But it would be an unwise investor or economist who placed too much reliance on figures for one economic indicator for one month.

ECONOMIST: Ports in a storm | The

Robert Hartwig at the Insurance Information Institute in New York thinks that too much would be at stake for European governments to remain passive were one of their large insurers or reinsurers to go bust.

ECONOMIST: Insurance

For a really deep recession will surely be too much for voters to forgive, whether or not they can remember the last one.

ECONOMIST: The politics of a shrinking economy

Of course, Wagenaar can point to the paradox that even bad studies are as good as good studies for calculating outcomes, so too much emphasis should not be put on one biased study.

FORBES: Pay More Tax And Cheat Death!

One simple lesson for investors: Look for companies that seem to almost be doing too much, even to the point of wasting money.

FORBES