inflation

The featured speaker at Monday's Democratic luncheon will be Elliott Parker, PhD, Professor of Economics at the University of Nevada-Reno. His PowerPoint presentation will bring the current economic headlines — from ongoing labor shortages to supply chain disruptions to stubbornly high inflation rates and Fed monetary policy responses — into the context of longer-term macroeconomic trends.

A recent COUNTRY Financial survey revealed about 9 out of 10 (88%) of Americans are concerned about inflation, and rightly so. In October, annual inflation hit a 30-year high. According to the survey Americans plan to alter their spending habits and lifestyle choices and even postpone costly plans that they’ve been making.

Featured speaker at Monday's Democratic tele-luncheon will be Elliott Parker, PhD, Economics professor at the University of Nevada-Reno and Nevada's Second Gentleman.

Gov. Steve Sisolak is proposing a two-year budget that reverses cuts to Medicaid and other key K-12 programs made last summer, after financial projections left the state at what officials are calling an “inconsistent, if not positive, ending point” for tax revenue.

Once upon a time, the American Dream for older Baby Boomers was to retire at age 65. That dream was not to come true for many who had been working since high school and surviving several depressions that kept them worrying about keeping a stable roof over their head and food on the table.

The penalties for safety violations levied by the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration against employers who are not in compliance have gone up, effective Jan. 15.

As we continue to follow the rising rent prices in Northern Nevada, the U.S. Census Bureau shows that rent has risen by 19 percent within the last five years. According to this report, rent prices are passing the current inflation rate, which was 8.37 percent over the same period since 2014.

CARSON CITY — Employment in Nevada increased by 1,700 jobs over the month and is up 47,200 over the year, according to the state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation’s March 2019 economic report.

CARSON CITY — Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval issued the following statement Friday regarding the 2019-2021 budget building process and priorities:

CARSON CITY — Nevada's unemployment rate decreased by another 0.1 percentage point in August 2018 to 4.5 percent, the lowest rate seen since July 2007, according figures released Wednesday by the state's Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

Even on the busiest weekend, drive through a Lake Tahoe neighborhood and you're likely to see some houses with the lights off and curtains drawn, locked up for months at a time. Growing second home ownership has helped contribute to a shrinking inventory of available housing.

The Carson City Board of Supervisors voted Thursday to approve a request for proposals in the formation of a new franchise agreement for solid waste and recyclable materials disposal.

his is the second column based on the Controller’s Annual Report for fiscal year 2017 (FY17). Here we disclose where the state spends its money.

Total state spending for FY17 was $12.29 billion: $11.033 billion (90 percent) from regular state accounts, including pass-through federal funds; $1.211 billion (ten percent) from tuition, fees, contracts, grants and other service charges by higher education; and $46 million in two other areas. The total was 74 percent higher than in FY06, or 17 percent more in real per-person terms.

This morning, my thoughts were consumed by the idea of being the leader, the benevolent king or queen, or the alpha. The word alpha stuck in my head. I thought of the wolves and how an alpha wolf leads the pack, both from the back or the front.

It is good Congress has linked many retirement plans with inflation. Here are some of the main 2018 dollar limits. 401(K) maximum contribution increases in 2018 to $18,500. That is $500 more than it was for 2017. And if you were born before 1969 (will be age 50 by 12-31-18) the “Catch-up” contribution is an additional $6,000.

Once in a while a stock or bond you bought has big problems and becomes worthless. A security (stock or bond) that becomes worthless during the year is treated (and reported on your tax return) as if it were sold on the last day of the year.

Among the great social changes that drove economic growth in the latter half of the 20th Century was the large-scale entry of women into the labor force. With more Americans working, family lifestyles changed rapidly.

But this growth of the female labor force required families to find ways to care for their children while both parents were at work. Although some parents could rely on grandparents or others to watch their kids, that option was unavailable to many.

Nevada’s weekly wages during the third quarter of 2016 averaged $950, a gain of 10.2 percent from the previous year when weekly wages were $862, according to figures released Tuesday by the state's Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

This is the third column in a series presenting the findings and conclusions of Nevada’s 2016 Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR), posted at controller.nv.gov. Here, we address health and social services.

The figures reported in the PAFR and discussed here come from the actual numbers in the state’s official financial reports. They are not estimates, future projections or budgeted or requested amounts. Just the actual revenue numbers from state books and records.

This column is the first in a series presenting the findings and conclusions of Nevada’s 2016 Popular Annual Financial Report, which we wrote and issued (on line at controller.nv.gov) as part of the Controller’s office normal activities and duties. Here, we address state spending.

The spending figures reported in the PAFR and discussed here are taken from the actual numbers from the state’s official financial reports. They are not estimates, future projections or budgeted or requested amounts. Just the actual spending from the state books and records.

Weekly wages in Nevada averaged $874 during the second quarter of 2016, up from $854 a year ago, which equates to a gain of 2.3 percent, according to figures released Monday by the state's Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

Roads and highways play a vital role in a community's ability to function safely and efficiently. A healthy transportation system has the added benefit of encouraging economic growth and a financially strong community.

Carson City has been struggling to maintain its roadway system for decades and in numerous public meetings held this year under the auspices of the Transportation Resource Advisory Forum for Carson City (TRAFCC) it was apparent that without new sources of revenue, the community will fall only further behind on maintaining our streets in a serviceable condition.

An estate plan is not something to ignore for years. The estate plan could be getting obsolete and not reflect your current situation, goals and desires.

The only thing that is constant is change. Your estate plan may need to be adjusted for the changes. Just the passage of time will have changes in the tax law and some of the non-tax law changes by governments, regulations and court cases.

Another “sneaky” provision of the Affordable Care Act becomes effective Jan. 1, 2017. For older folks (age 65 and older), in 2017 and later years, medical expenses will be reduced as an itemized deduction by 10 percent of Adjusted Gross Income instead of only 7-1/2 percent.

A “C” corporation, one that files and pays its own tax, has a maximum tax rate today of 34 percent. That makes it profitable to move jobs and investments to other countries that have lower tax rates. The proposal the House of Representatives recently sent to the Senate proposes a new flat rate for “C” corporations of 20 percent.

During the third quarter of 2015, employment in Nevada’s firms with less than 100 employees reached a record-high at 592,000, according to figures released Friday by the state's Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. Small businesses in Nevada have now added back all of the jobs lost during the recession. The current total transcended the previous high mark of 585,000 established prior to the recession.

Weekly wages in the Silver State averaged $860 during the third quarter of 2015, compared to $840 a year ago, according to figures released Thursday from the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

Recently, we analyzed the records of the last seven presidential administrations on economic growth and income inequality. The Reagan, Clinton and Nixon/Ford administrations did best, with Bush43, Bush41 and especially Obama the worst.

But income inequality is trumped by income mobility – the ability of people to improve their lot and of one generation to do better than its parents’ generation.

In our last column, we specified the duty of elected public officials: a fiduciary duty to voters, taxpayers and the broad public interest. Not, as some people claim, to government institutions such as the system of higher education, the military or some social service agency.

The last legislative session provided for changes in the Nevada trust laws and the governor signed the bill June 10. The main goal was to change the basic estate planning trust so the ultimate beneficiaries pay less income tax.

A trust is decanted when the trustee distributes assets from the first or original trust to a new, different trust, with different terms. You can decant wine by pouring the wine from the old, original bottle to a new bottle, leaving behind any sediment in the old bottle.