An Approachable Resolution

We’re nearing the end of the first month of this calendar year, so if you haven’t committed to a resolution, Atlas might be able to help.  Resolutions are difficult to stick to, so Atlas has come up with one that could be easier.

There is no shaming going on here.  It’s a simple fact: Americans have a reputation for being Rubenesque.  We’ve got a way to help you feel better even if you continue expanding your waistline as 2024 unfolds.  It’s based on the Federal Reserve’s approach to inflation.  They’ve been happy with the way prices have behaved lately, so this method shoul help all of us feel better about stepping on the scale if we follow suit. 

According to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the year-over-year inflation rate in December 2023 was 3.3 percent, down from 8.9 percent in June 2022 when it peaked. You can see it in the chart above which shows CPI’s year-over-year rate of change is now falling.  That looks healthy, right? 

Of course, the Fed had the advantage of starting from such a high point.  From June of 2022 through December, inflation has dropped precipitously.  Yet prices continue rising.  This is our new approach to dieting.  We’ll continue getting fatter every year but do so at a slower pace.  We won’t lose a pound, but we’ll gain at a slower pace and call it a win.  That’s my kind of diet.

Like many Americans’ experiences of “improving” inflation, the medical field may not agree that this approach to our resolution is healthy.  But before some M.D. ruins your good time, remind them that you are setting yourself up for a soft landing, and they’ll be the professional overseeing your success, like the PhDs at the Fed taking credit for theirs.