Did you get your $600 check yet? What will you do with it? Surveys are saying that most Americans will use their “Economic Stimulus” check to deal with gas, food, and catching up on bills. This doesn’t stimulate the economy.

Consumer spending stimulates the economy. In other words, the Department of Treasury sent out checks to us all totaling $150 billion in hopes that we would buy clothes, jewelry, and electronics. Let’s take a step back for a moment and assess how our system works:

Two thirds of our nation’s economic activity is coming from people spending money. When our economy is “going good” it is because people are spending money – often more than they make or have. When our economy is “doing badly” it is because people are saving money or living within their means.

Finances 101

This is America and everyone wants to be rich. How does one become rich?

Make more money than you spend.

Or spend less than you make… in case that hits closer to home for you.

A person following those rules is becoming wealthy, while a person who practices opposite rules is becoming poorer. Here’s where things start to look funny. Our economic system is booming when people are becoming [Read more...]