Making A List And Checking It Twice

I'm Making a List and Checking It Twice

I read an interesting article in TIME Magazine by Joel Waldfogel, the author of Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn't Buy Presents for the Holidays.

It is estimated that Americans spend $70 billion a year on presents most people do not want. Take, for example, all of the "As Seen On TV" gadgets, fruit cakes, and Christmas sweaters lining store shelves this time of year. These items are placed strategically in the front of the store, tempting consumers to pick one up for the hard-to-buy-for person on their shopping list.

According to Waldfogel's theory, the holidays are a $25 million loss to society. We waste our wealth on purchasing gifts for our 2nd tier family and friends, the ones we see only once in a while and for whom we have no idea what to buy. Our gift giving should pertain only to the people we know very well, our immediate family and closest friends. The money we spend on gifts people don't want could be used to support a charity, pay down consumer debt, or save a bank.

If you get time, be sure to read Waldfogel's article or visit his website to learn about how Christmas spending has actually declined since the 1920s.

I am off to finish my shopping and spread the wealth. Happy Holidays from all of us at Relocation Insurance Group!

Tell us about your holiday shopping trends on our blog. Did your budget increase this year? Have some long-distance relatives been dropped from your shopping list? What is on your wish list?

PNC Holiday Price Index

True Loves Be Warned: Despite Weak Economic Picture PNC Christmas Price Index^® Jumps a Staggering 9.2%

Costs for "The Twelve Days of Christmas" Song Items Spike Due To Price Increases for Commodities, Performers and Birds

PITTSBURGH, Nov. 29, 2010 – Despite a sluggish economy and low inflation, the 2010 PNC Christmas Price Index^® surged 9.2 percent in the whimsical economic analysis by PNC Wealth Management based on the gifts in the holiday classic, "The Twelve Days of Christmas."
According to the 27^th annual survey, the price tag for the PNC CPI is $23,439 in 2010, $1,974 more than last year. This is the second highest jump ever and largest percentage increase since 2003 when the index rose 16 percent. That comes on the heels of a modest 1.8 percent increase a year ago.
"This year's jump in the PNC CPI can be attributed to rising gold commodity prices, represented by the Five Gold Rings which went up by 30 percent, in addition to higher costs for wages and benefits impacting some entertainers," said James Dunigan, managing executive of investments for PNC Wealth Management.
Although these trends affect both indexes, the PNC CPI's surge is in marked contrast to the government's CPI, which grew a mere 1.1 percent, illustrating the difference in size of the two baskets of goods and services.
Among the 12 gifts in the PNC CPI, only four items (Pear Tree, Four Calling Birds, Six Geese a–Laying and the Eight Maids-a-Milking) were the same price from last year.
The 11 Pipers Piping ($2,356) and 12 Drummers Drumming ($2,552) saw modest increases, both up 3.1 percent, however these higher costs give greater weight to the index. Lords-a-Leaping jumped 8 percent to $4,766 but the biggest dollar increase this year was for the Nine Ladies Dancing, up $820, a 15 percent boost. None of these performers received a wage increase last year, and were playing catch-up in 2010.

Birds Soar Higher

After modest increases last year, prices for the birds flew higher in this year's index, in part due to the costs of feed as well as the availability and demand for certain feathered friends that amplified several prices. The Two Turtle Doves increased 78.6 percent to $100 and the Three French hens surged 233 percent to $150.
The Partridge in a Pear Tree is up 1.3 percent to $161. But the partridge alone was up 20 percent to $12 and the pear tree is identical to a year ago at $149.
The cost of the Seven Swans-a-Swimming, which generally provide the biggest swings from year to year in the PNC CPI, rose this year by 6.7 percent to $5,600 following last year's surprising 6.5 percent drop. As the most volatile component in the index, the swans are removed to determine underlying inflation or core PNC CPI, which pushed the rate up 10 percent this year.
As part of its annual tradition, PNC Wealth Management also tabulates the "True Cost of Christmas," which is the total cost of items gifted by a True Love who repeats all of the song's verses. This holiday season, very generous True Loves have to fork over $96,824 for all 364 gifts, an even more eye-popping 10.8 percent increase compared to last year.

