[Eagles Talon IV]

The claim often made by whiners and gloom and doomers of the negative savings rate in this country is totally bogus. When the savings rate is calculated NONE of the following are used in the calculation;

Stocks, bonds, real estate, collectibles of any kind such as art, coins, precious metals, etc. In fact all that is used top compile these savings rates is cash in the bank in the form of savings/checking accounts and cd's.

America and Americans have never been more prosperous then they are today with home ownership at record levels and more people employed then ever before in the nations history. Are there pockets of unemployment and economic disruption? Sure there are but this has always been true no matter what period of time one examines.

[webstersII]

"with home ownership at record levels"

- and home foreclosures at record levels

- and the percentage of home ownership (i.e., how much of the house you actually own) at record low levels

"Home ownership" is an oxymoron in this country. Most people own only a portion of the home, the bank owns most of it.

[raybbr]

America and Americans have never been more prosperous then they are today with home ownership at record levels and more people employed then ever before in the nations history. Are there pockets of unemployment and economic disruption? Sure there are but this has always been true no matter what period of time one examines.

Is that you, Rush.... Sean...?

[ThinkDifferent]

When the savings rate is calculated NONE of the following are used in the calculation; Stocks, bonds, real estate, collectibles of any kind such as art, coins, precious metals, etc. In fact all that is used top compile these savings rates is cash in the bank in the form of savings/checking accounts and cd's.

Right. I was concerned about the allegedly negative savings rate until I looked at what counts as "savings". By that standard I save 0% of my income, when in reality it's at least 30%.