I even held parties with my cousins in an old Legion Hall which was probably the spookiest place ever but the good thing, the beer was cheap and profit streamed in without having to do much work. I guess it was Halloween that opened the door to my career in finance? It isn’t easy being me but I try.

Heading toward the end of another month, the fourth quarter is well underway. The question remains, will this market provide investors with a trick or treat in terms of rates of return?  With much turmoil expected because of mandates and loss of employment, the Christmas and largest shopping day in America, the Thanksgiving weekend in November could become a challenge and reflection of the real state of affairs.

This morning as USA International Trade expands to $96.3 Billion in September, it is also noted that Durable Good Orders declined by 0.4% expecting (1.1%) in September. America still has a voracious appetite for imported goods mainly from China. Presently these goods are clogging the ports and bottlenecked shipping lanes. Supply shortages are contributing to the inflationary pressures markets are coping with. The impact of this could be directly related to a number of bad trade deals especially the one established by Bill Clinton through the World Trade Organization in 1999 allowing China to join.

Effectively, by classifying China as a developing nation of which their status has been unchanged to this day, it has destroyed American manufacturing jobs and eroded the middle class. Exports into China will endure a 25% tariff while imports from China are only tagged at 1%. The only benefactors are the consumers with cheaper consumer protects and Corporations, including entrepreneurs able to maximize their profitability. Consequently,  discarding responsibility for employees or paying benefits. The playing field has been severely shifted allowing China to presumably become the number one economy in the world at the expense of the Middle Class.

If people don’t work they can’t spend, if they do not earn they cannot sustain credit. People become debt slaves thus surrendering to government assistance. In reality, the ones that always bear the brunt are minorities and the less fortunate. They work just to survive. These people also have families and with less opportunity for employment the less likely they can actively engage in stimulating or contributing to developing a robust economy.  Pride has left the building as we are starting to see the erosion of a once-proud way of life.