| Jeanniez5, About half of our trade is with you ... and we are about 1/10th of the size of the U.S. So - if you sneeze - we get pneumonia. That said - you might like to get some Canadian oil and gas stuff - we have more petroleum in our oil sands than they have in Saudi - but it's all mixed up with sand and it was too expensive to separate until the prices per barrel went up (above something like $20./bbl., I think). They've been developing innovative technology to deal with it, as well. But - had you bought Canadian dollars a couple of years ago, when it took U.S. 65 cents to buy a Canadian Dollar, then sold it now when a Canadian dollar will buy U.S. 85 cents - you'd be laughing. But - you might consider it unwise to repatriate your money. The U.S. government has huge debt. And is spending huge sums buying a lot of military hardware - how they plan to blow Osama up with bombers is more than I can understand, but ... And they're running huge deficits - and offering large tax cuts (which benefit mostly the rich). They told about worries about an "axis of evil" - Iraq, Iran - and North Korea, a bankrupt country, for God's sake. Needed anti-missile missiles, they said (that, some authorities say, don't work). And they want Canada to buy some, as well. The one they're really worried about, but can't say so ... ... is China. But - China holds huge amounts of U.S. bonds. If they say, "Pay up" - the effect on the U.S. economy could be devastating - as bad as Pearl Harbour? U.S. consumers are running up huge debts, as well. Buying stuff made in China and sold here cheap by Wal-Mart - who are busy selling the U.S. dream down the drain. When they get stuff manufactured/built/shipped largely by robots, so that only a few jobs are needed ... ... or they shift the high quality and stable jobs overseas, then ship the stuff over here to sell it ... ... who among us is going to have any money to buy it? Our governments ran up those huge debts when we were having good times. I don't know about yours, but our federal pension plan is in trouble, and about to get more so, as the aging Boomer generation starts to to retire. And sign up for pension benefits. And we've let our roads, sewers, water and electrical generating systems, etc. deteriorate. And now are talking about selling them off to the private sector, for we can't afford to fix them. So they'll fix them - and will need profits on their investments. So - what'll happen to our water, electric, sewer rates? You got it! And - we in Canada still have a more or less publicly operated health system - but many of us fear that it's about to go down the tubes - U.S. big outfits sure would like to get in here to make big profits on our medical systems. We have stolen, big time, from our grandkids - when we enoyed the best times ever. And not about to continue, for us in the Western world. Trouble is - if you want to buy stocks using a Canadian broker, I don't think you can - I think it's illegal for Canadian brokers to have clients with a U.S. address. I think that having money in Europe, South America, India (an English-speaking more or less democracy) or China makes a lot of sense. Japan seems to be re-awakening, as well. Have you read a book "Dark Age Ahead" by Jane Jacobs, renowned city planner, whose books have become texts in that field? It's in our local library - might be in yours (or they might order one for you). I don't like its thesis - but I agree with it. Shout if you'd like further info - though why you would, after this pessimistic tirade is more than I can fathom. Have a lovely week, what's left of it. ole joyful | 
