Economy

Unexpectedly You Find Yourself in Cambodia (now what?)

/ SupremeCmdr / Leave a comment

By Villa Vie’s own estimates, monthly fuel expenses on a per cabin basis were historically around $1,800 but have now surged to up to $8,000. It now must benevolently suspend operations because “passing the full increase on to residents is not a realistic solution.” Company That Sold “Endless Cruises” Suspends Operations as Fuel Costs Spike, Kicks Residents Off Ship – https://futurism.com/future-society/endless-cruise-suddenly-ends

Passengers on the residential ship Villa Vie Odyssey were told to leave their ship with all their belongings today, according to one of its residents.They said CEO Kathy Villaba told guests in a post on an internal messaging board at 7 am that the company had been ‘unable to secure the fuel necessary to continue operations’.

She added: “As a result, the Odyssey will enter a temporary layup this afternoon, with crew remaining onboard to maintain the vessel and its essential systems. All residents must disembark by 2 pm today.” Passengers on ‘endless’ cruise reportedly ordered to leave ship after it runs out of fuel https://travelgossip.co.uk/latestnews/passengers-on-endless-cruise-reportedly-ordered-to-leave-ship-after-it-runs-out-of-fuel/

Full disclosure – I’m not a fan of cruises and the thought of spending my retirement on a boat is nauseating.

I admit, this is one hell of a way to get screwed out of your life savings.

Scary Charts 10.20.26

/ SupremeCmdr / Leave a comment

Source – https://ofdollarsanddata.com/average-net-worth-by-age/

I bet you’re wondering why I think these charts are scary.

They are scary because housing has gotten very expensive and these charts show what owning or not owning a home does to wealth creation for the average person.

Scary Charts – 10.06.26

/ SupremeCmdr / Leave a comment

The delinquency rate of office mortgages that have been securitized into commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) re-spiked in recent months and in September hit 12.2%, the second highest ever, behind only January 2026 (12.3%), and 1.5 percentage point above the worst moments of the Financial Crisis, according to data by Trepp, which tracks and analyzes CMBS.

Source: Office CMBS Delinquency Rate Re-Spikes to 12.2%, Far Worse than Financial Crisis Peak. End of Extend-and-Pretend Looms https://wolfstreet.com/2026/10/05/office-cmbs-delinquency-rate-re-spikes-to-12-2-far-worse-than-financial-crisis-peak-as-end-of-extend-and-pretend-looms/

I was thinking about how bad the US economy really is behind the curtain.

I can’t believe the number of hockey stick charts I continue to find.

Scary Charts – 09.25.26

/ SupremeCmdr / Leave a comment

De La Paz has $96 deducted from her paycheck every month for her employee lodging, which covers her bed in a dorm room she shares with up to two roommates, as well as Wi-Fi and utilities. Dorm living comes with a communal bathroom, laundry facilities, common areas and social events.

Source: She pays $96 a month to live in Yellowstone National Park: ‘Being here has changed my life’ – https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/19/living-in-yellowstone-for-96-dollars-a-month.html

I was thinking about how to stretch our finances in retirement.

This creative young woman sews for a living.

My extremely significant other has a sewing machine…

Scary Charts – 09.24.26

/ SupremeCmdr / 2 Comments

It’s as simple as this: as long-term interest rates continue moving higher, virtually every important piece of financial math gets worse, all at the same time.

The discount rate used to value stocks rises, which makes future earnings worth less today. Mortgages get more expensive. Corporate borrowing gets more expensive. Private equity deals and private credit…much of which is already FUBAR but not showing it yet…become harder to finance. Leveraged companies have to refinance debt at higher rates. Consumers pay more to borrow and the federal government pays more to service its enormous pile of debt.

Source: https://quoththeraven.substack.com/p/bonds-are-about-to-crash-the-stock?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Yikes.

Stuck in Oklahoma

/ SupremeCmdr / Leave a comment

Cost of living continues to be one of the most powerful forces shaping where Americans choose to move. In 2025, the relationship between affordability and migration was especially clear: states that offered lower everyday expenses consistently attracted more new residents on a per-capita basis. Oklahoma, Mississippi, and West Virginia rank as the three least expensive states to live in, and all three landed within the top 15 states for net migration per 10,000 residents. Their performance reinforces the idea that when housing, utilities, and daily necessities remain accessible, people are far more willing to relocate. The 2026 HireAHelper Moving Migration Report – https://www.hireahelper.com/moving-statistics/migration-report/2026/

Best Big Cities to Live in the U.S. in 2026-2027 – https://realestate.usnews.com/places/rankings/best-large-cities

Midwest City Known as ‘Niceville USA’ Leads the Nation in Homebuilding and Affordability – https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/homebuilding-affordability-des-moines-iowa-2026-report-card/

I’m stuck here.

Scary Pictures – 09.12.26

/ SupremeCmdr / Leave a comment

Source:

The consumer price index rose 3.4% last month compared with a year ago, the Labor Department said Friday, the same as in July. But on a monthly basis, inflation quickened, as costs jumped 0.4% from July to August, up from an increase of just 0.1% the previous month. U.S. inflation accelerated last month as gas prices spiked, squeezing Americans’ finances – https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/u-s-inflation-accelerated-last-month-as-gas-prices-spiked-squeezing-americans-finances

Yikes.

Scary Charts – 08.16.26

/ SupremeCmdr / 2 Comments

Drawing on a nationally representative survey of 1,591 U.S. adults ages 22–75, this research uncovers a five-year difference between when current retirees, on average, actually left the workforce (age 57) and when future retirees expect to retire (age 62), with half of those planning to retire anticipating they’ll need to delay even further. Future retirees are shifting away from traditional income sources like Social Security and pensions, planning instead to rely more heavily on personal savings and continued employment. Career interruptions remain a significant but underappreciated threat to retirement security, as half of U.S. adults have left the workforce for more than a year.

The entire study Bridging retirement expectation gaps New evidence and insights can be downloaded here:

https://www.tiaa.org/public/institute/publication/2026/bridging-the-gaps-in-retirement-expectations

Remember my earlier post The Fear Shared By Most (Not Just Another Random Thought on Retirement) describes the greatest fear in retirement is outliving your savings. And Economist Teresa Ghilarducci is of the opinion working longer is not a plan but an illusion.

Yikes.