The 2022 holiday shopping season certainly has its challenges. With skyrocketing inflation, inventory issues and workforce shortages there have been many issues that retailers have had to overcome. 

The U.S. Commerce Department reported Friday that inflation eased in July, raising hopes that it may have peaked - finally.

Helped by falling gasoline prices, inflation eased a bit in July, giving American consumers some relief from surging costs. However, overall price increases slowed only modestly from the four-decade high of 9.1% recorded in June, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' latest Consumer Price Index.

The Lehigh Valley set a median sales price record in March as buyers continued to compete over limited inventory. 

U.S. renters and homeowners took a record hit in the pocketbook this past year, Redfin reported. 

The trucking industry is vital to the supply chain across the nation.  As diesel prices rise, and they have been rising fast, the cost of moving goods is also increasing. That increased cost is being passed along from shipper to hauler to receiver, and ultimately, to the consumer. 

As older workers transition their aggressive investments to more conservative investments, they now face historically low interest rates. Interest rates have been falling since the 1981 when the 10-year-government bond rate peaked at 13.92%. The current 10-year government bond rate sits at about 1.5%.