Here we are again; November came out of the blue. It seems like a minute ago we were in the midst of summer.
Looking back over the year, so many good things have happened. The national economy is in great shape. We are fully employed with the lowest unemployment rates in generations. With a tight job market, wages will increase because companies will compete for workers with higher wages. The State of Arizona has a budget surplus and the governor is striving to re-fill the “rainy day fund” to protect from a market adjustment. Funding for education in Arizona is also up, as are teachers wages, and the retirement health benefits are back to 2013 levels.
The Fed lowered rates for lending three times, which keeps it affordable for business and consumers to borrow money, which in turn keeps the economy moving. Commercial, government, and residential construction is in full swing. Everywhere you look a highway is expanding, an office park is marked by a construction crane, apartments are popping all over the place. Folks are moving to Arizona, Nevada, and Texas in droves. The snowbirds are filling the hotels, restaurants, and the golf courses; pickleball courts and softball fields are buzzing with activity.
It is amazing what happens to a free-market economy when it is left to its own devices. Higher wages, improved infrastructure, more money for education, and the general mood of folks seems to be optimistic.
Huh.
But what do I know, I only get to meet hundreds of nice folks from all walks of life every month?