The US consumer just got a $162-billion “pay raise,” and I’m betting you haven’t heard a word about it. Today, we’re going to tap that “extra” cash through a 6.6%-yielding fund that trades at 87 cents on the dollar. What I’m getting at is the good news story we’ve heard little about in the media: the extra cash consumers are pocketing thanks to the recent plunge in gasoline prices. It’s no small amount, either: according to Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, US households save about $125 billion in total for every dollar the price at the pump drops. And with average pump prices now around $3.70 a gallon, down from north of $5 in June, we’re looking at about $162 billion being thrown back into the economy, or around $13 billion a month. … Read more