Vinyl Records, Creative Destruction, and the GDP

About much more than music, the past history of vinyl records is about creative destruction while the present relates to a GDP headache.

How the Cost of Children Has Changed

Knowing that tomorrow is National Tooth Fairy Day, the Tooth Fairy could be smiling…but not for long. Like most childcare costs, the Tooth Fairy’s expenses have been rising recently. Cost of Children Tooth Fairy If the Tooth Fairy visited your…

How to Really Understand the CPI

Because the CPI is an index showing percent changes, it is helpful sometimes to see actual price changes for items like new cars.

How Hospital Price Transparency Became Foggy

Although the hospital prices transparency rule kicked in last January, it still is somewhat impossible to decipher a hospital’s price list.

Why College Tuitions Are Up and Other Prices Are Down

It’s tough to find a real “list price” for a college tuition. According to NY Times money columnist Ron Lieber, the price charged by one school can vary considerably. Sort of like we all pay a different fare for the…

One Reason For High Hospital Prices

By looking at inflation rates for tradable and nontradable goods and services, we can identify one reason for high hospital prices.