Low-income Americans are in such dire straits due to the elevated cost of living that lawmakers are making changes to the tax code. No, naturally, the politicians are not voting to decrease taxes for those who can barely get by. Instead, they’re permitting Americans to pull a mere $1,000 out of their retirement accounts without penalty.
Those withdrawing emergency funds from a 401K will need to explain their hardship to their employer, but employers do not need to approve the withdrawal. The government will tax the $1,000 if it is not paid back within three years and no additional emergency withdrawals may be taken out until the money is paid back in full.
The economy is shifting into a world of haves and have-nots as the middle class diminishes. A January 2024 survey found that 60% of Americans had less than $500 in liquidity, with only 12% possessing over 12%. The debt vortex is unforgiving and all too many Americans have become trapped in a cycle of perpetually servicing new debt, similar to our Federal Reserve.
A Vanguard study found that 3.6% of the 5 million retirement accounts on record made an emergency withdrawal in 2023, moving upward from 2.8% the year prior. Bank of America and Fidelity reported similar findings last year on a quarterly basis. These people may be subjected to a 10% tax due to the early distribution because chances are they will be unlikely to pay back the funds. Credit card debthas reached a historic high in the US among every income level, so this last resort option has become unavoidable for many.
This program is an insult to the American people who contribute to our system with nothing in return. These same people who do not have a mere $1,000 for an emergency are paying into the giant Ponzi scheme that is Social Security with each paycheck. They must pay for Medicare and Medicare even if they will never use the services. They’re likely subject to an income tax depending on their state regardless of income level. If accounting for a population of 335 million, the average American has paid about $522 in taxes toward Ukraine alone. The US is paying about $1,700 per month per illegal migrant welcomed in by the open border policy.
Then Uncle Sam comes around every April and gives the lowest paid Americans a tax refund check, failing to acknowledge that they preventing those Americans from earning interest on that money that they desperately needed. It is a grand lie that the socialist-leaning politicians care about the working man when their social programs and handouts guarantee tax increases on everyone. It is a shame that those attempting to do right by society and not leaning entirely on government assistance are punished by our tax code.
Posted originally on the CTH on July 21, 2024 | Sundance
You don’t have to always agree with the datapoints, but don’t discount them either. As I wrote at the time.
The JP Morgan 5 Year Strategic Plan 2024 – Considering that CEO Jamie Dimon would review this type of document and give direct approval, and considering the recent statements of political strategic advocacy by the CEO of JPMorgan {SEE HERE and SEE HERE}, this 2024 -albeit familiar sounding- prediction, was, well, rather curious:
Who are the MAGA Technocrats recommending for Treasury Secretary again?
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November 2023 – How badly did the high-finance and multinational trade groups want to eliminate the threat President Trump represented?
Badly enough to support organizing all elements of the leftist electorate to vote for Nikki Haley in the Republican primary.
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon made this suggestion at The New York Times DealBook Summit to discuss the 2024 presidential election. WATCH the first minute:
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There are trillions at stake….
Watch Crypto!
If you thought the Palantir Tech stakes were high (Thiel), and that tech position is framed around a digital id, just imagine the stakes in Crypto and the U.S. Government.
Who is Crypto’s biggest advocate in congress?
.
Technocracy meets high finance.
Deals are being made…
JP Morgan positioning themselves on both sides of the ledger.
Posted originally on Jul 19, 2024 By Martin Armstrong
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced that the nation banned conservative Compact Magazine for allegedly inciting hatred. Authorities raided properties in Brandenburg, Hesse, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt to confiscate evidence and assets.
“This magazine incites hatred against Jews, against people with a history of migration and against our parliamentary democracy in an unspeakable manner,” the minister said, calling the publication “a mouthpiece of the far-right extremist scene.” Conservative politicians are calling the move “a serious blow to the freedom of the press.”
Now, why do we never hear the term “far-left extremist” mentioned in the news? Every conservative politician receives the “far-right extremist” label to invoke hatred and fear. Every news outlet across the globe is calling this ban a first step in outright banning “far-right extremist” views. Compact was associated with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, the only German party against open borders, climate change, and ongoing funding of external wars.
Governments globally would like to stifle conservative voices. There is no place for dissent in this increasingly tyrannical world. Germany has sent 35,000 of its own troops to die in Ukraine for a war that does not involve the German people. They plan to open a headquarters of sorts to help direct the war in Ukraine from Germany. Women have been asked to conscribe to the war efforts. They have decimated the agricultural sector through their green agenda and want to de-platform the thousands of farmers who have attempted to protest throughout the year. Crime is at a 15-year high, and the population is rising to unsustainable levels. They demand that the media remain quiet on all of these issues.
Governments have become the judge and the juror. They are creating an underground culture of dissent and disorder among otherwise law-abiding citizens who simply wish to see their nation restored. Socrates sees Germany descending into a recession that will bottom in nominal terms in 2028 but will extend into 2030. They will increase their efforts to silence those who disagree with the direction of the nation as the economy turns down.
Posted originally on Jul 11, 2024 By Martin Armstrong
Inefficient politicians consistently cite additional taxation as the solution to their nation’s economic troubles. The housing crisis in Canada is has spread to every province. Instead of addressing availability, the disproportionate demand brought on by multiplying the nation with migrants, or any of the countless fiscal policies that have contributed to inflation, the Canadian government believes it is the duty of citizens to subsidize their wealth as a temporary solution.
The Trudeau Administration has been trying to paint the housing crisis as a conflict between the social-economic classes. All those greedy citizens who saved for homes are preventing new homeowners from entering the market. Trudeau basically said this when appearing on the podcast Generation Squeeze, an organization that is pushing to add an annual surtax on homes over C$1 million. They believe houses between C$1 million to C$1.5 million, even if a primary residence, should face a 0.2% surtax that would eventually rise to 0.5%. Homes over C$2 million would face a 1% surtax.
What about older Canadians who have been residing in their family homes for decades? They may not necessarily be rich but they purchased when the landscape was different. Trudeau said those who “scrimped and saved” simply fail to understand that the younger generation can no longer do the same due to the economic environment he helped to create.
“GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRATS DON’T BUILD HOMES!” – Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre
I mentioned in a separate post that 13.5% of young Canadians under 24 cannot find entry-level work. Unemployment is on the rise and young people cannot afford to save what little they have. All Canadians are feeling the constraints of inflation, with household debt rising to over 100% of GDP and the debt service ratio surpassing 15.22%. People are paying for the luxury of even having debt.
This thoughtless plan does not count for the fact that home prices are continuing to rise. C$1 million may sound high, but the average home in British Columbia is around C$965,447, with those in Ontario facing an average price of C$853,915. The average home cost around C$657,145 across all provinces in 2023, but that average was only C$391,820 just 10 years ago. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) believes the average home will reach C$$746,410 by next year.
This is not a tax on the wealthy, though that would not be a solution, rather, this is a tax on hardworking Canadians who are struggling to maintain what they have left. This tax is in addition to the countless other grabs that the government is expecting from homeowners. There are federal initiatives that currently spend billions on new construction, such as the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund, which spent C$6 billion toward new construction. What’s the point of increasing the supply when you’re increasing the overall population more rapidly? Trudeau did not offer ANY other solution during his interview because he had none to offer.
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This is a library of News Events not reported by the Main Stream Media documenting & connecting the dots on How the Obama Marxist Liberal agenda is destroying America