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Some ways to deal with debt are limiting yourself, thinking before spending (do I really this?), using cash instead of credit cards and getting educated about finance to minimize debt when it has to be paid.

The article talks about strategies on how to save for things like education, on saving for a car, how to pay off your debt at lower rates as well. 

1. Why do think consumer debt increased so much? 2. They say that getting consumers to spend more will help boost the economy, but is it beneficial when consumers are going into debt?

1. i believe consumer debt has increased drastically because the generation is upgrading really quickly with new things, mainly technology and many people want to be caught up with the latest trends whether it is buying the latest iphone, clothing, real estate, buying a car etc. People begin to borrow heavy loans without thinking of a way to pay back therefore causing a big debt to themselves.

1. I believe consumer debt has increased greatly due to the need to purchase luxuries and unnecessary goods because we live in a society where we live in a society where you feel incomplete if you do not possess a certain good. 2. I think spending money to a certain point is beneficial because it helps circulate cash, however consumers should not be spending to a point where they cannot pay back debts. Also people can spend money wisely rather on unnecessary and expensive goods.

1. Is it fair and better for organic food "businesses" to undergo their own inspections or should the government be responsible for our food safety? 2.The market failure mentioned in this article is an informature market failure. The definition of an informature market failure is when one side of the market has more information than the other. What are some visible solutions to this market failure?

* It is not fair for organic food companies to inspect their own products since they will obviously never reveal anything bad that could potentially damage the company. It would be like a student marking his own quiz or test, they would do anything they could to benefit their mark. This is why governments should be responsible for our food safety. * A visible solution would be that companies must to share all the information they are aware of with the consumers.

1. It would not be the best idea for businesses to inspect their own food because there is a high possible margin of bias and committing unethical acts such as labeling their foods safe when they aren't are likely to occur. The government should be responsible because they would inspect each business in the same manner without bias and utilize the same procedures, ensuring fair inspections. 2. Visible solutions to this market failure would include sharing product information and inspection information to all producers and consumers.

"A new status quo of slow or stagnant economic growth for Ontario's economy is developing," warns the Task Force on Competitiveness, Productivity and Economic Progress. "If economic growth languishes at less than 2 per cent annually, everything from government funding and programs to private sector competitiveness and employment will be impacted." The issue of dead money surfaced this summer when Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney said Canadian companies are sitting on cash when they should be investing or returning it to shareholders - comments that sparked an avalanche of criticism from economists and executives. Canada's relative stability should make businesses more willing to invest. Instead, they are sitting on large cash reserves. Ontario's GDP per capita ranks 14th among 16 North American peer jurisdictions and lags the median of the peers by $7,500 Roger Martin, chairman of the task force and Rotman School of Management dean, in a release. "But the gap in GDP per capita with North American peers shows that Ontario needs to move now to push for more growth." Dead money could be used "to invest in the physical and human capital we need to increase our productivity and close the prosperity gap," he added. Key Concepts: GDP- gross domestic product Stagnate- Showing no activity; dull and sluggish: "a stagnant economy".

1) A crazy one would be to not corporate tax, them, if only for the beginning. Maybe subsidies the companies the government wants businesses to be involved in, and to be willing to invest into.

2.I think the government should not intervene in the decisions different companies make unless it greatly affects the country's economy.

Canadian government article advising consumers about debt, such as recognizing danger signs, various methods to deal with it, and information on declaring bankruptcy in case consumers are unable to pay off their debts.

Household debt contributes to recessions and depressions, one major cause is banks lowering their lending requirements to make more money. Household debt can be reduced through income and savings, debt negotiations and inflation.

Unemployment itself has negative effects on people besides the obvious ones of having less money. People are more likely to become depressed, less likely to retain learned skills and it may even affect their children's earnings.

Discussion Questions: 1. Why should a widening financial income gap be concerning to the economy? 2. What are the economic differences of the baby boomer's generation (1940's-1960's) and the current generation? Do you think these differences affected the education requirement of today's jobs?

Questions: 1. Do you think that eventually Canada will have no choice but to sell its natural resources to the other world powers? Can this be a good change? 2. Canada and the USA share a lot of history and do a lot of activities together, do you think that being financially independent will make us rely less on the US ?

Questions 1. What effects will interest rate cuts and expanding consumer credit have on Brazil's economy? 2. Would allowing the private sector to build and operate airports, highways and cutting electricity costs be good for Brazil's economy? Why?

1- It might cause an economic recession. 2- It will be beneficial as long as there isn't one company operating all these areas(monopoly power) which leads to a market failure. It will bring money to the private sector. Netan

According to a poll disclosed from CIBC, tells us that many Canadian are finding themselves in debt for longer periods of time then they had originally expected. 

Canadians are more than ever drown in debt. When it comes to comparing with the neighbor (US) we are carrying more debt than them. Market observers argued that Canadian consumers will no longer be able to hold up rising household debt.

Some 6.4 per cent of Canada's total workforce-1.2 million people-now consists of part-time workers under 30 who wish they could work full time. university-educated Canadians experienced a relative increase in unemployment between 1997 and 2005 and a corresponding dip in relative wages, according to a federal government study. By contrast, those with a college, or even a high school education, managed to improve (or at least maintain) their outlook, relative to other workers. In fact, the only group that experienced a similar relative increase in unemployment during the period were those Canadians without even a high school diploma. Employers increasingly expect workers to pay for their own retirements. That's not easy when you don't have money. A survey by the Bank of Montreal found that only about 10 per cent of Canadians aged 18 to 34 had given any thought to retirement planning. Job security is also increasingly scarce. Stung by the 2009 recession, employers in industries ranging from retail sales to information technology are preoccupied with building a flexible workforce In an effort to close the gap, the federal government is planning to bring in as many as 3,000 foreign skilled workers this year by De-emphasizing the university-educated and focusing instead on welders and electricians. Economists say the market will eventually sort itself out. Wages and benefits in the trades should become more attractive as desperate employers try to woo new workers.