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Stimulus

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Read The Fed Isn’t Printing As Much Money As You Think

So last April the Fed changed the rules and eliminated the six-withdrawal limit on savings accounts. It wrote:

The interim final rule allows depository institutions immediately to suspend enforcement of the six transfer limit and to allow their customers to make an unlimited number of convenient transfers and withdrawals from their savings deposits at a time when financial events associated with the coronavirus pandemic have made such access more urgent.

It was an obvious and nearly risk-free way to help people. Just let them have easier access to their savings.

But it changed the relationship between M1 and M2.

An interesting point on M1 and M2 [Measures of money]. With the signing of the 1.9T$ bill today in the US, we’ve essentially created 6T$ over the last 10 months. Just like that… Covid19 has brought  unprecedented suffering to many. Deaths, Unemployment, Medical complications, lifestyle changes, Social unrest and several other ramifications which we are…

Health Insurance woes

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Read Why Your Health Insurer Doesn’t Care About Your Big Bills

The Affordable Care Act kept profit margins in check by requiring companies to use at least 80 percent of the premiums for medical care. That’s good in theory but it actually contributes to rising health care costs. If the insurance company has accurately built high costs into the premium, it can make more money. Here’s how: Let’s say administrative expenses eat up about 17 percent of each premium dollar and around 3 percent is profit. Making a 3 percent profit is better if the company spends more.

Pleasantly surprised to read this piece from ProPublica/NPR. Michael Frank was my professor for a Health Insurance course I took while at Columbia and he was a terrific one at it. Though I moved on to Property and Casualty Insurance as an Actuarial Analyst, I continue to be intrigued by Health. Who wouldn’t be -…

How an Environmental Activist Became a Pioneer for Climate Justice in India

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#CSE Just read: How an Environmental Activist Became a Pioneer for Climate Justice in India Sunita Narain, 56, is perhaps India’s most well-known environmental activist. The director of a small but influential Delhi-based NGO called the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), she has been included on Time’s list of 100 Most Influential People; last…

Flamingos In The Men’s Room: How Zoos And Aquariums Handle Hurricanes

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Weathering disasters Just read: Flamingos In The Men’s Room: How Zoos And Aquariums Handle Hurricanes When you’re building a zoo disaster plan, there’s one thing to keep in mind: Murphy’s law. Anything that could go wrong, will. Just ask the flock of flamingos that weathered Hurricane Andrew in a public restroom at Zoo Miami in…