Maybe if they'd actually improve interest rates...

But the minister said one cause for concern over the pace of recovery is that Canadians might be carrying too much debt as they rush to take advantage of historically low interest rates.

The Bank of Canada stressed in a report Thursday that households are becoming "increasingly vulnerable" to any further economic shocks. The central bank noted Canada's debt-to-income ratio had climbed to a new high of 142 per cent as of the end of June.

Flaherty said the government expected to see some increases in household debt, but warned it is keeping a close eye on the issue and will act swiftly if necessary.

"We're not in a position now where we feel we need to act in that way," he said. "But we are watching."

Flaherty urged Canadians to be mindful of what mortgage payments they can afford assuming interest rates "will eventually increase."

- Excerpted from Calgary Herald

When will people realize that increased debt is - in most cases - not exactly a way to wealth or economic stability? On the other hand, what use is it saving money if you get a negative return on investment (interest paid - inflation), with how the government has set interest rates. My "high interest" savings account at the moment pays a whopping 1.00%!

I was thinking of getting into the stock market in hopes of actually attaining a positive return on investment. With (a) the lack of diversification and proportionally high trading costs in small investments, and (b) the complexity of tax laws (which the TFSA makes even more of a mess), I think that I may wind up buying more mutual funds instead. Maybe shuffle things around directly into stocks if I have $50k or so to play with.