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Swiss Household Debt Is Now Higher Than the US at the Peak of the Housing Bubble

• hinkley 8y ago
  This kind of article really pushes my buttons. Misrepresenting statistics is lying. > Household debt has fallen back to roughly 78% of GDP (though absolute US household debt continues to climb) Adjust historic monetary measurements for inflation. Otherwise you’re just wasting oxygen with your alarmist bullshit.
  • dang 8y ago
    It's good to correct misrepresenting articles, but please omit the name-calling, as the site guidelines ask: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
  • beojan 8y ago
    Adjust a debt-to-GDP ratio for inflation?
    • hinkley 8y ago
      > (though absolute US household debt continues to climb) Absolute debt means total value of debts outstanding. The title is, like a lot of ones that get complained about here, making something out of a statistic that doesn't matter. If you aren't going to adjust for inflation, then simply waiting ten years (or about the time since the housing bubble) will give you a new record due to inflation.
      • beojan 8y ago
        The title (both here, and on the article) is talking about debt-to-GDP ratios. The parenthetical note is just a parenthetical note.
        • hinkley 8y ago
          Should I just keep quoting back sections of the line I quoted in my first post? That’s the other half of my quoted line. GDP debt ratio has fallen. It was a hair under 100% and now it’s back down to 78%. Generally when you are reporting that things are bad you do so when the trend line is going up.
          • beojan 8y ago
            Please re-read the title. Swiss household is now higher...