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American Consumers Face End of Era of Cheap Credit
newyorktimes ^ | 4/10/10 | NELSON D. SCHWARTZ

Posted on 04/10/2010 6:04:52 PM PDT by blueyon

Even as prospects for the American economy brighten, consumers are about to face a new financial burden: a sustained period of rising interest rates.

That, economists say, is the inevitable outcome of the nation’s ballooning debt and the renewed prospect of inflation as the economy recovers from the depths of the recent recession.

The shift is sure to come as a shock to consumers whose spending habits were shaped by a historic 30-year decline in the cost of borrowing.

“Americans have assumed the roller coaster goes one way,” said Bill Gross, whose investment firm, Pimco, has taken part in a broad sell-off of government debt, which has pushed up interest rates. “It’s been a great thrill as rates descended, but now we face an extended climb.”

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: debt; economy; inflation; obama
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Hold on ..here it comes....................
1 posted on 04/10/2010 6:04:53 PM PDT by blueyon
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To: blueyon

Dave Ramsey


2 posted on 04/10/2010 6:06:50 PM PDT by dubie (The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.)
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To: blueyon

Congress screws things up again.


3 posted on 04/10/2010 6:07:32 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: blueyon
"Even as prospects for the American economy brightens..."

I'm sorry. You were saying? :)

4 posted on 04/10/2010 6:08:47 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save the Earth. It's the only planet with Chocolate.)
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To: blueyon

If the NY Times is FINALLY sitting up and taking notice at the dire straights we’re in, there ARE black clouds on the horizon!


5 posted on 04/10/2010 6:10:37 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save the Earth. It's the only planet with Chocolate.)
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To: blueyon

Woohoo! Time to lend my stash and charge high interest. I may become a loan shark with over 80% interest rate.


6 posted on 04/10/2010 6:11:23 PM PDT by for-q-clinton (If at first you don't succeed keep on sucking until you do succeed)
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To: blueyon

Is it too late to buy gold?


7 posted on 04/10/2010 6:14:18 PM PDT by bayliving (What are YOU prepared to sacrifice in order to preserve freedom?)
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To: blueyon

Doesthat mean that CDs and interest rates on savings will rise also?


8 posted on 04/10/2010 6:16:35 PM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to...otherwise, things would be different)
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To: for-q-clinton

No joke, becoming a lender pays WAYYY more interest and points than sticking it in a CD, or a traditional IRA and many times more than a 401k, since they can be losers right now.

Self directed IRAs can be opened THIS YEAR and you can lend and manage your own future. (only you can’t keep one penny of the earnings or it can be ugly)


9 posted on 04/10/2010 6:16:53 PM PDT by Shimmer1 (Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes?)
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To: blueyon

I this happens, bond prices will go down and stock prices will go down. Stocks, because of their earning power, would be a better pick.


10 posted on 04/10/2010 6:19:06 PM PDT by proxy_user
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To: blueyon

Fine with me. I don’t owe one red cent to anybody, for anything. No mortgage, credit card debt, car loan, student loan, store charge cards, nothing. In another week or so, my wife and I will be closing on the little house we’re buying with 100% cash, so I won’t even be owing anyone rent anymore.

And to think I used to be a credit junky. Used to have a big house with 2 mortgages, 2 car loans, a boat mortgage, 3 or 4 store charge cards, and 5-figures worth of credit-card debt.

Screw debt. This feels much better. Turns out I don’t actually need to keep up with the Jones’ after all.


11 posted on 04/10/2010 6:19:34 PM PDT by Zeddicus
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To: blueyon

I hope everyone was doing everything possible to reduce their personal debt. We’re almost at the point which our only debt is our 20 year fixed mortgage at about 4.75%, which we’re in year 7. A few small credit cards are left. After that, it’s strictly cash only.


12 posted on 04/10/2010 6:23:12 PM PDT by Indy Pendance (Gone Galt)
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To: Zeddicus

Will you adopt me?


13 posted on 04/10/2010 6:25:36 PM PDT by rodguy911 ( Sarah 2012!!! Home of the free because of the brave.)
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To: blueyon

Yes, see interest goes to the banks we bailed out. DNC supporters, but...

NYT however is silly - low interest means low deductions - more tax revenue to gov so this is a win win until they change the law.


14 posted on 04/10/2010 6:40:35 PM PDT by edcoil (If I had 1 cent for every dollar the government saved, Bill Gates and I would be friends.)
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To: Indy Pendance

I have about 3 years left on my home. All credit cards are paid off and closed, but one (almost can’t rent a hotel room without one and for emergencies when travelling), and it has a small limit. Vehicles are paid for. Still today, a person can’t just retire, you still have to pay taxes, personal property taxes, insurances, utilities etc. Taxed til AFTER you die! In my state they even tax the dog!


15 posted on 04/10/2010 6:44:49 PM PDT by Freddd (CNN is down to Three Hundred Thousand viewers. But they worked for it.)
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To: Freddd

We’re right there with you! You never are “all clear” because of property taxes and all the other garbage they keep you chained to.


16 posted on 04/10/2010 6:55:38 PM PDT by ladyvet (WOLVERINES!!!!!)
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To: blueyon

Carter’s fault ....


17 posted on 04/10/2010 7:00:56 PM PDT by SkyDancer (If someone calls me a racist I'll just tell them you're just saying that because I'm white ....)
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To: Freddd

My grandfather was paying taxes for 30 years after he died.


18 posted on 04/10/2010 7:03:03 PM PDT by mamelukesabre (Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum (If you want peace prepare for war))
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To: ladyvet
Regarding property taxes, this is probably the form of taxation that I have the least objection to.

Why? Because this taxation goes directly to your local government, without getting skimmed by the various layers of state and federal government bureaucracies. Your local city or town government is also the most directly controllable and accountable form of government, as it is easier to become involved with and be heard by your local government than your state or the federal government.

It's also easier to see exactly where and how your local taxes are being spent. Plus, with the exception of national defense, your local government provides the majority of the essential services that most folks accept as legitimate purposes of government: police and fire, road maintenance, public education.

Why do we even need such bloated, parasitic state and federal governments anyway? I'd rather pay more property taxes and keep more direct local control of essential services, and get rid of the huge state and federal bureaucracies.

We wouldn't be having these problems with government employee unions run amok if we kept more direct local control via property taxes. The only reason they have become so powerful and unsustainably expensive is because they have become nationalized, along with alot of their funding which gets laundered through the central government.

Decentralization of government is what we need.

19 posted on 04/10/2010 7:09:39 PM PDT by Zeddicus
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To: blueyon

Ha ha and in your face, New York Times. I never used any credit, cheap or otherwise. Now sit on it and rotate.


20 posted on 04/10/2010 7:16:17 PM PDT by Steely Tom (Obama goes on long after the thrill of Obama is gone)
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