In my younger years, car loans were for 1, 2 or 3 years. Then they went up to 4 or 5 years, to hook people into buying something more expensive than they could really afford. People would trade them in every 3 years, but then they'd end up owing more than the trade-in value.
Enter car leasing. What a joke. You basically pay rent on that car for 3 years, then if you want to keep it, you have a nice balloon payment. But... but... you get more car for your money. Not quite.
About the same time, the real estate speculators appeared. You know, those pirates that call and mail you with offers to buy your house — as is —cash now. No hassles of cleaning, fixing up or showing to prospective buyers. Sure. That's when the housing inflation started.
Along came the pandemic. Shipping stalled, creating shortages. Fewer truckers were around to transport goods making the shortages worse. Supply and demand = higher prices. Unfortunately, when the shortages disappeared, prices did not go back down. Corporate bigwigs saw bigger profits and stock dividends and showed their greed.
Why are drugs so much more expensive here than in other countries? Don't give me the development cost BS. Look at the Big Pharma profit margin, friends.
I was taught in my youth to follow the money trail. It still applies, but most people just accept the BS slung by politicians, while the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
