Show me the money!

It ain't just Tom Cruise mouthing that line. Marketers and sales persons all over the country are too! Is the recession really over they gloomily wonder to themselves. Consumers are suddenly saving it seems. with cd rates nearing 8% and just out of disaster, people are becoming more conscious of planning for the future. but, planning is anathema to the 'real' American life. spend, spend and spend more is what we learn from cradle to grave. So, i'd say, dont worry Joey my 'friendly' -all-pervasive-salesman because guess what? your American brothers and sisters dont want to keep you unhappy! not for long at least.

But, in this respect, we have a lot learn from the Eastern culture of Saving for a rainy day. In these markets gold is the most preferred form of long term investments as they are also generally risk averse. Although thanks to the effects of globalization, these economies have reached activism in the stock markets that were unimaginable a decade ago. Of course, this is imperative for these economies to faster reaching status of fully developed.