Most headlines I read nowadays are about how much the average loan repayment has increased by and will increase by for Australians. You don't hear or see too much of this headline for the US. Have you ever wondered why? The US mortgage system is a little different to ours. One of those differences is that most borrowers take out a fixed rate mortgage, typically for 30 years. Whereas in Australia, most loans are taken out on a variable basis.

I'd like to think I'm a contrarian. I guess most investors do. Does that not make me contrarian? I have no idea. I'm human I guess. I'd like to think I'm different to everyone else, but so too does everyone else. I think we're all so much more similar than we think. Anyway, I don't want to get too philosophical here, let's get into markets.

This is my first official post for 2023. A little slower off the mark than I had expected, so here we are. And here's whats on my mind.

I'm writing this note as we edge closer towards the holiday season. And of course, as we are every year, we're shocked as to how quickly the year has flown by. I find this interesting in our species. The calendar doesn't change each year. December comes around at the same time, every year, as sure as the sun rises each morning. Yet, we are shocked.

Last week I wrote a piece on inflation, US mid-terms and stocks. I outlined the fall of inflation since its peak of June 2022. We also looked at how quickly inflation has risen since 2021, and the expectations for it based on historical events.

I didn't write a note last week. I almost felt like I couldn't keep up. There was so much going on. From inflation, to US mid-term elections, to stock market rallies. Here's my wrap up and thoughts.