RE: More accounting tricksTrekie, remember that those same 'accepted accounting prinicipals' were not always part of the calculation. You are correct though in stating that they are part of the calculation. (i.e. If unemployment numbers in the US were calculated the same was today as they were 30 years ago, we would have 21% unemployment).
Credit card debt, as well as other dodgy debts, should never be included in the GDP number. I'm not going to put words in you mouth but I believe you have to know that is just plain wrong.
I say it again, hang on to bank shares at your own peril. You can buy them back much cheaper later on. Your only insurance against rampant currency debasement are precious metals or equities. The fundamentals for banks are poor but the fundamentals for gold and silver continue to get better. TTFN