Debt & Deficits

A monumental change is coming, and for most Americans, it will be painful—especially for the unprepared. [Let me explain just what is happening, why it can not go on as is and what we can likely expect in the future.] Words: 1144

One of the things that's being lost in the welter of rhetoric around the debt crises of sovereign nations is that these are not normal debtors, and government debt is not the same as personal debt. If you or I are in debt we are obliged to fulfil the terms of our repayment obligations or to go bankrupt or to pretend to die and go off and live on the life insurance. A country in the same situation has a range of other measures available to it...[Let's explore their options and what their implications would be for the country and its citizens.] Words: 1145

We are trying to get out of a debt led crisis with more debt. The facts show this and we have compiled some of the more troubling data by putting the entire debt market into perspective here [and it clearly shows that] we flat out have an addiction to borrowing. [Read on!] Words: 600

The staggering debt situation throughout the industrialized world...will be terminal for the financial system we have known since the end of World War 2 [and, as such, have a major] impact...on the value of paper money and by extension, gold and silver. [Let me explain.] Words: 2328

For the bulls yesterday's news of a much higher-than-anticipated jump in consumer borrowing is yet more proof that the recovery is on track. [For the bears it is outright confirmation that America's spending is setting it up for a major financial crash! Let me explain.] Words: 527

I believe our fiscal situation is much worse than most people realize. True, the situation might be resolvable with a hard-nosed turnaround specialist in charge [Romney?] but, even here, the emphasis is on “might”! In a political context, where citizens have been conditioned to believe they are entitled to live at the expense of government (i.e other citizens because, after all, government has nothing that it first does not take from someone else), the situation is beyond hopeless. Let me address the true economic situation of the U.S. by way of an email I received from a regular reader recently. Words: 615

The U.S. government is spending more than a trillion dollars more than it takes in every year...[which] all gets into the pockets of ordinary Americans [who,] in turn,...use that money to pay the mortgage, buy food, shop at the mall, etc. - creating a "false prosperity" bubble that is not real. It may feel real to you right now, but it is unsustainable...We are living in the greatest debt bubble the world has ever seen and, as such, a devastating economic collapse is on the horizon no matter what we do [so] don't let this false prosperity and this "calm before the storm" fool you...There is going to be a massive amount of pain so you might want to get yourself and your family prepared for that. [Let me explain.] Words: 1211

Lots of iconic brands have filed for bankruptcy recently. Some blamed weak consumer demand, others pointed to rising commodity costs and pension demands. In any case, you can count on many more companies to follow suit. Here is a list of the 17 largest companies with the greatest probability of financial distress. Words: 571

Canada has the lowest total debt-to-GDP ratio of the world's 10 largest economies (Australia is 2nd best, Germany 3rd and the U.S 4th) while the U.K. and Japan are 9th and 10th but when such debt is broken down by sectors the findings are quite different. Let's take a look. Words: 800

Countries around the world, particularly in the West, are hopelessly in the red, with debt rising every day. Even worse, politicians seem paralyzed, unable -- or unwilling -- to do anything about it. It is a global disaster that threatens the immediate future... [Let me explain.] Words: 1132