2006 Economy Looks Solid

From USAToday.com -- January 2, 2006 -- "A fifth straight year of economic expansion in 2006 promises to mean new jobs, higher pay, and maybe even fatter investment portfolios for millions of Americans."

Some of the articles main points:

• Rising pay. Disposable incomes will rise by 3.2%, after inflation, more than double this year's gain.
• Healthy profits. Corporate earnings will grow 7.9%, but that's less than half the pace of 2005. That mixed picture, coupled with rising interest rates, has left Wall Street debating whether next year's stock market will head up or down.
• A strong job market. Unemployment to remain level at 5%. While job creation is not forecast in the Blue Chip survey, some experts call for job growth to reach 2 million for the year, higher than 2005 and much stronger than the early years of the current economic expansion.

It's always nice to start the year off with a good forecast. To read the complete article, go to USAToday.com.

Make it a great day!