foundation @CShorFoundation]

We are excited to offer HVACR scholarships with our partner SOTI! Click the link below to learn more and apply:

https://t.co/Eox4M1UH0I

#Trades #veterans #HVAC

[Blue Collar Dollar Institute @BCDInstitute]

The Pew Report, which is known as the top institution on understanding where the middle class has gone has announced that the middle class has gone down from 61% when Nixon got to China and is now at 51%.

https://t.co/DgkIG7WqQx

[Charlie Bilello @charliebilello]

Increases over last 3 years...
CPI Medical Care: +6.3%
CPI Apparel: +10.4%
US Wages: +15.4%
CPI New Cars: +19.3%
CPI Shelter: +19.9%
CPI Used Cars: +20.3%
CPI Food at home: +20.6%
CPI Food away from home: +21.2%
CPI Gasoline: +23.8%
CPI Gas Utilities: +24.6%
CPI Electricity: +28.1%
Actual Home Prices: +31.3%
CPI Fuel Oil: +31.9%
CPI Transportation: +34.7%

[Zach Mottl @ZachMottl]

Job Quality Index Down, Manufacturing Job Growth Flat Despite 303,000 Jobs Added Nationwide - ⁦@cpa_tradereform⁩ https://t.co/E4VrwfaJDC

[The Kobeissi Letter @KobeissiLetter]

US adults now need a RECORD~$1.5 million on average to comfortably retire.

This is up 50% since 2020 and 16% higher than last year when a typical person needed $1.3 million.

Among different generations, Gen Z and millennials will require the most, at ~$1.6 million.

Why has retirement become so expensive?

Rising costs of living, longer life expectancy, and possible future Social Security benefits cuts are some reasons.

To put this in perspective, the average American has just $65,000 in savings, 22 times LESS than they need for retirement.

Are we in a retirement crisis?

[The Coalition for a Prosperous America @cpa_tradereform]

💵 ON THE MONEY ➔ According to CPA's Currency Misalignment Monitor, dollar overvaluation has moderated slightly since last December, but the greenback remains the most overvalued major currency in the world at 15.8% above equilibrium value.

https://t.co/rkOtn84ZBI

[Blue Collar Dollar Institute @BCDInstitute]

Check out this article highlighting the drop in Life Expectancy in the US and how it compares to other countries!

https://t.co/U4sdDsgPZh

[Michael Stumo @michael_stumo]

Important article by a former US Treasury economist Ken Austin demystifying Reserve Currency and helping cut thru the dumb version of nationalism which is dollar nationalism "The Many Definitions Of Reserve Currency And The Ceaseless Resulting Confusion" https://t.co/fgi0PywZgD

[Charlie Bilello @charliebilello]

The Fed keeps saying it wants to get the inflation rate back to 2%, but why is that the end goal? Why not keep monetary policy tight until the 11% additional inflation we've had since Jan 2020 above the 2% trendline is erased?

[Barchart @Barchart]

U.S. Households are now spending a record $573.4 billion on non-mortgage interest payments which for the first time in history is roughly the same as mortgage interest payments.

[Charlie Bilello @charliebilello]

The Interest Payments on US National Debt are on pace to surpass Defense in 2024 as the 3rd largest Federal Government expenditure. Only Social Security and Medicare are forecasted to be higher over the next decade.

[The Coalition for a Prosperous America @cpa_tradereform]

GOOD NEWS: The U.S. manufacturing boom, which started slowly after the implementation of tariffs on steel, aluminum, some China imports, and has been sped up by new laws favoring domestic supply chains, has had a positive impact on lower income counties nationwide.

[Blue Collar Dollar Institute @BCDInstitute]

Check this out!

https://t.co/aWMkfhPsQC

[zerohedge @zerohedge]

US Treasury confirms spending on debt interest now larger than entire Defense Budget.... and will soon surpass entire Social Security budget

[Michael Stumo @michael_stumo]

The capacity for China to overproduce anything is legion. This is especially true for big ticket items sold around the world, from cars to steel to China’s top green tech product line – solar cells and modules. @BRICbreaker https://t.co/Q3i5ezjo3I

[Blue Collar Dollar Institute @BCDInstitute]

The US imported over $5B of military weapons and goods from the rest of the world in 2022. Among the Top 10 were Türkiye (3) and China (8).

[The Coalition for a Prosperous America @cpa_tradereform]

On the economic front: The U.S. trade deficit fell by 2% in November over the previous month, with both exports and imports relatively flat ahead of the holiday season. The goods deficit remained over $1 Trillion.

📉 https://t.co/IM3unMLsFb

[Blue Collar Dollar Institute @BCDInstitute]

USA Net Imports of Iron and Steel since 2000. The reliance on foreign countries for critical materials has grown to its highest levels since 2000.

[Geiger Capital @Geiger_Capital]

10 of the last 11 job numbers revised lower.

Several prints that the market and media celebrated as “beats” were actually misses.

(Chart via @zerohedge)

[zerohedge @zerohedge]

Inside The Catastrophic Jobs Report: Record 1.5 Million Crash In Full-Time Jobs, Multiple Jobholders Soar To Record, Native Born Workers Plunge And... https://t.co/aqO7uEmVsY