No Raise for the Milkmaids

As the only unskilled laborers in the PNC CPI, the cost of the eight Maids-a-Milking is represented with the minimum wage. They received no increase in pay in 2010 as the Federal minimum wage did not rise for the first time in three years. With the minimum wage flat at $7.25 per hour, hiring the maids this year cost $58.

Monetary Policy Based on PNC CPI?

Should the Federal Reserve set policy based on the PNC CPI, given its huge jump? Not so fast, said Dunigan.
"Typically we see more parallels between our index and the Federal government's," Dunigan said. "This year, we hope, is an aberration. But let's keep in mind that we are talking about a small basket of goods and services here compared to the Consumer Price Index."
The PNC CPI's sources include retailers, the National Aviary in Pittsburgh and the Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Ballet Company.

Cyber Prices: The Cost of Convenience

For those True Loves who prefer the convenience of shopping online, PNC Wealth Management calculates the cost of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" gifts purchased on the Internet.
This year, the trends identified in the traditional index are repeated in the Internet version, with the core rates more than total rates. True Loves will pay a grand total of $34,336 to buy the items online. That is a 9.2 percent more expensive than last year and almost $11,000 more than this year's traditional index.
"In general, Internet prices are higher than their non-Internet counterparts because of shipping costs for birds and the convenience factor of shopping online," Dunigan said.

Special Present: Updated Web Site

For a historical look at PNC's index, the updated Web site can be viewed at www.pncchristmaspriceindex.com. This year's site incorporates interactivity with a pop-up book theme narrated by Dunigan, allowing visitors to enjoy and reveal the 2010 PNC CPI results at their own pace.
Each year, educators across the country use the Christmas Price Index to teach economic trends to middle and high school students. With that in mind, this year's site includes interactive activities, annual results and PNC CPI trends in a Flash presentation, MP3 download, games and much more.
Educators who visit the site will also find lesson plans on the Christmas Price Index from The Stock Market Game™ (SMG), a program of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Foundation for Investor Education (www.sifma.org/foundation). The enhanced activities are specially designed to help students identify economic trends and to project their impact on this year's Index, giving them the opportunity to make predictions and check their success against actual results. SMG is America's premier educational stock market simulation. Available in all 50 states for grades 4-12, the SMG program teaches children core academic and investment skills.
The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (www.pnc.com) is one of the nation's largest diversified financial services organizations providing retail and business banking; residential mortgage banking; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. Follow @PNCNews on Twitter for breaking news, updates and announcements from PNC.

Art Basel 2010

The first week of December, marked the 9^th annual Art Basel in Miami Beach, Florida.  This event is the sister event to the prestigious Switzerland Art Basel held in June.  The Miami Beach art show consisted of an exclusive selection of 250 art galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, with works exhibited by over 2,000 artists.  A record number of visitors experienced guided tours, exhibits from top galleries, and crossover events featuring live music and film.    

A new feature over the past few years has been street artists demonstrating their graffiti skills on murals throughout the city.  According to an article featured in The New York Times , the street artists’ murals increase the city’s property value.  The freshly painted pieces have become a hot real estate commodity for restaurants, trendy boutiques, and coffee shops.

Several museums and art galleries from across the globe were in attendance to view the works of up-and-coming artists and to connect with well-known artists.  It is estimated that a billion dollars exchanged hands in art acquisitions during the event.

Overall, the event was deemed a success by local and national media, even though some attendees thought it lacked the previous year’s excitement.

Did your company experience Art Basel 2010 or have you attended a prior event?  Do large events such as Art Basel increase recognition and attention for up-and-coming artists?  Does your company handle any moving of artwork from large-scale events?

Storage Auction TV Shows

News 

It is human nature to get excited over finding a treasure or a diamond in the rough when little effort is involved. The Antiques Road Show started a trend: individuals who bring in a piece of pottery or a painting purchased at a garage sale for a quarter might discover that they own a rare antique or a Mona Lisa.

