How's your economy?
 

Since this is a very diverse, international group, I was just interested in your opinion of the economy where you live. Everyone here in the US is in a panic. Headlines read, "Fear grips the market!" I'm not sure how much of this is based on real, fundamental problems and how much is just panic for panic's sake. I've seen stocks go up and down for many years, but never felt like investing. It's not rational. It seems like the stock market operates like something between a teen-age boy and a menopausal woman; all emotions and hormones and no brains. However, right now I'm getting ready to move some of my savings into stocks. I've seen it before, when there's blood in the gutters and panic in the streets is a good time to buy.

What do you think?

Canada is concerned, but we have some real dichotomy here. Ontario is in serious trouble with its manufacturing sector seeing significant contraction. Conversely, Alberta and Saskatchewan are absolutely booming. Real estate prices in Saskatchewan are at record highs (they are retreating slightly in Alberta after a few years of record increases), but jobs are plentiful. Employers have been advertising on billboards and on radio for people to apply for jobs, which I think speaks volumes. (I had never run into that before the boom started.)

The Bank of Canada is, of course, screwed. Lowering interest rates helps things where they're hurting but pours gasoline on the booming provinces' economies.

Luckily, I live in Saskatchewan and not Ontario. :)

LOL @ DRNewcomb

When I was finishing up my MBA and I was taking finance classes (3 years ago), I always shook my head and buried my face in my palms with my classmates talking about investing in some of the things that got us in trouble...