In article ,
Jim Elbrecht wrote:

Kurt Ullman wrote:

In article ,
"Stormin Mormon" wrote:

That's the trend I'm also sensing. People are nervous about
the US economy, and so they are being even more frugal than
before.


Considering that for the last few years, the US has had a NEGATIVE
savings rate, "more frugal" isn't all that hard.

I've heard that too--- but the St. Louis Fed disagrees-
http://dinomite.net/2009/united-stat...-savings-rate/
[there is a link to St. Louis there-- but there is a graph on the page
that makes it easy to see]

The main problem I have with NOT taking out the entire cost of a car,
for instance when it is bought. It is Washington-esque accounting to
suggest that a car loan doesn't exist, which is essentially what they
are doing. Sorry, but I don't live in a universe where a long-term
liability (such as a car loan) is essentially treated as a short term
asset.

Right now we're almost back to the 1994 savings rate of 5%.
Which is still real low compared to others such as Chinese and
Japanese. Although the one major hole in the savings rates as far as
I am concerned is that they don't count IRAs, pension plans, etc., as
savings.

--
An old friend once said "You don't live on the edge,
you're taking up way too much space."
Scott Kirby "Lucky Enough"