The stock market is not reflecting the economic reality of what is happening today. Unemployment claims are over 10 million, the government can’t agree on a plan, and meanwhile pandemic benefits have run out, leaving millions of people in real financial danger. Real estate is booming because people are leaving cities, but what will happen to the businesses that remain if no one lives there? Homeowners can defer their mortgage payments for awhile but what about renters? Who’s going to be opening businesses that replace those that are closing? What about tourism? Universities? How long will parents be compromised because they have to home school? We ponder all these questions and more in this episode, and invite you to take a look at the far reaching and long-term implications of what this pandemic means for this country, and possibly, world.

In this episode:

• The beginning of a recession? [1:00]

• Inflation is coming [4:30]

• Unemployment benefits have dropped or gone away [8:30]

• When will jobs return? [11:00]

• Government shows its dysfunction [12:00]

• Evictions begin or owners get to defer [13:00]

• Unemployment claims finally fall under 1 million per week - this is good? [14:30]

• What is the real rate of unemployment? [16:00]

• State and local layoffs are coming [18:00]

• With regard to the virus, we have two options [19:30]

• Evictions will now begin [27:00]

• Currently peoples are helping the housing market by moving out of cities but there is an aftereffect [32:30]

• Repossessions of cars will increase [35:00]

• Consumer debt is the highest ever [37:00]

• Credit standards are tightening [39:30]

• The problem with jobs returning [42:00]

• Real interest rates on US treasuries are negative [47:00]

• More government debt to come [49:30]

• Inflation is a tax on your buying power [58:00]

If you’d like to watch on YouTube, check out our video here:

References:

The COVID-19 Eviction Crisis: an Estimated 30-40 Million People in America Are at Risk, Aspen Institute

Weekly Unemployment Claims Drop Below One Million for First Time Since March, Sarah Chaney, Wall Street Journal

To Some Investors, 10-Year Treasury Note Isn’t What It Was, Julia-Ambra Verlaine, Wall Street Journal

Federal Government Sent Workers Nearly $250 Billion in $600-a-Week Jobless Aid, Eric Morath, Wall Street Journal