Black coffee: Welcome to the (debts) Jungle

It’s time to lean back, relax and enjoy a little Joe …

Welcome to another exciting edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what is going on in the world of money and personal finances.

Well … another busy week is behind us. So with that in thought, let’s start this party!

He who can be borrowed quickly is slow to pay.

– German proverb

There are three types of people: the haves, the have-nots and it did not pay for what-they-haves.

– Earl Wilson

Credits and depreciation

Credit: Have you seen this? Last week a new survey was published that reveals that the average American household was debts on the melody of $ 152,653 At the end of June 2025. While the head was supposed to transfer the shock, if one regards a mortgage debt, this seems more than reasonable. On the other hand, for household that has no mortgage, that figure is indeed a bit problematic. See, show a …

Debit: The same survey actually showed that two of every five American households admit that debts were A source of conflict In their houses. Hopefully those households will be able to sort their problems before it falls apart, because the bills of the divorce lawyer will only make their debt mountains higher.

Debit: On the other side of the ledger, only 1 in 4 consumers make More than $ 80,000 Every year have enough savings to cover a year of living. Even worse, more than half (56%) would not last six months. Sheesh. You would expect that high earners are better prepared – especially in this soothing labor market – but that is not always the case. To be honest, we are not willing to speculate about where we can blame this sorry statistics, because we simply do not have enough indications to make an informed assessment. Unlike here …

H / T: @ Game -Termas

Debit: It is possible that the savings status of Americans can become a Vunder when you consider that American stores are now reportedly close their doors at an annual pace that even surpasses fast business closures during the pandemic years. During the first six months of this year, 5822 Shop closures were admitted. Probably by someone like Miss Jones …

Credit: Needless to say, there is an increasing number in many places in all America deserted buildings the landscape punctually. That is not surprising if you learn that the total amount of retail space that was permanently closed in 2025 has reached no less than 120 million square feet. We suspect that the primary reason for this is not a sharp fall in economic activity. In fact, it can be explained in one word: Amazon. For many people, allowing Amazon to become the colossus it is today, a bad deal, but they will learn to like it. Possibly …

Debit: This is simply more proof why commercial real estate (create) between Amazon and the work-of-house movement will be a tough sale in the coming years. On the other hand, it is not only physical companies that have a rough ride in the market- Amazon works hard To place his online Competition also outside of company. Anyway … talk about rough journeys:

Credit: On a related note, dying shopping centers see a revival through Replacing replacement deserted anchor shops With various companies, from restaurants such as the Cheesecake Factory, to large retailers such as Dick’s sporting goods, entertainment options such as Dave & Buster’s, hotels and even more experiential efforts such as bowling alleys, laser tag, churches and apartments. No, really. Let’s hope that there are still consumers with sufficient disposable income left to spend …

Credit: In other news, of the estimated 2 million tons of tomatoes that Mexico will export in 2025, 90% will end in American supermarkets. In response to a new rate of 17%, Mexico has decided Lower the legal minimum Price are farmers can sell their exported tomatoes to protect their domestic producers. Imagine that.

Debit: In the meantime, on Friday, Richard Nixon’s 54th anniversary of the infamous decree that “temporarily” broke the golden anchor with the American dollar (USD). And it is no coincidence that the American production basis and tax health have since decreased. In fact, the debt situation of the federal government has become so heavy that the US national debt Now grows with the astonishing pace of more than $ 1 trillion every 100 days. Admittedly, the ever -increasing debt tax becomes more than a bit tiring. On the other hand, it seems as if we clearly not the only Those who are tired of the same ol ‘same ol’ …

Credit: Speaking of the national debt, The Silver Academy notes that although the United States were once the world’s most important creditor, it now lends it Just to pay the interest About previous loans. At what time does a nation look like a slightly driven gambler and does he get cash advances from one credit card to pay off another, while the casino is waiting for his pound of meat? “And on a related comment …

H/T: @alifarhat79

Credit: We will end this week with an observation of macro analyst Brandon Smith, who notices that “It’s impossible To keep the USD dominant worldwide when everything works against (it), and there are many people who wonder if it is even worth saving. But the USD is everything we have until a tangible safety net can be determined. “Of course it is becoming clearer for almost everyone now that the tangible safety net is physically gold in your possession.

