April 11, 2024

Money

Robert ReichThe wealth of America's richest 1% hit a record $44 trillion last year. This small group of individuals now holds 30% of the nation’s wealth.

Newsweek - Wealthy Americans are increasingly looking to obtain a second citizenship to protect themselves from future financial hardships, according to a global law firm that specializes in investment migration and citizenship consulting.  The firm, Henley & Partners, told CNBC that many of their high-net-worth clients are looking to build "passport portfolios" in case they feel the need to leave their home country. According to Dominic Volek, executive and group head of private clients at Henley, the motivation behind seeking second citizenship is to "hedge against levels of volatility and uncertainty."

In much the same way that movie theaters make higher profits from concessions than they do from tickets, gas stations make more money from convenience items than they do from selling gas. The profit margins on gasoline are extremely (and surprisingly) low, so much so that filling stations barely make any money just from selling fuel. That’s even true when gas prices are higher, because competition for customers is so fierce that retailers are often loath to be the first one to raise their prices. On average, the net profit margin on gasoline is just 1.4%, whereas the average across all industries is 7.7%. That profit margin is lower than the average one at car dealerships (3.2%) and grocery stores (2.5%), both of which are known for relatively low margins. The reason gas makes so little profit has to do with the supply chain — actually getting the fuel to your local 76 is a tremendously involved process.  That all changes once you step inside a gas station’s convenience store (about 80% of them have one). Despite only bringing in some 30% of most gas stations’ revenue, items like lottery tickets, potato chips, and drinks are responsible for 70% of the profit. So while they might not like higher gas prices any more than you do, gas station owners probably don’t mind how much you spend on impulse buys.

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