Doing the Charleston!

As some of my regular blog visitors may have noticed I haven't been posting regularly lately.  Sorry about that...it's a long story, so I won't bore you with at this time. Hopefully I can get my schedule adjusted to allow regular postings again.

I think it is important to stay informed about what is going on in the ecomony,that's why I post the types and dates of economic reports that will be coming out during the week.  But, I am still on my soap box about stopping all the negative spins the "talking heads" want to put on everything. I'm not a bury my head in the sand type of person, I'm a realist, but there are good things that could be added in the mix with negative news to, as I've said many times before, help us keep our perspective.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel for many troubled homeowners who are getting help to keep their homes if they have proven themselves responsible in their efforts to do so. Reports show our econony is holding it's own on many levels. Wage earners are experiencing some increases, fixed-rate 30 yr mortgages rates have been at or below 5%, and inflation is under control. Those of you who have kept your credit rating in good standing have been able to get home loans and take advantage of some incredible prices in the housing market. And, the cherry on top is that you have got more house for the money than has been possible for many years.

As we have all heard most of our lives, we can do whatever we set our minds to do; so let's make that effort to stay positive. Testing our comfort zones is unpleasant for most of us, but it becomes easier if we learn to enjoy the simpler pleasures in life, and by doing so we simply create different comforts. Do the best you can do with what you have to work with, and stay firm in your belief that hard work and determination will be the keys to a brighter future.

Here are this week's upcoming economic reports:

Economic Indicator	Release Date and Time	Consensus Estimate	Analysis
Personal Income & Outlays (January)	Mon, March 2, 8:30 am, et	Income: 0.2% (Decrease) Outlays: 0.3% (Increase)	Important. Job losses have decreased aggregate income, but outlays suggest consumers continue to spend.
Construction Spending (January)	Mon, March 2, 10:00 am, et	1.3% (Decrease)	Moderately Important. Residential spending continues to weigh on overall spending.
Pending Home Sales Index (January)	Tues, March 3, 10:00 am, et	85.7 Index	Important. Despite recent weakness, the overall sales trend remains steady.
Mortgage Applications	Wed, March 4, 7:00 am, et	None	Important. Recent economic news has slowed application activity.
Beige Book	Wed, March 4, 2:00 pm, et	None	Moderately Important. The book is expected to confirm what most of us already know: The economy has contracted.
Productivity & Costs (4 th Quarter 2008)	Thurs, March 5, 8:30 am, et	Productivity: 1.6% (Increase) Costs: No Change	Important. Workers doing more with less are helping to keep inflation at bay.
Factory Orders (January)	Thurs, March 5, 10:00 am, et	1.5% (Decrease)	Moderately Important. The expected decrease will have little impact on capital markets.
Employment Situation (February)	Fri, March 6, 8:30 am, et	Unemployment Rate: 7.9% Hourly Wages: 0.3% (Increase)	Very Important. An unemployment rate higher than the consensus estimate could send equity markets reeling.