Money Stats That 😲🤯 ME Volume 4
A random amalgamation (we using big words today) of numbers that I found intriguing. I hope you find them just as interesting. If you do, I have a proposal for you. Share this post with a friend or an enemy (I don't judge).
Let's begin
📈648%
The rate at which dividend income has grown since 1990.
Compare that to 202%, the growth rate of the median income since 1990.
If you ever wondered why, you don't get that high of a raise. This is Exhibit 1052.
If you ever wondered why, you should be investing. This is Reason 355.
Zelle announced that payments on its platform exceeded $1 trillion last year
Key to the massive use of Zelle is the fact that most banks are automagically connected to Zelle.
Zelle is the baby of JPMorgan, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo. It was established to ensure CashApp, PayPal, and Venmo didn't steal all of its business
It seems it’s working
PayPal reported a volume of $400 billion last year
The world is going digital
FDR was elected during the Great Depression, and then shortly after World War 2 started. The spending was to aid in both efforts and it worked fabulously. It led to the 1950s which is regarded as the “Golden Age” of Middle Class.
This was when the New Deal was introduced. Which came with the creation of some of the social programs we love today, including Social Security.
Woodrow Wilson was president during World War 1.
Ronald Reagan bloviated about how the government should get out of the way of businesses. But somehow, he added more to the US Debt than any other non-war-time president. 🤔
He instituted massive tax cuts for the wealthiest individuals and businesses with the belief that it would “trickle down” to the least fortunate individuals in society.
Spoiler Alert: IT DIDN’T WORK! It has led to one of the greatest periods of inequality. We are still living through and dealing with the fallout of his presidency.
He also increased military spending. If you are wondering, how can you cut revenue but increase spending? Yeah makes no sense to me either. But yet that same tactic has been repeated again and again and again.
If it sounds like I don’t like Reagan’s presidency, trust your instincts.
George Bush went to war against Afghanistan after 9/11. Also introduced the War on Terror that lasted for almost 2 decades.
He also followed in the footsteps of Reagan and signed multiple tax cuts.
Again, increased spending and less revenue.
Obama was elected during the Great Recession due to the housing crash. He signed a massive stimulus package of $832 billion. Basically, peanuts compared to the stimulus package from Biden and Trump during the pandemic.
He also signed a massive tax cut of $858 billion.
The National Debt sits at about $36 Trillion today. It is growing rapidly, with more tax cuts being introduced by the Republican led Congress.
🤑More Billionaires Than Ever Before
I'm not exactly sure how to feel about this.
On one hand, it's kinda amazing that there are more ways to build wealth than ever before.
On the other hand, inequality has been growing more and more between the haves and have-nots.
It is highly likely that I see the first trillionaire in my lifetime. For some reason, I don't like that.
Chipotle bought 5% of all avocados CONSUMED in the US. It is so important to their business that it has to find ways to diversify it's sourcing of them to ensure they don't have issues providing millennials with that guac.
Atlanta Airport remained the busiest airport on the planet with over 108 million passengers moving through the airport in 2024, according to data from Airports Council International. A few interesting numbers:
There were over 9.5 billion passengers, an increase of 9% from 2023
Dubai Airport is the busiest international airport in the world, with over 92 million passengers. Surpassing London's Heathrow, it shows the growing relevance of the Middle East on the world stage.
2025 is expected to have 9.9 billion passengers, but that might slow with global tensions and economic uncertainty.
The amount of money bet IN ONE DAY on who the next Pope will be. After the announcement of Pope Francis' passing.
History: In 1591, Pope Gregory XIV passed a law that made betting on the Pope illegal, but it was repealed in 1918.
My Take: The irony is that Pope Francis spoke out against these kinds of things. He said, "Financial speculation fundamentally aimed at quick profit continues to wreak havoc."
$40 Million was spent betting on the next pope. Almost every single bettor lost money. Except for one guy who bet ~$500 and made $52,000. If you think you would be able this guy, stop lying to yourself.
California has the 4th-largest economy in the World
Guess this is why it's called the United States of America, cause each state in the US is a literal country anywhere else in the world. It shows in the size of the various economies of states in the US.
California has the largest economy in the US at $4.1 Trillion.
Texas sits at $2.7 Trillion
New York is $2.3 Trillion
Florida is $1.7 Trillion
Illinois is $1.1 Trillion
These are literally the size of nations.
According to research from Tomo Mortgage, Americans will pay $11 Billion more than they need to on their mortgages in 2025 because of the difference between the best and worst mortgages. Which is typical due to what Tomo Mortgage calls “Confusion Capitalism” where things are added or done just to extract more money from your pocket.
Mortgages are not the only place this happens. We all feel this in every part of our lives, where it just feels like something is being hidden from us.
🏠68%
According to Redfin, about 68% of homes in metro Atlanta are selling below their asking price. This is a huge increase from 2022, when only 25% of homes sold below asking price.
According to Zillow, there are now 233 U.S. cities where a typical starter home costs at least $1 million. Three times the number of homes in 2020.
In the past, you could buy a starter home, then use that home to upgrade to a larger home as your family size grew. That is no longer possible with this housing market. It is a better play to rent and invest, and save. When you need more space, buy the house you want to be in for decades.
Thanks for reading! Until next time
God bless
GENEROSITY>greed
✌🏾