Cents and Sensibility: the Inflation Guy Podcast

Ep. 44: Mailbag!

In today's podcast, the Inflation Guy opens his mail. No, really, it's more interesting than that sounds.

Ep. 43: This Month’s CPI Report: Health Care Gives Me A Headache

The inflation report this month was much more tame than economists expected, leading to a raucous rally in the markets. Seriously, they needed a break. But is this a little premature? The Inflation Guy in this episode breaks down not only the CPI - and the weird technical adjustment in health insurance that caused much confusion - but also the inflation impact of the midterm election results. Headache, indeed!

Ep. 42: Potpourri

Are you looking for a splendid collection of random inflation thoughts and snippets to brighten your day? No? Well, listen to this podcast anyway! In this episode the Inflation Guy talks about housing, money velocity, and the Fed's trajectory. It really will brighten your day. Or maybe it won't. Heck if I know.

Ep. 41: This Month’s CPI Report - Evidently, We Are NOT There Yet

The Inflation Guy has asked the question before and it was the topic of last month's CPI report: are we "there" yet? The answer, evidently, is no. Today's inflation report was another high surprise, and moreover the parts of the CPI where a wage-price spiral would show up...are becoming worrisome.

Ep. 40: Return to the Teeter-Totter - Comments on the Price System

A listener wrote in to ask about whether the analogy (Ep. 37) about price being the fulcrum between buyers and sellers in the economy has different implications when the buyers are competing on different terms. What if one guy buys all the butter? This would make the Inflation Guy sad, because he loves butter - but more deeply, the answer to the question bears on what the function of the price system is, and when it can be said to be "not working."

Ep. 39: This Month’s CPI Report - Are We There Yet?

It seems that we keep thinking that inflation has reached a peak, and that inflation pressures are on their way back down. The market seems to have gotten very confident about that fact. In this episode, the Inflation Guy asks and answers the question...are we there yet?

Ep. 38: Is Tuition Forgiveness Inflationary?

Two weeks ago, President Biden waved his hand and forgave billions of dollars of tuition debt. Predictably, many have called this super-inflationary because of the increase in the deficit it entails. Is it? The Inflation Guy may surprise you with his answer, and with his warning for Republican strategists.

Ep. 37: Bad Idea of the Year - Wage and Price Controls

Why can't policymakers take a year off from dumb ideas every now and then? In this episode, the Inflation Guy addresses the various concerning clues that Powerful People are thinking about implementing wage and price controls to address high inflation. Because, evidently, they'd rather have shortages and ration cards. This is a bad idea; it has always been a bad idea; it has never worked and never will. Let's stop it before it gets started. (Yes, this is a rant.)

Ep. 36: This Month’s CPI Report - A Sticky Situation

In the monthly CPI analysis, the Inflation Guy highlights the dichotomy from today's CPI report: all of the things that improved, and led to a surprise in core CPI, were 'supply chain', flexible things; meanwhile the sticky stuff like rents and medical care continued to be problematic. Does this help the Fed? Does it help the market? Does it help the Fed help the market? Listen to find out.

Ep. 35: Will the Inflation Reduction Act Reduce Inflation?

This is a quick 'policy brief' focusing specifically on whether the Inflation Reduction Act will actually reduce inflation or not. The overall answer is somewhat milquetoast, but the details are interesting. The big question is, why do the bill's sponsors suppose it will reduce inflation? The answer is revealing.