Top Ten Predictions For 2014

Predictions are like health insurance policies.  Every American must have one in the New Year or cough up a fine.  Check that.  Pay a tax.

Nothing stings like a bite out of your income, so here are the predictions for 2014 from an insured healthy author who wants to avoid any human contact with the Infernal Revenue Service.

1. Obamacare enrollments fall woefully short of 7 million goal.  An estimated 4.1 million people sign up for health insurance through government exchanges.  Even that number is skewed because the figure only includes those who applied.  Many Americans learn in January that their applications were chewed up in the system and they are without insurance.

2. The Republicans capture control of the Senate.  After the mid-term elections the GOP emerges with a 55-45 advantage in the senate chamber.  Exit polling shows the unpopularity of Obamacare and distrust of the president are key factors in the Republican victory.  The Grand Old Party maintains an advantage in the House, assuring Obama's second term is a flop.

3. EU taxes savings accounts to fund bloated entitlements.   The European Union Commission follows the lead of Greece in levying a tax on savings accounts above $100,000 in the 34-member nations. Democrats in the United States float a similar plan after Obamacare costs exceed projections, prompting more borrowing and increased budget deficits.

4. Mortgage rates inch past 5 percent.  After a long run of low rates, interest creeps upward after the Federal Reserve tapers its bond buying.  The increase slams housing starts as prices flatline and sales flutter below 2013 levels. Many homeowners with adjustable rate mortgages scramble to avoid foreclosure.

5. The Dow dips below 16,000 before a year end rally.  After a four-year bull stampede, the stock market begins to flounder as interest rates climb, making bonds and certificates of deposit more attractive investments.  Without the Fed stimulus, investors worry that the market has been overvalued.  Puny first quarter profits from major companies exacerbate the rush for the exits.

6. Lois Lerner, the disgraced IRS official, resurfaces.  Lerner is the 34-year career IRS manager who "retired" after the scandal erupted over her overzealous scrutiny of conservative charitable organizations. Lerner reappears on the Washington scene as an employee of a George Soros funded organization.

7. Cash registers disappear in most big retail stores.  The advent of mobile payment devices advances from the trial stage to full blown deployment among large nationwide retailers.  More stores will have roaming employees armed with mobile devices to assist with in-aisle purchases.

8. Goggle Glass finally goes on sale to the public.  The head-mounted device, unveiled to much fanfare in 2012, makes its debut to cheers from the marketplace.  The product, ballyhooed and criticized in the test stage, becomes the must-have gadget for the tech savvy and millennials racking up sales of 7 million.

9. Smart watch purchases soar with improved applications.  The watches, basically wearable computers, add more features for health and wellness monitoring along with sports and fitness functions.  After tepid sales in 2013, more early adopters and the health conscious snap up the devices fueling sales of more than 6 million in the new year.

10. U.S. economic growth remains languid.  After a hopeful first quarter, the economy slides in last half of the year as mounting household debt, rising interest rates and slow personal income growth stymie consumer consumption.  The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ends the year with growth of 2.25 percent, a sign of continuing economic weakness.

As with any predictions, these forecasts come with no guarantees. However, there is one certainty. The year will be filled with more uncertainty than anyone could foresee.