There is no doubt that the current environment is mentally arduous for most of us and difficult in a very practical way for those who have lost jobs, homes, etc.  An important question for us is, “If God owns it all and is sovereign over our lives what is the purpose of all this?”  In many ways, the specific answer to that question is beyond our ability to know, but in this post on the Desiring God blog there is an outline of 5 possible faith-based reasons for us to contemplate as we experience this recession.

We would do well to consider the implication of these not only in the financial decisions we face but also for the whole of our lives.  To listen to the full sermon you can click here.

There is no lack of negative economic news these days.  To help counter the some of the negative, you might find this blog an interesting read.

H/T - to the Sound Mind Investing Blog

… is a rule of thumb applicable to most financial transactions, and now it is a principle to apply to the financial press as well.  In reporting events of the recent financial crisis, it is clear that the media has played no small role in stoking investor fears.  This is not to say that there is not plenty of bad news to report, but the media could do a much better job of reporting the news in context instead of writing attention grabbing headlines.  Take this article for example – “Foreclosures in Maryland surge 32%” - which could easily lead us to conclude that the rate of foreclosures is reaching an unimagined level.  Yet, a close read of the article paints a different picture: this was simply the one month increase of October over September.  In reality, October foreclosures decreased 16% from the same period last year.  One home in Maryland was in foreclosure for every 774 homes.  This works out to be 0.0013%.

Not everything is rosy and the bad news needs to be reported.  Just remember to read the fine print.

Our CEO, Russ Crosson, recently penned this letter to our clients.  In the midst of the economic uncertainy he wanted to share his thoughts and encouragment to them regarding our company and also the larger perspective.

Unfortunately, the depression of the 1930’s is being used by the media as an analogy for where we find our selves today.  While we don’t dispute serious economic concerns exist and the current economic picture is certainly not rosy,  the fact is that today’s data points  do not remotely resemble that time period.  As Irwin Kellner’s article highlights, there are more differences than similarities to the Great Depression. 

It is undeniable that we have experienced some type of financial crisis.  To some people it is simply a market cycle, for others we are heading to a depression.  In light of this, many of us are naturally asking ourselves and others what financial decisions do we need to make?  Should we sell all, buy more, stay put, etc… These are certainly prudent and reasonable questions, however we often miss the bigger context in which to view all that is happening around us.

Chuck Colson shares some thoughts regarding our role as Christians in this commentary.  If the idea of having an eternal perspective or that God owns it all is a little unclear, then consider watching this six minute video from John Piper.

You don’t have look far to get a negative view of all that is going on right now within our economy and the investment markets.  Certainly, there are reasons for concern, but there are also some alternative views which are going largely unreported or discussed.  Below are three recent articles highlighting a different perspective. 

Quit Doling Out That Bad-Economy Line

Why blue chips will bounce back

Recession … or not?