By the figures

In 2025, the average 5-year-old car will keep only 54% of its original value, which emphasizes how some vehicles reject as soon as they touch the used market. A new study analyzed the depreciation of 40 popular electric vehicles (EVs) and internal combustion engine (ICE) car models between 2020 and 2025. Here are the ten cars with the highest depreciation percentage for a maximum of five years. ((EVs in Grease):

46.5% Nissan Ariya

48.1% 2022 F-150 Lightning

48.3% Audi Q8

48.7% Mercedes EQE Sedan

49.4% Porsche Taycan

49.9% Toyota Crown

51.2% Volvo XC40 Charging

51.9% Nissan Leaf

52.5% Nissan Juke

57.8% BMW i3

Source: Nexusmedia

The question of the week

Last week’s survey result

More than 1900 Len Penzo Dot com readers answered last week’s level question and it appears that 1 in 3 of you had no more than three cavities during your life – and 1 in 11 has none. You can place me in the latter group. Yes, it’s true, I’ve never had a cavity, even though I was old as dirty! However, I am absolutely convinced that my lack of cavities has more to do with mouth chemistry than how well I take care of my teeth. I say that only because I know people who floss and brush after every meal still Get cavities. Do you agree?

When You Have a question that you would like to see here, send it to me Len@lenpenzo.com And make sure you place “question of the week” in the subject line.

Useless news: The Pillsbury Doughboy (1950 – 2025)

The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday in Minneapolis from a fungal infection and traumatic complications of repeated poring in the abdomen. He was 71.

Doughboy was buried in a slightly greased box. Dozens of celebrities appeared to express their respect, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, Duncan Hines, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the hostess Twinkies and Captain Crunch. The grave was highly piled with flour.

Aunt Jemima delivered the praise and doughboy lovingly described as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded.

Born and bread in Minnesota, the Doughboy Rose quickly in the show business, but his later life was filled with turnover. He was not considered a very smart cookie and wasted much of his dough on half -baked schemes.

Although he was sometimes a bit flaky, he was still a crispy old man and served a positive role model for millions.

Doughboy is survived by his wife, Jane Dough, and three children: John Dough, Play Dough and Dosi Dough, who has a sandwich in the oven. He is also survived by his older father, Pop Tart.

The funeral was held for about 20 minutes at 3:50.

He will be remembered because he has always risen to the occasion and encourages someone who has a crawling day and kneads a lift.

(H/T: Dave)

Squirrel

Some finches in our neighborhood enjoyed walnuts. Here is a mum bird that shows her baby one of the local lunch stops …

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More useless news

Here are the top – and lower – five Canadian provinces and areas in terms of the average number of pages that are viewed here at Len Penzo Dot Com in the last 30 days:

1. Alberta (2,25 pages/visit)
2. British Columbia (1.88)
3. Manitoba (1.73)
4. Newfoundland & Labrador (1.67)
5. Quebec (1.62)

9. Ontario (1.47)
10. Yukon (1.40)
11. Nova Scotia (1.33)
12. Prince Edward Island (1.30)
13. Northwest Territories (1.00)

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Letters, I get letters

Every week I have the most interesting question or comment – assuming that I get one, that is. And people who are lucky to have the only question in the mail bag, get their letter here emphasized whether it is interesting or not! You can reach me on: Len@lenpenzo.com

I’m not sure why, but this week I clearly made a gut Mary Suewho felt forced to drop this small advice in the Len Penzo Dot Com complaints box:

Your blog costs money. Get rid of it because you are clearly not qualified to give rational advice.

Actually, in the blog world … Being unqualified makes me oversign.

If you enjoyed this edition of Black Coffee and found it informative, send it to your friends and family. Thank you! 😀

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Photocredit: stock photo