I would be remiss if I didn't mention the inherent bias in my sample set. My work means I tend to interact with institutional investors, high net-worth individuals and corporate retirement-plan sponsors. That creates a bias as to what parts of the country I spend time in -- they tend to be wealthier, with lots of financially successful businesses and individuals. If I am visiting your city, it probably means the recovery there is good. In other words, the places I tend to visit -- Portland included -- are probably not representative of many parts of the country.
But for those who insist that there is no recovery or that we are slipping back into recession, I urge you to get out of your offices. More analysts, economists and strategists should do this, since spreadsheets often fail to capture some of the nuances specific to each region. Views that are predicated on national averages are incomplete at best.
Get out and see the world. It will help you spot the recovery.
Barry Ritholtz started the Big Picture blog in 2003 and is the founder of Ritholtz Wealth Management, an asset management and financial planning firm.