The economic downturn has brought about a new genre of TV shows incorporating the old adage, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”  The latest show debuting December 1st on A&E is Storage Wars.  According to the A&E website, the show features four professional buyers and their teams as they bid, buy, and scour repossessed storage units in search of treasures.

Storage companies have been using auctions to recoup a portion of their losses for years, but will the TV shows increase the number of bidders?  According to the forums on the A&E website, the answer is a definite yes. Auctions are attracting more bidders hoping to see an unlocked unit full of Picassos.

Are you seeing an increase in bidders for your auctions?  Are the higher prices of the unit bids offsetting your losses?  Do these types of TV shows glamorize storage auctions?  Tell us about it.

Financial Tests For Business

Last week I went for my annual physical.  I am doing fine, but the doctor had me undergo a stress test.  As I was briskly walking on the treadmill, I thought about the bank failures and financial stress tests.  What exactly do they measure and how can a company determine their financial stability through one?

According to an article in accountingtoday.com, a bank’s stress test involves looking at its loans: determining which ones are likely to default and then figuring out if the reserves contain enough money for survival.  The article went on to note that the stress test financial formula could change, depending on which regulating authority performed the test.

I found an interesting article by Michael Gunther, the president and founder of Collaboration LLC about performing stress tests on your business.  The questions below will help owners and manager s to evaluate their business objectives and determine if the company is prepared to succeed and thrive. 

• If your sales decline by 10%, 20%, or more, what will you do to be profitable?
• If you lost your top three clients, what plan does your business have in place to generate new key clients?
• If you lost the ability to obtain additional credit, how would you finance your business?
• If you lost your top two employees, how would you manage their roles and find their replacements?
• If new competitors enter the marketplace, how will you respond?
• If your competitors lower their prices in order to gain market share, how will it impact your sales and revenue?
• If interest rates rise, how will you handle the increased costs on loans and credit cards?
• If unemployment continues an uphill climb and consumer spending continues to decline, how will that impact your business?

Next, ask yourself the same questions in regards to positive business growth

• If sales grow by 10%, 20%, or more, is your company prepared to handle the growth?
• If you find three or more potential top clients, how will you entice them to purchase from your business?

The questions are meant to spark discussions and help your business be proactive in developing a plan for each scenario. 

Do you have tests or measures for your business’s finances?  What signs have you seen that the economy is improving or staying stagnant?  Tell us about it on our blog.

I Am Going Skip The Thanksgiving Pie This Year

Last week I went to the doctor for my annual physical.  I am doing fine, but he had me undergo a stress test.  As I was briskly walking on the treadmill, I started to think about the bank failures and financial stress tests.  What exactly do they measure and how can you determine your own financial stability through one?

According to an article in accountingtoday.com, a bank’s stress test involves looking at its loans: determining which ones are likely to default and then figuring out if the reserves contain enough money for survival.  The article went on to note that the stress test financial formula could change, depending on which regulating authority performed the test.

Since the economy is still uncertain, I wanted to perform a stress test on my own finances.  Click here  the complete test from the Dallas Morning News article by Pamela Yip.  The critical financial stress test for your financial situation includes:

•If you lost your job, how long would it take you to replace your income through a job search?  To find out, divide your current gross annual salary by $10,000 to determine how many months it would take you to replace your current income. The formula is based on an estimate that for each $10,000 you make, it will take you one month to replace your salary.

•If you were laid off, would your emergency savings last as long as it would take to replace your income? And, if not, how much of a shortfall would there be?

To find out, divide your total emergency savings by your monthly expenses to determine how many months you can get by without income. Then subtract the number of months you're covered in savings from the number of months it would take you to replace 100 percent of your income to determine any potential income shortfall.

Click here for CNN ‘s online calculator to gauge the health of your finances.  My results definitely made me think twice about my financial future.  I am also thinking twice about having a second piece of pie after Thanksgiving dinner after my physical stress test.

Do you have tests or measures for your business or personal finances?  What signs have you seen that the economy is improving or staying stagnant?  Tell us about it.