| The recent turmoil in Iraq led many forecasters to predict that oil and gasoline could be headed for a substantial price increase. Jay Leno once joked, “Gas prices continue to rise. At the gas station near my house they have a slot for your credit card and one right next to it for your 401(k).”
The price of oil can be very volatile. Oil prices have a history of price spikes that are associated with geopolitical unrest. In 1979, the price of crude doubled to $38 per barrel. Using an inflation adjustment based on CPI data from 1946-2014 that equates to over $115 per barrel in today's dollars. Oil spiked again in 1990 during the Gulf War. In June 2008 oil reached an all-time high when it averaged an inflation-adjusted price just over $135 per barrel for the entire month...............................................Full Article: Source
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