The future is looking bright

[Temo]

A rare optimistic post for this board...

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WamuxE4TrGI/Ug4c_lS3cmI/AAAAAAAAbhs/GL5FxWmw4BA/s1600/HousingStartsJuly2013.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aA3QEe9fh2E/UfvGYHsA_uI/AAAAAAAAbVk/8yKMTCDC4Pw/s1600/StateLocalJuly2013.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-seB6fsoSyDs/UcBo66mO6hI/AAAAAAAAau0/hJENEhII1AA/s1600/HouseholdDSRQ12013.jpg

The economy is headed for good things in the near future. This is the most optimistic many have been about the economy since the mid 1990's.

The downside risk, however, remains Congress. Fiscal policy is the one thing that could wreck what should be a great 2014. The "debt ceiling" is a fake crisis created by politicians. It shouldn't exist. It DOESN'T exist, except as a way for congress to screw up something that would be GREAT if just left alone.

Other than that, I am very, very optimistic about where our economy is headed going into 2014 and 2015.

[AerchAngel]

baaaaah
baaaaah

baaaaaaaah

[50PoundHead]

I think modest optimism is in order. Tough thing will be to balance increased consumer demand with debt ratios. Avoiding "bubbles" should be the first economic order of the day, but that means scaling back expectations and Americans haven't been very good at that over the past 30 years or so. Still need to get the fiscal house in order and that will take some out of the box thinking on both the revenue and spending sides.

[Temo]

I think modest optimism is in order. Tough thing will be to balance increased consumer demand with debt ratios. Avoiding "bubbles" should be the first economic order of the day, but that means scaling back expectations and Americans haven't been very good at that over the past 30 years or so. Still need to get the fiscal house in order and that will take some out of the box thinking on both the revenue and spending sides.

Economic bubbles are as old as commerce itself, I don't think it's been especially bad over the past 30 years. Not that we should stop trying to avoid them, but you have to be aware that they've always happened, and always will happen to some extent. The focus should rather be in containing them-- what sucks is when the bubble happens in a sector that isn't self contained, like the current banking system.

[sturg33]

The future looks as bleak as it has ever been.

Financial collapse is a mathematical certainty.

[thethe]

The future looks as bleak as it has ever been.

Financial collapse is a mathematical certainty.

It might not happen for 100 years but I swear you guys its going to happen!

[BedellBrave]

Don't know much about economy... What's so rosey about those charts? :confused:

[weso1]

That Reagan recovery though.

Looking at the housing numbers this really has been a very meh recovery compared to recessions of the past. The earlier spikes were much sharper. Recovery should be inevitable, but it's surprising that it's been this slow to happen.

It's also interesting to note how the recessions since the days of Reagan are spaced much broader than in years past. Obviously we had one really bad one, but those really are just inevitable.

[Krgrecw]

I hope the economy is looking bright but I truly believe that Obamacare is going to hurt the economy. people are going to be paying more for insurance, and so many jobs are going to be part time due to Obamacare.

The majority of people coming out of school today without a good trade/skill or something in health field are going to be hurting.

[Runnin]

The future looks as bleak as it has ever been.

Financial collapse is a mathematical certainty.Not when you can change the numbers.

You crack me up.

[sturg33]

We've had the slowest economic recovery in our history, and that is with fed pumping trillions of dollars of free money into it to try to stimulate. We are AREADY in a bubble.

[Temo]

Don't know much about economy... What's so rosey about those charts? :confused:

The over-leveraging of the American consumer and the wider economy was essentially what caused the last recession. We've now completed the de-leveraging process, and finally, after what seems like forever: the financial sector, which is America's most important economic sector and the backbone of everything we are in the global economy, is looking strong again.

[weso1]

The over-leveraging of the American consumer and the wider economy was essentially what caused the last recession. We've now completed the de-leveraging process, and finally, after what seems like forever: the financial sector, which is America's most important economic sector and the backbone of everything we are in the global economy, is looking strong again.

Can you stop trying to show off how smart you are and explain it to us like we're 8 year olds now?

[Metaphysicist]

THANKS OBAMA

[zitothebrave]

Well since no one else will do it

http://i.qkme.me/3689c0.jpg

[50PoundHead]

Economic bubbles are as old as commerce itself, I don't think it's been especially bad over the past 30 years. Not that we should stop trying to avoid them, but you have to be aware that they've always happened, and always will happen to some extent. The focus should rather be in containing them-- what sucks is when the bubble happens in a sector that isn't self contained, like the current banking system.

I actually think two bubbles in successive decades (tech in the '90s and housing in the '00s) actually is more frequent. It was the rapidity and the short turn-around that surprised me. Call it irrational exuberance (Greenspan's term) or something else, but the reluctance of the average investor to be satisfied with modest, but steady, growth in their portfolios is a bit troubling.