Longtime, successful CSRA financial planner, Woody Merry brought on a new advisor in 2021. In today’s member spotlight, Neil Gordon learns she may “teach” him a thing or two, as well as the rest of us!
As 2022 begins, we now know how hard COVID-19 hit the local economy in 2020, such as the speed with which official government data on real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is released. For the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), real GDP fell by 1.4% in 2020. However, the effect of COVID-19 was not uniform across all the counties in the MSA as shown in the table below. Burke County actually saw real GDP grow by 5.6% while Richmond County saw the biggest decline at 2.7%. County % change real GDP
Are you contemplating a dry January or a Veganuary? Want to exercise more and eat less? Many of us make New Year resolutions about this time of the year, only for them to fall apart before the end of January. Not sure you can make the commitment last, economics is here to help with the anti-charity! The StickK website (https://www.stickk.com) was started by Yale professors, Ian Ayers and Dean Karlan. In graduate school, Karlan had found himself putting on weight as had a fellow grad student. They set up a
“Father Christmas, give us the money Don’t mess around with those silly toys” The Kinks, Father Christmas At this time of gift giving, it is worth considering whether the exchange of presents is efficient. Well at least to an economist it is! Famously, if only in economic circles, Joel Waldfogel in 1993 suggested gift giving was inefficient because it destroyed about 10 percent to a third of the value of the gift. Think of the aunt or uncle that gave you that wonderful (read terrible) sweater last year. They bought
Over the last 20 years or so, there have been many excellent books written about economics that are very accessible and readable, meaning not dry academic prose. If you are thinking of an economic gift this holiday season, here are my top three book recommendations. 1. Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner First published in 2005, this is the original and best readable economics book. Although much of the book is about Steven Levitt’s research, Dubner makes it come alive with characters and stories. Each chapter poses a question
Editor’s Note: Thursday morning at 7:30, the Augusta University Hull College of Business is hosting it’s annual Economic Outlook Breakfast. Findings for 2022 will be presented by the AU and ABD economist, Dr. Simon Medcalfe. Wells Fargo will provide boxed breakfasts from Chick-Fil-A. There is no charge, but you must register here AU and Hull are proud to provide this service to our business community. It’s also a nice networking event with about 100 business leaders expected. Our conversation was edited for brevity and clarity: ABD: You’ve attended all five
It’s been a week since the worst trading day of the year on the S & P 500. ABD Member and CSRA Financial Advisor, Kurt Mueller of Apollon Wealth Management explains there was a “Covid factor” and looks ahead to what Pfizer and Moderna’s next steps are.
A twenty-year unemployment record is shattered. Plant Vogtle is running into big money overruns and ABD celebrates the “Bulldog 100”. Reporter Mike Petchenik has more from the capitol in Atlanta.
With the rising cost of meat, David Brinson Jr. saves money by keeping his freezer stocked with venison, rather than dealing with limited selection and higher prices at the grocery store. Brinson – an avid hunter – from Appling says he can kill a deer and have it processed for about $1.50 a pound – a price that’s impossible to find at any grocery store. But an increase in deer hunting means local processors currently have more business than they can handle. “Demand is definitely outweighing supply for that industry,”
The last few years have been difficult in area companies in balancing fiscal responsibility with helping its employees succeed at home and in the office. Apollon Wealth Management CFP Kurt Mueller explains there are different paths being taken.
