Investing for Growth or Is It a Slowdown?...

URB - Economics

I barely lasted through a board meeting that proves my building morale is in a recession maybe a depression.  The arguing gave me the impression I was watching Congress debate about taxes or healthcare. :)

Speaking of Congress! While they talk about it often, it seems like things are only done about the economy in spurts or bursts. When it gets really bad, you and I get loud enough, Congress hears our anger and they throw us a bone or two and then get back to fighting about real issues...I guess.  It's interesting the topic is never 100% about the economy.  I would like to finally write a post about whether I definitively think the economy is growing or slowing down.  Its pretty hard to tell and as you know I constantly keep my ear to da streets to get a pulse from the people.  The real people that are trying to make ends meet day to day, rather than just arguing.  There are many mixed signals out there...and I see positive signs from improving housing trends to people starting to switch jobs.  But then there are the constant reminders of high unemployment, rising grocery bills, foreclosures, city governments struggles, and the federal budget problem which confirm that the coast is not clear.

Now from an investing standpoint this makes is difficult to determine which way to lean.  So I've spent more time reading the Wall Street Journal, and listening to Bloomberg or CNBC to get the sentiment from some of the brightest minds out there.  The strangest thing is that if you took a poll it might come out roughly 50-50 from analysts and investors on Wall Street.  I then even like to check in with the guys that see a really rosy picture of the future and also those who think we've reached the "perfect storm".  I mentioned that I would begin to branch out a little further and want to share some information from a social, economic, and lifestyle perspective.  This is an economic point of view about what's to come.  Here is a BLOOMBERG video from Dr. Nouriel Roubini, sometime affectionately called Dr. Doom.  In this video he talks about global economics and I try to understand how it effects you, me, and of course our investments: