You ever look at an official government report and think, “There’s no way this adds up”? Welcome to this week’s episode of “Math Is Hard (Apparently Even for the BLS).”
The latest CPI data says inflation’s only 3% year-over-year and energy’s the main reason. But when you actually dig into the numbers — not the headlines — things start smelling like reheated political leftovers. Meanwhile, the Fed cuts rates again, the job market limps along, and we keep doing what we always do: sifting through the noise, finding real opportunities, and cashing real dividends.
Economic News
1️⃣ The CPI Report: Where Logic Goes to Die
HMMM. September CPI came out, and if you believe the Overlord’s regime, inflation rose 0.3% MoM and now sits at 3.0% YoY. The excuse? Energy prices rose 0.8%.
Except… that makes zero sense.
Here’s why:
Every major category fell except apparel and fuel. Yet inflation rose. 🤔
So I pulled the actual BLS report (yes, the real data). What I found was a masterclass in creative accounting:
- “Food at home” supposedly dropped from +0.6% → +0.3%, but within that, the heavy hitters were down, and the low-weight categories were up.
- Meat, poultry, fish & eggs (which make up 1.5% of the report) fell 0.7%, while pork, poultry, and “other meats” spiked 0.8–1.2%.
- Beef and seafood — smaller slices of the data pie — were down slightly, somehow dragging the whole category lower.
So either America stopped eating chicken overnight… or the math’s been massaged.
My take: the data is being politically tweaked to justify more rate cuts. And since the Overlord won’t admit tariffs are fueling higher prices, he’ll just “adjust” the math until it fits his narrative.
Moral of the story: don’t trust headline inflation. Trust your grocery bill.
2️⃣ Private Jobs “Comeback” (If You Squint Hard Enough)
ADP says 14,250 jobs were added from Sept. 11 to Oct. 11. Yay?
The number’s technically positive, but it doesn’t change the bigger picture: we’re still in stagflation territory — high prices, low growth, and a labor market that’s moving like molasses in January. TBD whether this is a blip or a dead cat bounce.
3️⃣ Another Fed Meeting, Another Rate Cut
The Fed did what everyone expected — another 0.25% rate cut.
The markets yawned.
Investors didn’t celebrate this one like the last because it’s not solving anything. Lowering rates when the data’s this questionable just sets up bigger problems later. The “soft landing” narrative is looking more like “controlled crash with snacks.”
Top 10 IINvestments Going Ex-Dividend Next Week
This week’s list = pure retirement account candy.
Only 3 of the 10 (FCT, SAR, and BSM) wouldn’t make my retirement roster. The rest? Perfect for long-term, set-it-and-forget-it compounding.
We currently hold BSM and AB, but we’ve also held PFE and MAIN in the past — both solid long-term performers.
This week’s lineup includes:
- 3️⃣ BDCs: AB, SAR, MAIN
- 🛢️ 1 Midstream: OKE
- 💊 1 Pharma: PFE
- 🏥 1 Healthcare REIT: OHI
- 🏦 1 Bank Preferred: OZKAP
- ⛏️ 1 Mineral Play: BSM
- ⚡ 1 Electric Utility: PNW
- 💼 1 CEF (Bank Loans): FCT
Quick note: OZKAP is the 6.6% preferred of OZK, which yields only 3.5%. You’re basically doubling your income for holding the same company.
If I only had cash for one pick this week?
OKE — hands down. 24% upside potential + a 6% yield while you wait.
Portfolio Updates
🏦 Retirement Portfolio
1️⃣ MMM Milestone! 🎉
We officially recouped our initial investment in 3M (MMM). Finally. One of those long, slow wins that make dividend investing worth it.
2️⃣ MMMProceeds Reallocation 🔁
Used MMM’s proceeds to grab 8 shares of LTC and 4 shares of TGT. Both reliable income payers with steady growth potential — think of them as the financial equivalent of a well-balanced breakfast. 📈
🚐 Vanning Portfolio
3️⃣ Intel Victory Lap 💪
We’ve officially recouped our initial investment in INTC!
If you followed along when we said “buy,” you’re sitting on a 103% gain. That’s when we pull out the principal, lock in the win, and let profits ride.
4️⃣ Where That Money Went 🔁
Half of the proceeds went into SRV (for stable monthly income) and half into SPMC (for high-yield growth). Together, they’ll bring in an extra $36/year, which beats the “fuck all” we were getting from Intel’s dividend.
5️⃣ New Buys 💸
Used this week’s collected cash to add:
- 3 shares of BMY – Long-term value play, 5%+ yield, undervalued under $45.
- 7 shares of BSM – Resource play with solid payouts.
- 1 Roundhill ETF: TSLW – Continuing our Roundhill expansion strategy (PLTW, COIW, MSTW… now TSLW). Weekly payers = faster compounding.
We’re building a Roundhill empire, one ETF brick at a time.
Want Instant Notifications For These Investing IINsights?
We post these updates to several places where you can subscribe and get notified as soon as we post.
- Substack
- LinkedIn Newsletter
- Our email list (no spam, just 1 email a week). Sign up below.
