Falling Consumer Confidence – A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy?

Another report on consumer confidence has been released, indicating a drop to a seven month low.  BTW – How in the world do you “forecast” consumer confidence?

I fail to understand the significance of “consumer confidence” data on a personal level. Maybe the pathetic politicians worried about re-election should take notice. Not me. I refuse to participate in confidence deficit analysis.  Read more

Is the Credit Junkie Pipeline Fully Primed?

More scary news for our country. It seems that total student load debt in the U.S. now exceeds credit card debt. This is a first ever event. To me, it signifies that whatever credit abuse lessons the parents have learned, their kids are prepared to learn again for themselves. Read more

Zombie Banks and Your Financial Future

People tend to forget all of the taxpayer money that has been spent to prop up “too big to fail” financial institutions. Some of those “forgetful” people include the jerks that still run these institutions, which others have referred to as “zombie banks.”

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Consumers Drop the F-Bomb on Government Economists

The consumer engine that drives our economy isn’t returning to its borrow and spend ways.

“F—you” say consumers who refuse to comply with the pleas of government economists that we revert to our bad habits of yesteryear.

This is most pleasing to Mr. ToughMoneyLove. Read more

Financial Freedom Tour

Readers know that Mr. ToughMoneyLove is a baby boomer. That’s how I can get away with calling out the mistakes of others, because our generation made those mistakes long before many of you did. Being a baby boomer personal finance blogger has other perks, as in a free trip to Orlando, courtesy of the wise and powerful AARP. Read more

This Just In: Government Intervention in Housing Market Didn’t Work

Maybe the voices (including mine) that have been calling for allowing the housing market to seek its own level will finally be heard.

Even the New York Times is now questioning the wisdom of using artificial measures to attempt to quash the epidemic of foreclosures and the decline in real estate values. Read more

The Big Debt Downplay

I occasionally listen to the Dave Ramsey show when I am in the car on a weekday. I mostly do it to remind myself that I may know more about personal finance than other people. Those “other people” generally include all callers into the Dave Ramsey show. I don’t listen to the show for the advice.

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