Has The Weak Dollar Changed Anything For You?

[jeffrey]

I was talking to a friend the other day who has decided not to take a planned trip next year to Europe because it has just gotten too expensive with the falling dollar. I was wondering if the weak dollar has affected anyone on the boards in any way?

[Broken Arrow]

Not I, but I'm not planning to go anywhere....

[mariogreymist]

I put my 401K into more european funds. I figure I am taking a hit in the short-term, but a strengthening Euro-dollar relationship will mean increasing profits in companies who are paid in the stronger currency.

[PauletteGoddard]

I was talking to a friend the other day who has decided not to take a planned trip next year to Europe because it has just gotten too expensive with the falling dollar. I was wondering if the weak dollar has affected anyone on the boards in any way?

I buy Canadian coins from the children doing school banking.
I buy gold and silver twice a year.
My "waiting until I find a useful investment" retirement cash is in foreign currency ETFs.
I did none of the above until the Canadian dollar was at par.

[DebbieL]

I'm Canadian and plan to enjoy myself on your weak dollar when I go to Disneyland this December (yah!).

When our dollar was super weak (it was especially horrible in about 2001) I wouldn’t go near the States because it was way too expensive. I remember going to the bank to purchase $100US because my boss had to take a day trip down there. It cost over $160 at that time. I nearly puked.

[vsjhoc]

The superannuation (retirement) account I have in Australia is worth a whole lot more these days. But who knows what the US dollar will do over the next 10-20 years???

[mariogreymist]

I have strong and well-founded fears for the future of the US dollar. Debt load here is way too high and with manufacturing and other non-professional high-paying jobs leaving the US, we could face a significant level of failure among financial institutions. Americans are stupid on the whole, and the moment that starts, there will be a run on the banks, forcing the government to suspend financial markets. There could be a period of major financial chaos in those 10-20 years.

[Jaun22]

I was planning a trip to europe for next summer but I am no rethinking the itinerary.

[InDebtInDC]

I have strong and well-founded fears for the future of the US dollar. Debt load here is way too high and with manufacturing and other non-professional high-paying jobs leaving the US, we could face a significant level of failure among financial institutions. Americans are stupid on the whole, and the moment that starts, there will be a run on the banks, forcing the government to suspend financial markets. There could be a period of major financial chaos in those 10-20 years.

The good thing is legal jobs cannot be outsourced, yet. It's too technical and requires English fluency, but I'm starting to notice a little bit of outsourcing starting to pick up. It's only a matter of time before Americans will lose out in every industry.

[disneysteve]

No effect at all here.

[InDebtInDC]

No effect at all here.

That's because you're well diversified, right?

[disneysteve]

That's because you're well diversified, right?

Don't know. Never really gave it any thought. I don't really pay any attention to what the dollar is doing.

[vsjhoc]

The good thing is legal jobs cannot be outsourced, yet. It's too technical and requires English fluency, but I'm starting to notice a little bit of outsourcing starting to pick up. It's only a matter of time before Americans will lose out in every industry.

I read an article quite recently (ABA Journal? Washington Lawyer? Liar's Monthly?) that there is a growing market for outsourcing legal work to India. It seems to be paralegal work or cookie cutter stuff like leases ... scary.

[InDebtInDC]

I read an article quite recently (ABA Journal? Washington Lawyer? Liar's Monthly?) that there is a growing market for outsourcing legal work to India. It seems to be paralegal work or cookie cutter stuff like leases ... scary.

I think lawyers get a bad rep because they push the limits of the law, and the average layperson doesn't understand the fine points of the underlying legal posturing.

For now paralegal work is being outsourced for sure. In the future, I forsee litigation being outsourced as well. It's just a matter of times. I've dealt with a lot of Indian lawyers lately, and they are not dumb.

[disneysteve]

For now paralegal work is being outsourced for sure.

Even medicine is seeing some outsourcing. Radiology services are already being outsourced. X-rays are taken digitally and it doesn't matter where they transmit the image. So a radiologist in Mumbai interprets the film and e-mails back the reading.