1. Rates– interest rates have declined to 1% not only in America but also in Japan, Britain, and most of the euro zone (source:  The Economist).



2. The Trend– interest rates have been generally declining since 1981 – a period of 29 years.  Does that mean interest rates can generally increase for 29 years? Yes – interest rates generally increased from 1952 to 1981 (source:  Valley National Research). 



3. Leader – In December, 2009 China surpassed Germany as the world’s leading exporter (source: U.S. Dept. of Commerce).



4. Number One New Year’s Resolution– 76% of consumers say that decreasing debt is their No. 1 New Year’s resolution (source:  The National Foundation of Credit Counseling).



5.  Busy Signal – The IRS has set a goal of connecting 71% of calls from taxpayers to an IRS employee.  In other words, the IRS is planning to be unable to answer 3 out of every 10 calls it receives (Source: The IRS).