Enjoy the 36th edition of the Curious Cat Investing, Economics and Personal Finance Carnival. This carnival is different than many blog carnivals: I select posts on those topics from what I read (instead of posting those that submit to the carnival as many carnivals do). If you would like to host the carnival add a comment below.
- The Apple (Used) Premium? by Daniel Mrdjenovich – “In short, if the Apple product you desire is available refurbished, you are in luck. Refurbished Apple products seem to be a rare case of a great deal with very limited downside. If you can’t find a refurbished version of the product you are looking for, you have a more difficult dilemma. A 17% discount on a used Apple device is a nothing to sneeze at but it’s not enormous either.”
- The fiscal cliff and rationality by James Hamilton – “Although the risks are real, the rational thing to expect is that the actual fiscal contraction next year will be significantly more modest than what is implied by existing law. But the cumbersome process of getting to that outcome will once again exact its own unique toll.”
- Idle corporate cash piles up by David Cay Johnston – “newly released IRS figures show that in 2009 these companies held $4.8 trillion in liquid assets”
- Case Shiller Home Price Indexes Surge – “The real estate market news keeps getting a little bit better as Standard & Poor’s reported big increases for the Case-Shiller Home Price Indexes in May, both the 10-city and 20-city indexes rising 2.2 percent for the month on an unadjusted basis after gains of 1.3 percent in April.”
- USA Treasury Yield Fall to New Record Low by John Hunter – “The yields are corporate bonds are not good for companies that are strong. The alternatives are not great. But real assets, strong dividend stocks, strong company stocks, and short term bonds seem like better options to me in many cases.”
- The role of high salaries and wages in health care inflation – “A physician practicing in a primary care setting, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, earned an average of just over $200,000 in 2010, while specialists averaged over $355,000 (the highest of any professional category tracked). By comparison, lawyers average just over $110,000, airline pilots about $92,000… all this expense is not producing significantly better health care outcomes.”
- Top International Dividend Stocks, Time To Stay Away From A Few Countries (Spain?!) – “Today I’m posting a ranking of the top names that I follow, companies that are based elsewhere but traded on US markets (not as pink sheets), making it easy and cheap.”