[Don Corleone]

Mostly with Monopoly Money!

[PastorBooks]

“Americans also showed signs of being more sheepish about borrowing money.”

Um... cause banks don’t give loans anymore?

[mountainlion]

Meanwhile government debt is somewhere between 100 to 150 Trillion dollars.

[adorno]

"Americans also showed signs of being more sheepish about borrowing money."

That is the more important economic behavioral trend. If people are reluctant to borrow, it's a big reflection of their lack of confidence on the economy and their personal economic status. Household net worth can rise and fall, but, with that rise and fall, the prices of goods and services also rise and fall. It's when people get real increases to their economic status (ie: better jobs and better incomes, and job stability, and manageable inflation), that people will start feeling comfortable and confident.

[Paulie]

I’m sure the 90+ million un/underemployed will feel better with this news.

[Cementjungle]

So, how does that work. Do people look at home prices and say to themselves “Gee, I think our house may be appreciating a percent or so... so let’s go out and spend money”?