Shell Games with Bank Numbers

Finally, the stock market used it's x-ray vision and saw through profit statements from a bank!  It took a few days, but the analysts realized bally-hooing banks might not be such a good idea since there really hasn't been any change in banking assets except deposits of enormous amounts of taxpayer bail-out money.

Indeed the announcement of Bank of America's numbers sent the stock market on a tail spin.  Maybe investors are beginning to wonder who the heck they can believe?

In the meantime, confidence that boomers can retire and live comfortably is at an all time low level.  In other words, we're more than slightly worried that all those nifty investments we were sold are not going to help us live like we thought when we turn 65.  

All of this is beginning to remind me of the lessons we try to teach children.  About decision making for long term gain rather than short term joy.  It seems to me that so many of the CEOs only thought about short term joy.  Money lining their pockets, not the long term health and welfare of their companies, much less their customers.  

It's beginning to feel a bit like a sophisticated robbery scheme, isn't it?