The truth of the matter is that the dollar has become considerably weak in recent times. When the Bush administration plunged the US into war in Iraq, a trade deficit was the most immediate outcome. This weakened the dollar to a large extent. The long-term outcome was that many investors switched from the dollar to the Euro.
Another outcome of a reduced volume of trade in dollars is the increase in the prices of oil. The US economy is reeling from the effects of a biting recession although no negative growth has been reported. This is very true although the first quarter of a negative trend in growth has not yet been witnessed. Technically, there have to be two quarters of negative growth for a recession to be said to exist.
The American mortgage crisis has affected the value of the dollar against the Euro. Many realtors have stopped buying. They are standing by the fence waiting for the next shift in property prices before they can make a purchase. The mortgage in the US has spread its fangs into the UK where several banks have found themselves in liquidity crisis. One of these banks is Northern Bank, a renowned mortgage lender.