Stock market

[Spence]

Please do not look at the stock market surge as a good sign as long as the value of the dollar keeps declining. Until the government quits printing money willy nilly and starts to strengthen the dollar, the economy can not recover. Inflation is likely if interest rates do not start to rise soon, hopefully the fed will raise rates a little to keep them from raising a lot later.

[donovan]

Rest assured...I do not.

[Spence]

Sorry, this came from a conversation I had earlier today and I needed to rant a little.

[Eric]

If you expect the Fed to do the right thing......God help you

[Spence]

I'm past expecting anyone to do the right thing. It really confounds me the people who think that we can keep running our economy into the ground and it will all work out. I guess when the value of the dollar equals that of the yen,the dollar is replaced as the world currency, and we are reduced to third world status - maybe then we will take a look at things.

[donovan]

With some degree of seriousness, the only solution to all of this is for individuals to take back their lives. That means get in control of what is happening to you as much as you can. It may not be possible. It may mean not playing in this arena we have made. In health care, go find a doctor that is fed up as much as you and ask him how the two of you can work it out.

Go to local banks or credit unions. My bank was paying .85 interest on a CD.....give me the cash, I stash it in the mattress.

You can buy cars from private parties, shop with local owners and avoid the Big Box sydrome.

There are local casuaties insurance companies in every area...a farmers co-op or something...they take all comers.

I believe the most largest minority group in the United States is the individual. Time we became that again. My rant for the moment.

[Spence]

I agree completely. I don't think lots of people know that you can negotiate interest rates with banks. And you can on everything from credit cards to savings and checking. Not that it is a great rate, but I get 1.2% on my personal savings. I have never had a balance on a credit card, but when they sent me a notice saying my interest rate was raising 4% I called them and they kept it the same. This is all personal stuff, not company accts.

I think that the biggest thing the individual can do, other then getting his financial house in order, is to forget about party when it comes to voting and vote people out that don't act in a fiscally responsible manner. Forget about the social politics until we fix the fiscal situation. You can not help the poor if you don't have the resources to help them. We also need to quit asking the government for stuff. We need not ask other people to give up government services, we need to tell them what we will give up ourselves. I'm not sure people know how really out of control we have become. People almost treat it as a joke. It isn't funny.

[WoVeU]

I hear you guys. I dropped one card because they wanted me to pay 9.9%....I don't think so! We haven't had higher than 4.9% since 94. If I have balance on a credit card...it is because it is making me money somewhere. I am done with the market. I want CDs and savings that pay for large amounts of cash and total banking, we only get 3 something % now but I am OK with that.

We bought our house last October. The plan is to pay it off October 2011. Then I am done with any borrowing unless it is that greasy form that actually pays me money. I'm looking at becoming 1939 rich. Free and clear!

And I couldn't agree more...the individual not the government, they cost us all more every time they move on anything!

[Derek]

I agree...This fake rebound in the stock market is only a forshadowing of the 1930's style crash that is coming....might not be in 2010, but it's coming.

I've been stocking up on cheap soup cans that keep for a year or two.

Don't think it can't happen in America. It can and it will. Of course if you get your news from CNN and MSNBC, you would naturally think I'm crazy, and I'm fine with that.

[Spence]

If the dollar gets devalued it will be really bad.