Things Are Getting Better {Introduction}

Readers of this blog know that our prime thesis on a big picture economic basis is that overall things have been getting better for the US economy.  Note that getting better doesn't mean that things are perfect {hint:  they never are} or that we are close to solving many of our economic problems.  But overall we have made substantial improvements since 2007-2009 and the data bears that out.  Over the course of the next week or so I'm going to present visual evidence of that argument.  I'll start today and pick up Tuesday.  Also Monday and Tuesday I will be at the Inside ETFs conference in Hollywood, Florida.  I'll break in from there if something of merit needs to be posted here.

Data comes from the St. Louis Federal Reserve.  You can double click on the charts if you want to make them larger.

Inflation remains tame currently growing about 1.5%.

Interest rates continue to trade near historically low levels.  {Chart of 10 year Treasury.}

Update:  11.45, 01.24.14.

I forgot to post this chart on on debt service payments as a percent of disposable income.  See how it's dramatically dropped these past few years.