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Burgernomics

By: Ross MacDowell
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  • Summary

  • Ross MacDowell and Australia's top experts demystify economic topics that affect your life....crypto, blockchain, quantitative easing, the 10 year bond yield rate, carbon neutral, core inflation versus underlying inflation....let alone stagflation. These terms affect your job, your income, your mortgage and your quality of life. It’s pretty hard to plan for our prosperity, if we don’t understand basic economic concepts we hear daily? Burgernomics is a podcast where I talk to Australia’s smartest experts, asking them to demystify the economic topics that are running our lives.. Each podcast ends with the Burgernomics Test, when our expert applies their explanation to a simple hamburger guaranteeing you come away understanding.
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Episodes
  • 55: Turbocharging The Price You Pay In 170 Secs

    55: Turbocharging The Price You Pay In 170 Secs
    Mar 12 2024
    Key Points:

    • Traditionally, the law of supply and demand dictates prices in the marketplace, where buyers and sellers agree on a price based on publicly available information.
    • Dynamic Pricing, a system increasingly employed by sellers, adjusts prices continuously based on buyer demand. This dynamic nature allows sellers to maximize profits.
    • However, the twist comes when the purchase price isn't publicly visible. Imagine searching for an item online and the price presented to you is determined by complex algorithms analyzing your personal data.
    • This lack of transparency leaves consumers feeling uneasy, leading to calls for government intervention. But in a capitalist market economy, where willing buyers dictate prices, intervention becomes complicated.
    • The integration of algorithms and data mining into dynamic pricing turbocharges the traditional supply and demand law, promising benefits like reduced business risk, increased profits, employment, and tax revenue.
    • Yet, this advancement poses a significant challenge. With online spending skyrocketing, it becomes increasingly difficult for statistical agencies like the Australian Bureau of Statistics to produce accurate consumer price index (CPI) data. The CPI is crucial for economic policies, including setting mortgage rates by the Reserve Bank.

    Conclusion:
    As technology reshapes the way we buy and sell goods, the implications of dynamic pricing extend far beyond individual transactions. It challenges traditional economic models and raises questions about fairness and transparency in the marketplace.
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    4 mins
  • 54: Airline Tickets. Everyone isn't offered the same price?

    54: Airline Tickets. Everyone isn't offered the same price?
    Feb 27 2024
    Does Dynamic Ticket Pricing used by airlines lead to the passenger sitting next to you having paid a different price for their seat?

    Airlines are masters at gathering data. They can harvest your frequent flyer data and track your computer searches via cookies. How often is this data used to ‘tailor’ the price of your ticket?

    Can airline’s trawl your LinkedIn account matching a conference you may need to fly to and charge you more for that airline ticket?

    Is it common for an airline's app to show a different price than their own website?

    Methods airlines use in maximising revenue or reducing costs. Algorithms that at pre defined time assess whether passenger numbers on a flight aren’t great enough to meet revenue targets so automatically cancel a flight.

    What effect will artificial intelligence have on ticket pricing?

    Tips & tricks to reduce your exposure to higher ticket prices created through Dynamic Ticket Pricing.

    Who provides the best ticket price, availability and choice of cabin class, the travel agent or the airline site or a 3rd party booking site?
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    54 mins
  • 53: Good Or Evil Doesn't Win Wars. Only Economics Wins Wars. In 110 Seconds

    53: Good Or Evil Doesn't Win Wars. Only Economics Wins Wars. In 110 Seconds
    Dec 12 2023
    • Welcome to the latest episode of Burgernomics! Today, we delve into the harsh reality that economics, not notions of good or evil, often dictates the outcome of wars.
    • Recent developments, including Vladimir Putin allocating a staggering one-third of Russia's economic output to defense, highlight the economic dimension of modern warfare.
    Key Points:

    1. Russia's Economic Commitment:
      • Putin directs 33% of Russia's economic output to defense, amounting to $820 billion annually, 15 times more than Australia's projected defense expenditure.
      • The move underscores the role of economic decisions in shaping military capabilities and strategies.
    2. Volunteer Soldiers and Economic Incentives:
      • Russian volunteer soldiers enticed by substantial pay, earning four times the average monthly salary, will contribute to the military force.
      • Families of soldiers receive significant compensation if killed, creating a unique economic dynamic in the armed forces.
    3. Labor Shortages and Economic Impact:
      • The influx of men into the army leads to severe labor shortages across Russia, affecting not only the military but also the broader economy.
      • Even penal colonies are tapped for labor, illustrating the extent of the workforce mobilization.
    4. Economic Adaptability:
      • Russia's ability to redirect civilian production instantly for wartime needs contrasts with the challenge faced by market-based economies like Australia, which require years to shift supply chains to defense production.
    5. Chinese Naval Power:
      • A sobering thought from The Wall Street Journal: One Chinese nuclear submarine and civilian shipyard launch more ships annually than the entire U.S. in the last 30 years, emphasizing the global economic and military landscape.
    Conclusion:

    • Economic decisions play a pivotal role in determining military success. 
    • Thank you for tuning in to Burgernomics! If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and stay tuned for more intriguing conversations. 
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    3 mins
Economics
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