A Nightmare Schedule
I have in front of me a most depressing chart. It shows the value of adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) resets. The chart runs from 2006 to 2012 and has two peaks-almost like the back of a camel.
A Truly Ghastly Environment
This is a truly ghastly environment for yield-conscious investors. Three-month T-bills yield 0.03%, two-year T-notes 0.73%, five-year T-notes 2.09%, and ten-year T-notes a whopping 3.3%. Who is locking up money for ten years at a 3.3% yield?
Investment Success
In 1981, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended at 875, 10% lower than its year-end value in 1965. During this wretched 16-year period, blue-chip stocks went nowhere. This was the ice age for stock prices. High and rising inflation and interest rates and big government were to blame. This sounds eerily similar to America’s prospects today.
Top 10 Mistakes #2
The #2 item on my list of the ten most common mistakes investors make is discounting the importance of compound interest. Albert Einstein described compound interest as the greatest mathematical discovery of all time.