Topic: Consumer Price Index
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Valentine's Day: cost of romance rising for flower delivery, 4 other things
When you arrange for flower delivery or take a special someone out for dinner this Valentine's Day, it'll cost more than it did a year ago. That's the cold hard fact about a warmhearted and festive day, according official US inflation data.But the rising cost may actually be a relatively small one: Those chocolate or flower prices haven't been rising at gas-pump-fast rates. Here's the official inflation tally of five common Valentine's Day activities, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Stefan Karlsson How monetary inflation leads to consumer price inflation
The most important factor determining whether or not monetary inflation will mainly cause consumer price inflation or asset price inflation is simply what the early receivers of newly created money choose to do with them, Karlsson writes.
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Tax VOX Now is the time to fix Social Security
Most Social Security experts, no matter their political persuasion, know that Social Security must be redesigned, Gleckman writes. With President Obama proposing to change the way government adjusts Social Security benefits, why not redesign it now?
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Cuts to Social Security? What Obama is proposing.
In an effort to reach a bipartisan agreement to reduce federal deficits, President Obama is backing a change in the inflation formula used to calculate adjustments in Social Security benefits.
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Tax VOX How should the government measure inflation?
Republicans and many economists argue for shifting to a more accurate inflation measure, Gleckman writes, but a new report suggests that move would raise taxes by nearly as much as it would slow Social Security spending over the next decade.
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Social Security reform: What 'chained CPI' proposal by Obama means
Obama proposes revising the way Social Security benefits get adjusted each year to help retirees cope with inflation, as part of 'fiscal cliff' talks. Here's how 'chained CPI' would alter the status quo.
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Airfares on the rise: Southwest adds fee for no-shows
Southwest Airlines announced a fee on travelers who miss flights without canceling their tickets. It's one way airlines are adding new fees along with increasing ticket prices.
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Energy Voices Gas prices push consumer costs up in September
The consumer price index jumped only 0.6 percent last month, despite a 7 percent increase in gas prices. High gas prices have taken its toll on consumers this year.
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Social Security COLA to rise 1.7 percent
Social Security cost of living adjustment, one of the smallest increases in decades, takes effect in January. More than 56 million Social Security recipients will benefit.
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Annual Social Security adjustment will be a meager increase
The annual cost-of-living adjustment to Social Security recipients is expected to be between a 1 to 2 percent increase, among the lowest automatic adjustments since 1975.
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Retail sales get a boost from autos, gas prices
Retail sales rose in August because consumers paid higher gas prices and bought more cars and trucks. Retail sales at general merchandise, clothing and electronic stores fell, suggesting that consumers are becoming more selective about spending.
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South Korea unexpectedly lowers key interest rate
South Korea's central bank lowered its benchmark interest rate on Thursday in the hopes of guarding against financial crisis.
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Valentine's Day: cost of romance rising for flower delivery, 4 other things
When you arrange for flower delivery or take a special someone out for dinner this Valentine's Day, it'll cost more than it did a year ago. That's the cold hard fact about a warmhearted and festive day, according official US inflation data.But the rising cost may actually be a relatively small one: Those chocolate or flower prices haven't been rising at gas-pump-fast rates. Here's the official inflation tally of five common Valentine's Day activities, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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The Circle Bastiat Why do European central bankers sound like Austrian economists?
After attending a European Central Bank workshop on global liquidity, the author learned that European monetary economists sound surprisingly like Austrian economists.
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Minimum wage milestone: Why Washington State surpassed $9 an hour
Minimum wage laws raised the wage floor in eight states as of Jan. 1. Washington now tops all states, at $9.04 an hour. Economic effects of raising the minimum wage are in hot dispute.
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Chinese yuan will catch up to the dollar faster than we thought
China's economy is growing faster than the numbers suggest. It could overtake the United States as the world's biggest economy even more quickly than previously thought.
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Medicare premiums taketh what Social Security giveth?
Medicare premiums are slated to rise – by about $10 a month – for most recipients in 2012. These higher Medicare premiums will eat into the extra $39 a month that the average Social Security recipient is expected to get from next year's cost-of-living adjustment.
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Social Security increase reduced after Medicare premiums increase
Social Security increase less than previously thought after Medicare premiums: The anticipated 3.6 percent increase in Social Security payout next year will only amount to $29 extra per month on average after an increase of Medicare premiums.
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Social Security recipients see 3.5 percent raise
Social Security recipients have not received a raise since 2009. That is set to change in 2012, when Social Security checks will be about 3.5 percent more than the last two years.
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Annual PPI: Wholesale prices rose in September
Annual PPI – a gauge of wholesale prices – rises to 6.9 percent. But without energy and food, core annual PPI up only 2.5 percent.
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Social Security: seniors to see COLA increase in 2012
After an unprecedented two years of no cost-of-living adjustment, Social Security is poised to boost payments in January, a private group calculates. Social Security COLA will be between 3.5 and 3.7 percent.
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Why inflation numbers aren't always comparable
Many factors, including methods of calculation and the value of various consumer goods, can make the same inflation number have different meanings for different countries
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Social Security: Could a new way to measure inflation affect it?
Social Security is probably the most controversial thing that would be affected by a change in the way inflation is measured. Besides Social Security, what would be the other effects of a new measurement of inflation?
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Bond market: Despite rally, PIMCO still bearish
Bond market uptick in Treasuries doesn't lift outlook for PIMCO's El-Erian. Market is too complacent about rising inflation, he says.
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Worried about inflation, China strikes hard at Unilever
China fined Unilever more than $300,000 after the Anglo-Dutch firm said it might raise prices on toiletries and other products. The blunt response was designed to 'break ugly habits,' that distorted market prices, officials stated.
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US economy slows sharply
Growth for the first quarter stood at 1.8 percent, down from 3.1 percent in the last three months of 2010.
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