Hathaway Brief: May 2022

Not much to be happy about in the financial markets other than the Stock losses driving the long bond to over 3%.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has created a farming disruption which has caused food shortages. Most of the worlds chemical fertilizer is produced in Ukraine (it is not cow waste anymore, fertilizer is mostly chemicals now), which is adding to the shortages worldwide and causing the farming industry to demand higher prices.

The oil industry has also been upended by the Russian invasion, creating oil shortages. Gasoline is at $7 a gallon in NY State now which effects delivery prices and everyday peoples’ decisions to move about the city or vacation. But, more importantly, it effects manufacturing of all kinds which depends on oil derivatives to produce everything and let us not leave out the price of jet fuel.

People have already stopped buying new cars, and the price of a used car sometimes is higher than a new car!!

Then, of course, the baby formula crisis is just another symptom of the effects of monopolies in this country driving up prices. On that same monopoly theme, there was a report on the news last night regarding Monopolistic Corporations and their Shareholder conference calls. On these calls, management joyously reported that they can charge more for their products and use inflation as their cover and even more happily reporting that they can charge over and above the effects of inflation and people will still buy because they have no other place to go. (Laughing in the background).

All these factors and more are contributing to inflation. This is not the time to be taking extra financial risk (wish I knew this 6 months ago, thanks a lot PUTIN).

I say all this to get to the good news for the various stakeholders in personal injury settlements: This is not a time for disabled claimants to be putting money into the stock market, this is a time to find shelter from risk and to get a guaranteed return at great yields, this is a time for Structured Settlements.

Call us today for free Structure quotes: 248.715.5250