I'm not sure there are any signs now of one that would cause someone to sell their cars. Of course, little doubt trump and company will bankrupt us, but the impact is probably down-the-road.

is a common enough occurrence that I've never connected it to the economy. For what that observation is worth.

A big sign of the last recession was about 4 to 5 months of turmoil in the financial markets. Yes, the stock market isn’t THE economy, but it often reflects what is happening IN the economy. And companies were shedding jobs by the thousands in the months before the recession.

Home foreclosures were largely responsible for sending the economy over the edge in 2008-9. I would look for something like a huge crisis in an important part of the economy as a sign of the next recession.

Caveat: my opinions are worth about 2 cents

•Real GDP (Gross Domestic Product)
•M2 (Money Supply)
•Consumer Price Index (CPI)
•Producer Price Index (PPI)
•Consumer Confidence Survey.
•Current Employment Statistics (CES)

These can change quickly but investors look to these top six among others for investment guides.
Others are a sustained decrease in car sales and other big ticket items.
If consumer spending still drives up to 70% of our economy things look good today.
But for any reason consumers get spooked look out.

Our current uncertainty is based on the economic expansion that stated under Obama
and that has continued under the Vulgar Yam. Which he has taken full credit for.
This expansion has gone on considerably longer than most.
In addition our rising stock market is believed to be very overvalued.
There were fears of a major correction 2 weeks back which did not materialize.

Today at Bloomberg news the headline reads "Goldman Says Stocks May Plunge 25% If 10-Year Yield Hits 4.5%"

If you are my age (63) 0r close to retirement you better have your savings far from the market and in stable accounts.

Just my humble opinion.

... because bonds were safer.

Buffet said stocks were cheap because bond yields were down

the credit card offers were starting to free flow again. I'm not expert in such matters and would appreciate it if somebody who does could chime in on that.

GOP fiscal irresponsibility is putting upward pressure on interest rates, which will raise monthly payments for the working class. That will eventually put the brakes on the economy, but I doubt that will happen before the mid-term elections.

The real problem won't be the recession, however. It will be the policy response to that recession.

General Dentists in metropolitan areas are among the first to begin to feel a coming recession. In 2007, my practice took a nose dive and I said to anyone who would listen, "I think we have a bad one coming." I was met by business men (and women) whom I treat as a prophet of "Liberal Gloom and Doom".

Needless to say, we were hit hard by calamity and I took some small pleasure in saying to some of these naysayers, "Didn't we have a conversation about a year ago (we see folks roughly every six months as most of you know) that there was trouble afoot?" I was met with grudging admissions or, interestingly enough, denials that my prediction had any merit. Now I've been practicing for 40+ years so I might, just might, know what I'm talking about.

I see a slight belt-tightening now but nothing like other pre-recession periods but that could change. Stay tuned...I'll let you know if I have any signs of a problematic economy coming.

... good info here

Where I profit is not from the obvious

Wish I could discuss economics and politics with our dentist twice a year, or at least ugh responses to interesting observations.

In the Spring of '07 the Lincoln dealers around here were chock full of '06 models they couldn't sell. I always wondered if they were a canary in the coal mine.

follows winter.

recovery...they lead the way in recovery...pretty much saved the economy after the GM bankruptcy ended (thanks Obama) and cash for clunkers.

haven't heard about it to much in the media, but I am seeing inflation all over the place. Even our transit system is holding hearings because a fare increase is on its way. I feel like I am reliving the 80's sometimes.